It’s a festive occasion, beach day, game day, unwind-after-work o’clock. Each occasion ushers in the perfect time to crack open a cold one. What are you drinking? For us, it often depends on the snack in our hand. Beer’s carbonation and refreshing edge complements crunchy, salty treats, and these Southern-made snacks are breezy, no-brainer matches to round out the experience.
Boiled Peanuts + Pale Ale
Salty, fatty boiled peanuts mellow the high astringency of pale ales and IPAs. These peanuts from Bertie County, North Carolina, get an additional touch of salinity from growing in coastal soils, which makes these small guys sturdy enough to stand up to the bitter, hoppy beers.
Queen City Crunch Pretzels + Lager
Light and a little malty, a lager matches these pretzel twists’ subtle yeasty notes. Charlotte-made Queen City Crunch OG Pretzels are generously coated in a cajun seasoning, and this simple beer is a satisfying sipper that won’t distract from their flavorful profile.
Oysters XO + Stout
A favorite snack amongst TLP’s staff, little beats cracking open a fresh, briny oyster. Easy to eat–particularly when standing around outdoors–oysters are a quick, low-calorie, high-protein treat that pair beautifully with a smooth stout. The beer’s naturally lower bitterness, particularly for English and Irish styles, prevents them from overwhelming oysters’ delicate flavor. If you feel discerning, try to get your hands on an oyster stout—a beer brewed with oyster shells in order to enhance clarity.
Cut through the cheesy flavors of these Lowcountry Kettle Chips with a fruited sour beer. Many sours’ spiced notes make them an easy choice to compliment the gentle heat in these chips. However, the sour, sweeter side delightfully contrasts with the salty chips. also have enough sweetness to contrast the salty chips.
Before the South dominated the sausage-making game, Germany was crafting bratwurst, liverwurst, blutwurst, and all the other ‘wurst associates. When you grill up this Georgia-made sausage from Pine Street Market, raise a glass to where it all began with a bock beer.
This German-originated brew, depending on how it’s made, can be either a stronger-than-your-average lager or a wheat beer. The traditional flavor is rich, toasty, and slightly sweet with no offensive bitterness, making it wonderful with a grilled sausage’s smoky, charcoal flavors.
