The 13 Best Food Pairings For Irish Beers

You might think it sounds strange the first time you hear it, but a pint of Irish stout and raw oysters are a classic pairing. If you've never had these two seemingly disparate items together before and you're feeling skeptical, that's understandable. But if you're curious and open-minded enough to give the pairing a chance, you may be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Ireland, being an island, possesses plentiful coastal areas that are ideal for oyster cultivation — in fact, oysters have been a vital part of the diet here for thousands of years. Irish stouts didn't come around until much later, in the 1800s, and the creamy nitrogenated version that we associate with draft Guinness was only established in the last century.  It's impossible to know when the first intrepid diner discovered the stout and oyster alchemy, but the unusual pairing has endured.

Why does it work? Irish stouts boast a bitterness similar to coffee thanks to their dark roasted malt. When this bitterness comes in contact with saltiness, like that of briny oysters, on our palate, the bitterness is subdued and the natural sweetness and creaminess of both the stout and the oyster are enhanced. The sensation is nothing short of perfection, especially if you're an oyster fan. Popular Irish stouts to look out for are Guinness, Beamish, and Murphy's. If you can find it, Porterhouse Brew Company's Oyster Stout is actually brewed with the mollusk's shells, making it perfect for this pairing.

Similar to a basic Irish stout, Irish extra stout showcases more body and richness as well as a stronger, more intensely bitter flavor. The deep, dark roasted notes in an extra stout, along with its full texture make this Irish beer a great match with hearty red meats, especially if they have a charred crust. A beautifully grilled or griddled burger pairs perfectly with this style of Irish beer.

The caramelized exterior of a burger patty matches up with the malty, sometimes chocolatey flavors you'll find in an extra stout while also mellowing out the strong bitter finish, making the intense beer easier to drink. The dark roasted notes in the beer echo the burger's savory notes and enhance them. This style of beer goes so well with beef, in fact, it makes a great addition to the meat itself — pour a little Irish extra stout into your burger mix to add even more dimension to the pairing.

Guinness Extra Stout is the most well-known of this type of beer, and is based on the brewery founder's original Porter recipe. O'Hara's Leann Folláin is another example of the style.

For as long as there's been fire and pots, there's been stew, hearty, rustic, and an easy, hands-off way to feed groups of people. Another advantage of stew is that the long, slow cooking process can turn tough hunks of meat and bland ingredients a into tender, rich, and tasty medley of flavors and textures. There's no singular recipe for Irish stew. It can vary widely depending on the ingredients on hand. Beef is commonly used as the meat component, along with potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables like turnips and parsnips. And often, Irish stout is added to create more depth of flavor.

An Irish stew made with stout, such as this Secret Guinness Beef Stew from Boston's The Black Rose pub, pairs perfectly (as you might expect) with Irish stout. Not only does the beer echo the flavors it brings as an ingredient in the stew, but the roasted malty character matches the richness of the meaty, savory dish. Beef stew and Irish stout make for a warm, comforting duo, great on a cold rainy day, or anytime you need culinary contentment.

Like many of the world's heartiest, homiest dishes, shepherd's pie likely developed out of necessity as a way to utilize leftover meat with inexpensive, common ingredients to create a filling meal. Not to be confused with cottage pie, which is made with beef, shepherd's pie, as the name suggests, is traditionally made with lamb or mutton. Vegetables like carrots and peas, along with gravy, round out the meat filling, and a thick, creamy topping of mashed potatoes creates the pie's crust. When looking for an Irish beer to pair with this comforting dish, reach for an Irish red ale.

With a beef-based cottage pie, Irish stout is often recommended, but Irish red ale is a much better fit for lamb. The meat's robust flavor reacts well with red ale's malty sweetness, which tones down its gamey intensity while enhancing the savory flavor. Both the dish and the beer are on the rich side, but there's enough crispness and a touch of bitterness on the finish of Irish red ale to balance it all out. To punch up the red ale flavor even more, follow this Irish Red Shepherd's Pie recipe which includes the beer in the gravy.

The Dublin coddle is one of countless examples of the Irish people's exceptional ability to make delicious, enduring dishes out of frugality and necessity. There's no exact recipe for a coddle, but it typically consists of a combination of whatever pork products you have on hand — bacon and sausages, most commonly. The addition of vegetables heartens things up, like onions and potatoes, all stewed together in a long-simmering broth. This filling and flavorful dish can be enjoyed with a lot of beverages, but perhaps the most fitting match is an Irish cider.

Pork and apple have a great affinity for one another, creating a bright yet deeply savory combination of flavors. Herbs present in the sausage and added to the stew, such as rosemary and thyme, are amplified by the freshness of a nice crisp cider, livening up the hearty dish so it doesn't come across as too heavy. Cider can even be added to the soup itself to bring a dimension of fruity flavor. Bulmers, otherwise known as Magners outside of Ireland, is perhaps the most popular cider produced in the country. Other excellent brands include Dan Kelly's and Stonewell.

Ireland's cheesemaking history goes back centuries, perhaps even millenia. The nation's farmhouse cheese culture (pun intended) is unique from many other European countries in that rather than regions being tied to a strict cheese recipe, Irish cheese makers are free to create their own individual styles. These artisanal cheeses, rather than sticking to a rigid model, instead focus on the quality and freshness of the local milk and the skill and imagination of the crafter. The category of Irish cheese that's made a big splash internationally is cheddar, thanks to brands like Kerrygold and Tipperary. And while these cheeses outside of Ireland can't hold a candle to a fresh, locally made farmhouse versions, they're still unique and delicious, especially when paired with an Irish red ale.

An aged Irish cheddar possesses a somewhat mild sweet flavor thanks to the quality of the milk, compared to some other sharper cheddars. This sweetness is enhanced by the maltiness in an Irish red ale. Aged cheddar has a crumbly yet still pliable texture that melts in your mouth, with a salty and savory taste that contrasts with the sweetness, leading to a complex combination of flavors that linger on your palate. 

Irish stout, especially one poured on draft with nitrogen, is so creamy and smooth it can sometimes seem like a dessert. With its chocolatey, caramely flavors and malty sweetness, it makes a fantastic drink to enjoy at the end of a meal on its own. But if you pair it with another sweet and creamy ingredient, like vanilla ice cream, you can erase all doubt.

Whether you enjoy the ice cream on the side, or mixed into the stout like an adult version of a root beer float, the two items play so well with each other it's like they're meant to be. Stout's bitterness is mellowed by the richness and sweetness of the ice cream, and the vanilla flavor enhances the beer's natural dessert-esque flavors. The creamy texture of both creates a satisfying, mouth-filling sensation together even as the roasted dry finish of the stout keeps the combination from becoming too cloying. Beer purists may shake their heads at the sight of ice cream floating in what was once a perfectly poured pint, but the flavor fireworks more than make up for it.