Ryan Cashman

Through the generosity granted to us by a Hallmark Holiday, my fiancé and I found ourselves in a position to go out to dinner … for free. My parents had gifted us the Phantom Gourmet Restaurant Gift Card, a prize I’ve secretly coveted for years. On the list of accepting restaurants was The Fix, a phenomenal burger joint on Grove Street. Feeling the cravings that only generous helpings of red meat can quench, we braced the evening chill and headed for the city.

After a bit of a lengthy wait, we were seated at a snug round table near the back of the restaurant where we proceeded to order each other’s burgers and enthusiastically watch a pair of beaming college kids obviously wading the waters of a first date.

Now, the beer list at The Fix is extensive. They have a rotating menu of 24 (usually craft) beers on tap and four nitro lines. Going cross eyed trying to decide what I wanted to pair with the mystery burger Briana had ordered me, I decided to go with something flavorful and universal: Allagash White (AW).

The flagship beer of the now famous Allagash Brewing Company of Portland, Maine, the White is a hazy, Belgian style beer blended with coriander and Curacao orange peel. When Allagash first introduced the White in 1995, hardly anyone was interested in a hazy beer. It was assumed that AW was somehow rancid or otherwise unsuitable to drink. Though it may seem trivial now – given the explosion of IPA’s and craft beers within the last ten years – it took a while for something as delicious as AW to catch on with mainstream beer drinkers. It possesses an evenness of flavor that many beers lack.

On first sip, the White is smooth on the palate, with hints of spice and citrus swirling within a haze of malted wheat and oats. By itself, the beer is perfectly enjoyable. Paired with food, however, is where AW truly shines. I’ve found that there are very few beers that pair well with a diversity of foods. Yet, because of the fact that it is a relatively light beer with inoffensive flavors, AW is a perfect complement to seafood, chicken, steak, or the lamb burger with goat cheese and pickled onions that Briana ordered for me at dinner. The spice and malt of the beer paired perfectly with the harsh bite of the goat cheese and the peppery undertones of the lamb meat.

I cannot personally think of a beer more suited to meal pairing as AW. Sure, if you really want to examine what specific beers pair specifically well with certain foods, there is a plethora of options to choose from. IPAs go great with buffalo wings. Sours are great with pizza. Stouts pair perfectly with chocolate cake. But for adaptability across the board, your best bet is to go with the fantastic beer that is Allagash White.