With the Fourth of July approaching, people across the nation are getting ready to celebrate our nation’s independence by cooking up some great food.  And what goes best with food, especially on July 4^th?  Beer, of course!  

I’m going to recommend only locally made beers.  I know you’ll be able to find them nearby and I love the brewers in this area.  If you don’t live in the Front Range of Colorado, or there is local brewery or beer I haven’t mentioned, ask your local brewer or friendly liquor store beer specialist for recommendations by style.  Above all, don’t be afraid to experiment.

In no particular order of preference, here we go:

Hamburgers: Nothing says Fourth of July better than a burger on the plate and beer in the hand. Yet, beer can do more than hit the spot on this special day. A well-chosen beer can enliven those layers of flavor captured between the hamburger bun.

Traditional (plain or cheese) - try a nice lager (Upslope Craft Lager) or American pale ale (Odell St. Lupulin, Oskar Blues Dales Pale)

Added bacon, onion, tomato, cheese – American pale (Great Divide Fresh Hop, Odell St. Lupulin, Boulder Beer Hazed and Infused) or IPA (Odell IPA, Great Divide Titan IPA)

Hawaiian burger – American brown ale (Upslope Brown, Avery Ellie’s Brown, Boulder Beer Flashback)

Fancy (Dijon – hey, the French helped us during the revolution), red or green onions, garlic, goat cheese, etc. - Blonde ale (New Belgium Somersault, Twisted Pine Blonde, New Planet Tread Lightly) or a Kölsch style ale (Crystal Springs Summertime, Gordan Biersch Kölsch)

Avocado burger (avocados, cilantro, lime, peppers, etc.) – Amber ale (Odell Red, New Belgium Fat Tire Amber, Breckenridge Avalanche) or Vienna lager (Del Norte Manana, AC Golden Winterfest, Tommyknocker Vienna Style)

Use your imagination.  There’s a beer for every burger!

Hot Dogs:

Chicago Style – light lager (Rock Bottom Lumpy Dog Light, Coors or Bud Light J)

With raw onions, tomatoes, lime – Double IPA (Odell Myrcenary Double IPA, Avery Maharaja, Oskar Blues G”Knight)

With pickled relish – American IPA (Odell IPA, Great Divide Titan, Avery IPA, Upslope IPA)

Chili cheese – Belgian Wit (Funkwerks White, Great Divide Double Wit, Avery White Rascal, Coors Blue Moon)

Sauerkraut – pilsner, of course (Sandlot Barman Pilsner, Great Divide Nomad, Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yellow Pils)

BBQ Chicken:  You need something with a medium to heavy body, with good bitterness to stand up to the strong flavors of BBQ.  Try a nice American pale ale (slightly fruity with just enough hops to balance) or porter (full of malt, somewhat roasty – great!) or, possibly a smoked beer.  Try marinating the meat first in a nice porter, and then serve it with the same porter.  I suggest Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale, Odell St. Lupulin, Boulder Beer Single Track, Crystal Springs Doc’s American Porter, Odell Cutthroat Porter, Avery New World Porter, Left Hand Smoke Jumper Smoked Imperial Porter.

Beer Can Chicken:  Try a nice lager, pilsner, pale or brown ale.  Serve the same beer you use for cooking the chicken.  (Great Divide Nomad, Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yellow Pils)

Baby Back Ribs:  In general, for both wet or dry, try a Saison (Great Divide Collette, Funkwerks Saison), Marzen (Odell Woodcut No. 4, Dillon Dam Dam Straight Lager, Great Divide Hoss Rye, Avery The Kaiser), Black IPA (Odell Mountain Standard, Crystal Springs Stage House 1899), Vienna lager (Del Norte Manana, AC Golden Winterfest, Tommyknocker Vienna Style), porter (Crystal Springs Doc’s American Porter, Odell Cutthroat Porter, Avery New World Porter).  Just to make it more fun, try these with specific BBQ sauces:

Kansas City – Oatmeal stout (Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout, Bristol Brewing Warlock)

Memphis – Scottish/Wee Heavy style ale (Oskar Blues Old Chub, Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale)

Carolina (vinegar)  - Pilsner (Great Divide Nomad, Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yellow Pils)

Mustard – Cream ale (Dry Dock Brewing Bee-Cup Honey Cream)

Hawaiian – Milk stout (Left Hand Milk Stout)

Citrus  – Saison (Great Divide Collette)

Steak:  IPA (Odell IPA, Great Divide Titan IPA), English Bitter (Walnut Brewery Big Horn Bitter, Copper Kettle Copper’s Bloody Best) or a porter (porterhouse steak!) (Crystal Springs Doc’s American Porter, Odell Cutthroat Porter, Avery New World Porter).

