Summer is here and without a doubt, it is the time of the year in which the most beers are drunk. According to data from Cerveceros de España, 31% of beer throughout the year is consumed in the months of June to September, approximately 1.2 million litres.

Furthermore, according to this survey, for 90% of Spaniards this drink is the first option. And not only that, but more than 90% of beer consumption is accompanied by food. In other words, we love to gather around a table to snack or eat while refreshing ourselves with a good beer.

Summer Pairing

In this article we already talked about the most suitable styles for hot weather. We advise you to always choose beers with low alcohol content, light body and quite carbonated.

With these data that we like to drink and eat, we have thought of a very summery menu of simple recipes that pair perfectly with craft beers. Because in summer we also like to continue drinking delicious beers made with love.

Lagers and Greek Salad

Let's start with two classics: the traditional Lagers, but with the careful touch of craftsmanship, and a Greek salad, both perfect to whet your appetite . The salad recipe doesn't have much of a mystery, but it's important to choose quality products (as with a beer!)

• Ingredients: tomatoes, ½ red onion, cucumber, green pepper, black olives, 100 g. of feta cheese, olive oil, wine vinegar, salt.
• Preparation: It couldn't be easier. Cut all the ingredients. Crumble the feta cheese with your hands. Dress, stir and eat.

A perfect beer to pair with this dish is Santa Anita, a super refreshing Premium Lager, with a bitter but smooth aftertaste. One of those where the foam stays in the glass and on the lips. Another option is the Yuzu Squeezer, a 4.5% Lager flavored with Yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit similar in flavor to lemon peel.

Acid beers and ceviche

One of the best options for these months are the sour beers. They are fresh on the palate and with a balanced bitterness that feels great when it's very hot. And this style combines perfectly with ceviches, since it contrasts the buttery point of this raw fish. We leave you here a very easy ceviche recipe:

• Ingredients: 300 g. white fish (corvina or similar), red onion, chili pepper, lime, fresh coriander, pepper and salt
• Preparation: Ask your trusted fishmonger to fillet the fish. Cut into pieces about 5 cm long. Season with salt and pepper and place in a bowl. Add the purple onion, chilli and cilantro. Cover with the juice of the lime. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate half an hour

As a pairing we suggest Caleya Straw Man, a Sour New England IPA with notes of pine and tropical aromas, and an alcohol content of only 5, 8%. Ceviche is also great with Pyrene Passion, a Sour IPA with passion fruit.

German beers and fried squid

At first it may seem like a crazy pairing, but we assure you that it works perfectly.Styles Kölsch (such as Slow Rhythm Gluten Free or Cátedra Beer) and Berliner Weisse (we recommend this Maglia Rosa with raspberries) are very bubbly and “clean” the palate after a bite of some typical Roman-style calamari

• Ingredients: squid cut into rings, 1 egg, flour, chemical yeast, water, oil for frying.
• Preparation: wash the squid and place them on absorbent paper. Beat the egg in a bowl. Gradually add the water, chemical yeast and flour. Impregnate the squid with this mixture, and fry them in plenty of very hot oil.

We hope that you liked this pairing with craft beers as much as we did. And it is that pairing with beer is a great option to enhance the flavors of any recipe. We are already looking for a date to prepare a meal with the family, one of those that extends the after-dinner with good conversation and good beers!

>> See Summer Beers