Cocktail
No Contest
Which bottle should
you serve at your
next dinner party:
wine or beer? An
award-winning
sommelier and the
founder of Dogfish
Head brewery try
to settle the age-old
debate
BY MARNIE OLD AND SAM CALAGIONE
wWine or beer? It’s an unavoidable question when friends are
coming over dinner. For many hosts, the answer lies with formality of the occasion: If we’re setting the table with china and
silverware, we serve wine. If we’re eating in the backyard off
paper plates, we offer beer.
When it comes to pairing, wine is seen as more diverse. With
a style spectrum from champagne to port, there are wines for
everything from salad to chocolate cake. The assumption that
wine is finer, better for flattering great cuisine, has been around
for centuries.
What is less appreciated, though, is that beer offers just as
much range. In fact, foodies are beginning to discover that beer
can be just as remarkable a food partner as wine. And luckily for
fans of taste, the drink’s landscape is changing fast. Craft beers,
brewed on a small scale with premium ingredients, are the
fastest-growing segment of the adult beverage market.
As a sommelier and a brewer, the two of us disagree about
what to serve with dinner, so we’ll each share our thoughts on
