Merry Crispmas!
Ah, the holiday season is almost upon us, and with it, the festive frenzy of socialising, merriment and an abundance of food and drink. Don’t overthink it – beer and crisps can be a fun, simple and ultimately very enjoyable way to add a bit of pizzazz to your festive buffet, or a satisfying snack to get you through a stint of gift wrapping.
Here’s a few suggestions for some partnerships we think work particularly well, but don’t feel you need to take our word for it – the short version of this blog is our marketing manager Laura relishing every single pairing and declaring “I think I just really like beer and crisps” which nicely demonstrates that there aren’t any wrong answers! Experiment, choose what feels good, and let us know what you go for!
Heresy – Cheese Footballs
Kicking off (see what we did there?!) with an absolute classic. In the words of our Brewer and Quality Manager, Christie, “it’s a savoury snack and a lager, what’s not to like?”. Salty, cheesy and just a bit creamy, the retro offering that is the Cheese Football is cut through cleanly by our crisp and quaffable Heresy, providing ample refreshment to go back in for another.
Black Mass – Twiglets
A potent and powerful beer needs a robust and flavoursome snack to go with it, and we reckon our rich and roasty yet amped up and hoppy Black IPA is a fantastic accompaniment to everyone’s favourite knobbly nibble!
Heathen – Pigs in Blankets Crisps
Yes, we know they’re just smoky bacon in a festive disguise, but PIB crisps have just the right level of oomph to stand up to our hop forward Heathen. The zesty American Pale Ale contrasts beautifully with the smokiness to refresh and cleanse the palate – a very moreish combination!
Golden Peaks – Roast Duck & Spiced Clementine Crisps
There’s always a seasonal crisp that doesn’t come back next year so we’ve decided to pair the fanciest option we could find with one of our own one-off specials – Golden Peaks, a UK hopped IPA brewed in collaboration with our local pals Triple Point. The marmaladey notes in the beer really complement these well, and the delicate star anise flavour on the crisps melds deliciously with the spicy hop character too.
Ruby Mild – Turkey Crisps
Our first ever Ruby Mild is definitely one of our most crisp friendly beers, subtle and satisfying enough to complement all manner of festive flavours. So we’ve selected the most traditional of all the Christmassy treats in crisp form to pair… turkey! This is the ideal duo just to simply relax and enjoy, without having to think too much about anything other than the company you’re with.
Stroopwafel Imperial Stout – Milk Chocolate & Cinnamon Tortilla Rolls
Now there are those amongst us that say a sweet snack has no place in a crisp based setting. Those people are wrong. We’ve doubled down on the cinnamon here and it absolutely works, with the tortilla rolls providing a welcome crunch too which make them a more approachable partner for a quick snack than a hefty slice of stollen or similar. We’ll admit this is a decadent duo but hey, there’s no better time than Christmas for a bit of extra indulgence!
Please get in touch to let us know your very own perfect pairing this Crispmas!
Festive cheers,
Team Abbeydale
