Wings 'n Beer

 Wings and beer... a classic combination. But these days, your beer options have gotten far more vast. Which beers work best with your favorite wing sauce? That's a question we asked our friend and Harrisburg-based beer blogger, Tierney Pomone. Here's what Tierney had to say:

Being the sports and craft beer fan that I am, I couldn’t be happier to see the combination of the two at my favorite local sports bar – Aroogas. During football season, and for the majority of sporting events, wings are king. I am a huge fan of the newly added ‘skinny wings’ which are a billion times less effort to eat and just as less messy. When it comes to Aroogas wings picking the right sauce makes all the difference. Picking the right beer to go with them means even more.

When most people think of food and alcoholic beverage pairings they think of wine. Beer, just like its good friend wine, can be paired with foods in limitless combinations. Some beers are better paired with certain food flavors just like wine. Heading to Aroogas for some wings this weekend? Here are my suggested wing sauce and beer pairings:

Hickory Smoked Honey BBQ – DuClaw Bad Moon Porter

Not everyone likes a crazy hot sauce, and sometimes you’re just in the mood for that sweet, smoky flavor. Porters are a great match for barbeque sauce because their rich, roasted flavor enhances the smoke flavor without overpowering.

Toasted Asian Sesame – Millbock Richard Cranium Rye

Rye beer has a mild bready flavor that pairs perfectly with Asian cuisine. The Toasted Asian Sesame sauce, to me, is the perfect balance of ginger, soy sauce, and sesame flavor with a little hint of fruit and pairs perfectly the flavors of the Richard Cranium Rye.

Buffalo Bleu – Stone Ruination IPA

My number 1 favorite wing sauce at Aroogas is the Buffalo Bleu. It’s the perfect level of heat for me plus just enough bleu cheese creaminess…I’m drooling just writing about it! Since this sauce has a bit more heat than the rest, you’ll want a nice hoppy IPA to balance it out a bit. Stone’s Ruination IPA is the quintessential double IPA with big hop flavor making it a great match for a little bit of heat.

Red Thai – Kona Longboard Lager

When it comes to Indian-inspired flavors, lagers are your friend. Lagers have one of the mildest flavor profiles of all: low hop bitterness and slight grain malt flavor. Kona’s Longboard Lager is a great example of a traditional lager and will allow you to gain the full flavor experience of the Red Thai sauce instead of stealing the show.

Hot – Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Classic hot wings. Classic IPA. You’re a no frills kind of person and the 60 Minute IPA is a no frills kind of beer. 

Kangarooga – Goose Island 312 Wheat

The Kangarooga sauce is the hottest on the menu that I am willing to try and let me tell you it is hot. What I do love about this sauce, however, is that collection of flavors it includes. It has a little sweetness, a little tanginess, and a lot of heat from all those peppers. The 312 (pronounced 3-1-2 not 3-12) is an awesome wheat beer that will help quench the heat without over powering all of the natural flavors in the sauce. It will even help to pull some of that sweetness out of the sauce with it’s own fruity finish.

Ghost Face Killah – Duck Rabbit Milk Stout or Rogue Chocolate Stout

So you’re taking the plunge into the ghost chili peppers? After you sign that waiver, order yourself a Duck Rabbit Milk Stout if available or a Rogue Chocolate Stout. While you’re sweating, crying, and cursing yourself for choosing this sauce you’ll all least have a sweet stout to take your mind off of the burning. Plus, any spicy food expert will be the first to tell you that milk is your only antidote to the pain. Good luck!

You can get all of these beers at our Downtown location (and some of them at our other locations) so be sure to stop in and give these pairings a try. Thanks, Tierney! Make sure you check out Tierney's blog, Stouts & Stilettos for more cool posts about craft beer in Central PA!