Lobster Tails (try steaming them with a nice IPA):  pair with Avery’s Dugana double IPA, Great Divide Nomad Pilsner, or Funkwerk’s White.  Three distinctly different beers – choose according to your palate.

Oysters:  A dry stout or a nice porter – period.  Try Upslope’s Foreign Style Stout, Avery Out of Bounds or Crystal Springs Doc’s American Porter.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches:  The salty sweet flavors of the meat, along with sweet onions and garlic and the addition of BBQ sauce makes this a sandwich that explodes with lots of different tastes and aromas.  When you add in the fat from the pork, you need something that will contrast the flavors, yet cut the fat and clean the palate.  A hoppy Pale Ale (Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale, Odell St. Lupulin) or a nice IPA (Odell IPA or Avery IPA) will fill the bill nicely.

Sausage: In general try an amber lager (AC Golden Colorado Native, Fort Collins 1900 Amber Lager), Marzen (Odell Woodcut No. 4, Dillon Dam Dam Straight Lager, Great Divide Hoss Rye, Avery The Kaiser), IPA (Odell IPA, Upslope IPA, Avery IPA).  Specifically:

Bratwurst: Marzen (see above), Belgian strong pale ale (Avery Salvation, Copper Kettle Golden Strong, Upslope Belgian Style Pale Ale), pilsner (Great Divide Nomad, Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yellow Pils)

Elk: Foreign Extra Stout (Upslope Foreign Style Stout, Ska Brewing Local Series Merlo Stout #12, Mountain Sun Sharkbite Stout), IPA (Odell IPA, Great Divide Titan IPA), Oud Bruin (New Belgium La Folie, Coopersmith Oud Bruin)

Italian: Old Bruin (New Belgium La Folie, Coopersmith Oud Bruin), Marzen  (Odell Woodcut No. 4, Dillon Dam Dam Straight Lager, Great Divide Hoss Rye, Avery The Kaiser)

Wings: American Pale Ale (Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale, Odell St. Lupulin, Boulder Beer Single Track, Upslope Pale), IPA (Odell IPA, Great Divide Titan IPA, Upslope IPA, Avery IPA), pilsner (Sandlot Barman Pilsner, Great Divide Nomad, Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yellow Pils)

Grilled Vegetables: marzen (Odell Woodcut No. 4, Dillon Dam Dam Straight Lager, Great Divide Hoss Rye, Avery The Kaiser), porter (Crystal Springs Doc’s American Porter, Odell Cutthroat Porter, Avery New World Porter), Vienna lager lager (Del Norte Manana, AC Golden Winterfest, Tommyknocker Vienna Style)

Potato Salad: American Wheat Beer (Odell Easy Street Wheat, Crystal Springs Angel Wheat, New Belgium Sunshine Wheat)

Apple Pie: Imperial Stout (Great Divide Barrel Aged Yeti, Oskar Blues Ten FIDY, Crystal Springs Black Saddle), Baltic porter (Ska Brewing Nefarious Ten Pin, Twisted Pine Northstar Imperial Porter, Dry Dock Brewing Hanley’s Baltic Porter), cream stout (Left Hand Milk Stout, Ska Steel Toe Stout, Wynkoop McKenzie Milk Stout), barley wine  (Great Divide Old Ruffian, Odell India Barley Wine)

Cole Slaw: Porter (Crystal Springs Doc’s American Porter, Odell Cutthroat Porter, Avery New World Porter)

Baked Beans: Pale ale (Odell 5 Barrel, Great Divide Denver Pale Ale), German pilsner (Lefthand Polestar Pilsner, Dillon Dam Brewery Paradise Pilsner, AC Golden German Pilserner)

Potato Chips: Are you kidding?  Any beer,

Spicy foods:  Vienna lager (Del Norte Manana, AC Golden Winterfest, Tommyknocker Vienna Style), Chili beer (New Belgium Cocoa Mole, Wynkoop Patty’s Chile Beer, Twisted Pine Billy’s Chilies Beer, Coopersmith Sigda’s Green Chili), American Pale Lager (Avery Joe’s Premium American Pilsner, New Belgium Shift, Del Norte Orale)

If I've missed a food you think should be here or you have other beer pairing suggestions, please let me know.  Don't be afraid to ask!  Lots of wonderful stores and restaurants are often happy to assist you with ideas for beer and food pairings.