7 Best Beers For Battering Fish And Chips And 3 To Avoid
Breading is a popular feature of seafood, whether a delectable crust of potato chips or a paper-thin tempura coating. But when it comes to fish and chips, Britain's defining street food calls for a batter to hold up to the golden-brown glory. You guessed it: beer batter.
“The high carbonation from the fermentation creates a very light and crispy batter,”
There are distinct reasons to incorporate beer into deep-fried dishes like this — mainly, for texture. The drink is fermented with yeast, and due to the methods used during brewing, it builds up carbonation. When the coated filets make contact with the hot oil, the fizzy suds and bready aromas activate, forming a shell over the flaky fish that's extra crisp and crunchy. And who can argue against sipping the rest of the beer while you cook?
Frustratingly for home cooks, recipes for homemade beer batter can be vague. They will list beer as an ingredient, yet they won't specify what variety or style to reach for. Perhaps that means you don't have to be very picky about what you pour in. But from the experts' standpoint, a problematic brew can make your beachside-style feast flounder. Check out some of the best beers for the job, as well as the types to (generally) skip.
German Pilsners
Those unsure about which brew garners the tastiest crunch have plentiful options to select from. And from the looks of it, German Pilsners are a must to have in your frying setup. Hoppier characteristics and a slight bitterness distinguish pilsners from lagers, but generally speaking, they're one and the same. They harbor aromas of malt and earthy undertones, yet the complexity is balanced by smoother, palate-coating characteristics. You'll know this pint by the refreshingly crisp taste and plentiful bubbles, both crucial to the task of battering your fish to plump, browned perfection. Chef Howie Haywood from Blackmoor Bar + Kitchen, a brewpub in Charlestown, Massachusetts, is big on the Rothaus Pils for its premium battering capabilities, but just about any beer of this type will render a good golden finish. This pilsner, which is brewed in the Black For
Brown Ales
Fish and chips are beloved worldwide, but there is no doubt the United Kingdom reigns supreme in its devotion to the pairing. So in the spirit of tradition, why not lean into the dish's British roots by buying, you guessed it, a British beer? It's true that brown ales achieve a more flavorful stew, but they offer some fantastic benefits for nailing a blissful fish batter. These bottles lean sweeter than the aforementioned lagers and are richer in hue to boot. But the way the malts and barley yeast are utilized provides a warmer finish, giving way to that amber-y brown shell characteristic of fried fish. This variety ranges between notes of honey, toasted bread, and nuts, and as such makes it a pleasant choice if you prefer some depth in your coating. Plunging your filets in brown ale will give them great color and texture, but its performance does depend on the beer
American Lagers
If you want a beer that responds well to beer batter, the first step is to skip the craft stuff — imperial, extra-hopped, or hazy — as this will throw off the taste. Instead, reach for the American lager. Are we seriously suggesting the cheap cans you guzzle down before the big game? You bet we are. Besides the rapid carbonation, they boast a pale profile that tastes bread-like and plenty yeasty, which will impart a lovely gold finish to your batter. Fiona Lewis, who runs The District Fishwife in Washington, DC, finds these brews exemplary in creating a coating that's both airy and extremely crunchy. "To keep the batter light, what we're really looking for are big bubbles," she said. "So if the beer is a low fizz, it's not ideal." Your standard-issue cold ones are great for unpretentious swilling, but what they have in common is belonging to the beer family best
Golden and Blonde Ales
Think about what you want to get out of frying up fish and chips. The primary goal should be two things: fish that melts in your mouth, and a coating that is ultra-crisp and craggy. Wowing the tastebuds, then, is only a matter of time when you mix the right beer into your batter. You can't go wrong with golden or blonde ales for the job. They're touted for their smooth drinkability and proffer sublime qualities for infusing color, depth, and crunch. The stronger hop aromas are less prominent compared to other styles, with the notes traversing the honeyed and citrusy to bursts of spice and even caramel. The pendulum swinging between bready funk and bright sweetness livens up the batter so that it retains great flavor and an airy crispness. Additionally, we can't ignore the close similarities to the fish and chip garnishes that are a must for this dish, like
Czech-Style Pilsners
Battering fish and chips yourself takes practice, but aside from flexing the right techniques (and proper equipment like a deep fryer ), home chefs shouldn't overlook the punch the right beer can bring. Czech Pilsners are another style that strikes gold for a good batter and deserves your consideration. Much like its German counterpart which we touched on already, it retains a balanced ratio of malts and hops. However, the mellower undertones distinguish it from the head-strong aromas of other pilsners, and that will retain a good foundation for permeating your batter coating. Howie Haywood of Blackmoor Bar + Kitchen attests to this style, and one variety he praises comes from a local Massachusetts brewery. The Czech Pils from Notch Brewing is a fresh sipper lifted with Saaz hops, malts, and ample amounts of suds, offering a three-way punch to a golden-brown b
Amber Ales
Amber ales are fantastic thirst-quenchers. A salve for hot hazy days, they're lush and creamy, making them a dream to wash down while sunbathing at the beach. No wonder cooks reach for the golden elixirs to jazz up a fish-fry basket. Integrating this beer into your fish and chips will take your brown coating to the next level; the malty disposition adds interest, and plentiful air bubbles will incite those craggy peaks, helping to fry the fish faster than the other wet components (yes, even more than water). Add in the faint herbal flourishes distinguishing this style, and you'll arrive at a lip-smacking batter awash in multi-faceted flavor. Traditionally, amber ales are not the sort of beer meant to induce hangovers the next day; they fluctuate between 4% and 6% ABV, although the number can vary by bottle and brewery. This is the ideal. It's the meager boozin
American Pale Ales
Funnily, it's beer's fizzy attributes — not necessarily the flavor — that draw cooks to implement it as a batter ingredient. On the other hand, when has it ever hurt beer-battered fish and chips to go for the jugular, palate-wise? American Pale Ales come at the suggestion of chef Howie Haywood from Blackmoor Bar + Kitchen, upping the ante for your beer batter, and it's not hard to see why. As a standalone beverage, they are extremely versatile, while the fragrant, juicier leanings lend something special in the context of savory entrees. When you think of microbreweries at large, this is the draft most will pour daily. As a "pale ale," it lives up to the name. But don't write off the drink as a lightweight. Drenching your fish in it will draw out myriad aromas — a little hoppy, a little fruity — but tethers between the two equally, granting a mouthfeel that's qu