Empanadas and Local Beer Make the Perfect Pair!
Starting this month, we will be serving our empanadas at Inbound Brewco every other Saturday. We have chosen to work with this local company because empanadas and beer go together like peanut butter and jelly! With so many great breweries right here in Minnesota, each of us has access to thousands of craft beers to pair with our dinner.
We hope you will join us at one of our pop-ups at Inbound Brewco this summer to try out some of these delicious pairings. These tips are also great if you would like to enjoy a beer with your empanadas at home!
Pairing Beef Empanadas with Beer
If you are partial to Quebracho’s beef empanadas, there are a few types of beers that will offer the perfect pairing. Red meat goes best with golden and Belgian ales. Golden ales are also known as blond ales. These beers are light in color and flavor. They are usually citrus-forward, which balances out the strong flavors of the red meat quite nicely. Belgian ale is a slightly stronger beer with a subtle but still noticeable flavor of hops. The hops also offer a hint of bitterness. Give either style a try with your beef empanadas!
Combining Beer and Light Meats
For the chicken empanada lovers, we recommend a lager or Pilsner. These light beers have a delicate flavor that won’t outshine the taste of the chicken. Lagers are extremely refreshing and have a lighter, cleaner flavor because they are fermented more slowly than other beers. A Pilsner is similar to a lager, but with the addition of more noticeable hops flavors. Even though it is still a relatively light beer, a Pilsner may have more of a kick than a lager.
Beer Pairings for Vegetarians
If you are a vegetarian, or a meat eater who sometimes chooses Quebracho’s spinach and ricotta empanadas, you will want to pair your beer according to the light flavors of the cheese and vegetables. A soft, fresh cheese like ricotta goes great with a wheat or Iambic-style beer. The delicate cheese pairs excellently with these softer, lighter-flavored beers. The spinach also benefits from a pairing with a softer beer so its flavors are not overpowered. You can also give a blonde ale a try - its approachable flavor makes it appealing to many beer drinkers, and it’s a great complement to veggies and greens.
One of the great things about empanadas is how they go so well with many flavors. The suggestions above are just a starting point, so don’t be afraid to try different combinations! Trying out new local breweries is all about finding your favorite flavors. Quebracho’s pop-ups at Inbound Brewco offer the perfect opportunity to give new styles a try while snacking on our tasty Argentine-style empanadas. Check out the schedule!
