Beer and chicken wings are a classic pairing. Beer offers a massive range of flavors, aromas, and carbonation levels to complement the characteristics of wings. Whether wings are spicy, sweet, smoked, or beyond, there is a beer pairing that can bring the combination to another level.
This guide provides a beer pairing for four popular wing flavor categories, explains why the pairing works, and offers tips on additional beer pairings.
Table of Contents
Beer and Chicken Wing Flavor Pairing Methodology
Four popular wing flavor categories were chosen, and a specific sauce or spice mixture for each flavor category was selected. Based on the chosen sauce, a beer style was picked to complement the sauce (more details in each pairing section). Chicken wings were oven-baked at 450°F on a wire rack until crispy, then tossed in the selected sauce and tasted alongside the paired beer.
Buffalo Wings and British Pale Ale
The Sauce – Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce
If there is an ultimate chicken wing sauce, it is Buffalo sauce, with a Frank’s RedHot base being the gold standard. Franks’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce adds cayenne pepper heat and flavor without being overpowering. The vinegar base provides bright acidity that balances the heat.
The Beer – Samuel Smith Organic Pale Ale
British Pale Ales generally have wonderful, well-rounded maltiness from their British pale ale malt base, and Samuel Smith Organic Pale Ale is no exception.
Organic Pale Ale has a toasty maltiness balanced by earthy hops and a crisp, but not too bitter, finish. In addition, the beer has a noticeable fruity aroma and flavor, which is characteristic of esters that most British ale yeast strains produce.
Why Buffalo Wings and British Pale Ale Pair Well
When eating Buffalo wings, the ideal beer pairing will bring balance to the spiciness while complementing the wings’ overall flavor, and British Pale Ale stands up to this task.
The sweet maltiness of the beer cuts the heat, while the toasty qualities of the malt complement the roasted quality of the wings. British Pale Ale has a crisp bitterness that helps clear the palate without clashing with the sauce’s spiciness. Some British Pale Ales also have a low amount of diacetyl, a buttery-tasting compound that is often considered an off-flavor in other beer styles but brings body and depth in this pairing.
Another Beer Pairing to Try with Buffalo Wings
American-Style Pale Ale
Example: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
While still malty, American-Style Pale Ales are more hop-forward, less fruity, and slightly more bitter than British Pale Ales. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale’s citrusy American hops partially match the acidity of the vinegar-based sauce, while the somewhat amped-up bitterness may turn the spiciness level up a little compared to British Pale Ales.
Sweet Wings and Vienna Lager
The Sauce – Bachan's Japanese BBQ Sauce
Many potential sweet wing sauce variations exist, but Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce is a must-try on wings. The sauce is salty, sweet, and umami-rich, making it a balanced sauce on chicken wings.
The Beer – Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager
Vienna lagers belong to a group of malty, low-bitterness lagers from continental Europe. Traditionally made with Vienna malt, a high-kiln temperature base malt, Vienna lagers have a nice toasty quality and a very clean fermentation profile from lager yeast.
Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager fits the mold with a light, toasty sweetness, low bitterness, and ultra-clean fermentation profile that lets the malt character be the star of the show.
Why Sweet Wings and Vienna Lager Pair Well
Vienna lager is on the lighter end of the malty lager spectrum, which pairs well with the balanced sweetness of Bachan’s Japenese Barbecue Sauce. The Vienna lager’s restrained sweetness complements the sauce’s sweetness and provides contrast to the salty element. While the bitterness is low, it in combination with the carbonation of the beer helps balance the savory qualities of the wing.
Another Beer Pairing to Try with Sweet Wings
German Dunkelweizen
Example: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel
Sweeter wing sauces, such as Kansas City-style BBQ sauce, need a beer that can match their intensity. Dunkelweizen is a good pairing because it has the malty backbone to hold up to the sweetness of the sauce and has bright and sometimes peppery characteristics of wheat beer yeast that will match well with the meat and sauce. Dunkelweizen is also highly carbonated, which helps clear away the sauce’s sweetness.
Lemon Pepper Wings and Saison
The Sauce – Lawry's Lemon Pepper in Butter
Lawry’s Lemon Pepper seasoning offers a change of pace from the standard spicy or sweet wing sauces. When applied to chicken wings with melted butter, it adds flavors of lemon zest and cracked pepper while letting the natural flavor of the chicken shine through.
The Beer – Brasserie Dupont Saison Dupont
Saison (French for “season”) as a beer style is somewhat loosely defined due to its origin as a farmhouse-style beer in Belgium that would vary from farm to farm.
However, if you ask a beer enthusiast to name the archetype example of a Saison, you will likely be referred to Saison Dupont. Saison Dupont is a very dry, highly effervescent ale refermented in the bottle that pops with bright, citrusy notes and pepper from Belgian yeast.
Why Lemon Pepper Wings and Saison Pair Well
The flavor of lemon pepper is subtle, but a pale Saison, such as Saison Dupont, will not overpower the flavors of the wings. The spicy, phenolic character of the Belgian yeast, often described as peppery, matches perfectly with the cracked pepper, and the citrusy esters match the lemon peel in the spice mixture. The high carbonation level, elevated alcohol content, and ultra-dry finish of the beer cut through the fattiness of the wings but don’t linger, clearing the palate for the next wing.
Another Beer Pairing to Try with Lemon Pepper Wings
German Hefeweizen
Example: Paulaner Hefeweizen
Much like Saison Dupont, a German Hefeweizen can provide balance to lemon pepper-seasoned wings without overpowering them. German Hefeweizen yeasts traditionally have a phenolic off-flavor positive (POF+) gene, which many Saison yeasts also have. This gives Hefeweizen a clove-like characteristic that will complement the pepper element in the wing seasoning. High carbonation and a fruity flavor profile also help this beer style to pair well with lemon pepper.
Sweet Heat Wings and Belgian-Style Tripel
The Sauce – Buffalo Wild Wings Mango Habanero
Buffalo Wild Wings Mango Habanero sauce brings high heat along with a bit of tropical mango sweetness to balance it out. The sauce gives the sweet mango flavor on the front end before building to a habanero heat peak that slowly fades. This sauce is considerably hotter than Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce tested for the Buffalo-style wings.
The Beer – New Belgium Trippel
An American take on a Belgian Trappist ale, New Belgium Trippel is a brilliantly clear ale with a sweet, pear, and bubblegum-like character that finishes dry.
Despite the beer’s 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), it finishes surprisingly smooth with mild alcohol warming.
Why Sweet Heat Wings and Belgian-Style Tripel Pair Well
Tripel beers have fruity, almost tropical notes that match the sauce’s mango elements and provide enough body in the beer to hold up to the intense spiciness. The phenolic flavors of the Belgian yeast pair well with the habanero pepper flavor in the sauce. The elevated alcohol content of beer also cuts through the sweet element of the sauce, but this may also intensify the spiciness.
Another Beer Pairing to Try with Sweet Heat Wings
German-Style Märzen
Example: Samuel Adams Octoberfest
A malty lager is an excellent choice to cut the heat of a sauce like Mango Habanero. Märzen, like Vienna lager, is a continental lager also made with high kiln temperature base malts but is typically slightly darker and heavier than Vienna lager.