Is it just me or have pretzels been a staple bar snack for as long as people have been going to bars? Maye it’s the movies that makes me think this way but it seems that pretzels have been the go-to snack. Personally, I prefer pretzels over just about any other salty snack out there. So when Troegs sent me details on a craft beer and pretzel pairing, I couldn’t wait to give this a try.
If I had to guess, most of the time when beer and pretzels are paired it is the classic American light lager with some stale pretzels that have been sitting out at a dive bar for days. And this “pairing” isn’t anything more than an intersection of cheap snack and even cheaper beer – it is more about convenience than experience.
That’s not what this pairing guide is about. Instead, the amazing minds over at Troegs have collaborated with their friends at Unique Snacks. Putting their brilliant minds together, they’ve created a true craft experience as the beer and pretzels come together to make both taste that much better.
One things I’ve learned about food and beer pairings is that there really is no right or wrong answer. But it is a good idea to look beyond what you think makes sense and see where flavors merge and contrast to get the best experience for you. Troegs and Unique Snacks provided their pairing suggestions so let’s see if I agreed or came up with better options.
Here are their recommended craft beer and pretzel pairing:
- Troegs Perpetual IPA & Unique Snacks Original Splits
- Troegs Toegenator Double Bock & Unique Snacks Extra Dark Splits
- Troegs Haze Charmer Haze Pale Ale & Unique Snacks Multigrain Splits
- Troegs Sunshine Pilsner & Unique Snacks Pretzel Shells
- Troegs Lucky Holler Hazy IPA & Unique Snacks Sourdough Craft Beer Pretzel Rings
Before I give my pairing thoughts, I wanted to provide some details about the pretzels themselves. Most pretzels are just salty & crunchy but these pretzels are next level. They provide different types of crunch, varying amounts of salt, and unique flavor profiles.
- Original Splits
- These provide a nice firm crunch that is a bit dry. The salt is lighter than traditional pretzels. They produce that classic thirst inducing reaction.
- Extra dark Splits
- These aren’t your normal pretzels. They are bold and have extra strong crunch. The salt is not as noticeable because of the stronger flavor. The extra dark also has a “burnt” type aftertaste that make it delicious and memorable.
- Multigrain Splits
- These are very similar to the Original but with a bit more crunch. The flavor of the pretzel works so well with the salt. These were probably my favorite.
- Pretzel Shells
- If you like crispy more than crunchy, then these are for you. They are light, crisp, and have the lightest of flavor. The crunch reminds me more of a potato chip than a pretzel.
- Sourdough Pretzel Rings
- The sourdough makes these have the most unique flavor of these options. It has a strong crunch, and a dry finish.
Craft Beer and Pretzel Pairing
So here are the results of mixing and matching these pretzels with the Troegs beer. I wasn’t able to get my hands on the Lucky Holler Hazy IPA so I can’t comment on that one specifically but I still had plenty of variations to try.
The best way I found to explain the pairing is to focus on the pretzels and describe which goes with each the best.
Original Splits
As you might guess, this pretzel actually works universally and tasted great with all the beers I tested because it is the closest to a classic pretzel with great crunch and salt ratio. Of the beers I tried them with, the Perpetual IPA was the best but you can’t go wrong using this one for all beer styles.
Extra Dark Splits
They suggest the Troegenator Double Bock and they were spot on. The dark, bold flavors of the pretzel work perfectly with the dark, malty elements of the beer. The bock has a malty sweetness that contrasts with the “burnt” characteristic of the pretzel. I wouldn’t recommend pairing this pretzel with a beer that is light in flavor or body as the beer can’t stand up to the flavors.
Multigrain Splits
It was recommended to pair the multigrain with the Haze Charmer and that was a nice suggestion. The fruity and earthy notes work well together. It was equally great with the bock too but not so great with Sunshine Pils as the flavors clash a bit.
Pretzel Shells
The soft flavor of the pretzel is a good match for the Sunshine Pils. The Pilsner is often described as having delicate flavors as the beer ingredients have to work in harmony with each other and the Shells allows this to happen. While these can be a good option for any beer, the light flavor has a hard time standing up to bold flavors of bigger beers.
Sourdough Craft Beer Pretzel Rings
Going into the pairing, I didn’t think these pretzel rings would work well with lighter, softer beers. But the reality is these work with every beer I had. However, they did the best with the bock as the richness of the beer was a perfect match with the sourdough complexities.
Craft Beer & Fast Food Pairing Guide
Final Thoughts
In the end, the teams at Troegs and Unique Snacks know what they are talking about. They did a great job suggesting pairings that truly complimented each others products. There is a lot to consider as beer is complex and these pretzels are more complex than you’d expect.
But even with their great recommendations, there is still room for each of us to find what works best for us. There are endless opportunities to mix and match. Look for complimentary strength and types of flavors. Consider the ingredients of the beer and how salt as well as level of crunch would impact it. And don’t be afraid to try items that you’d think would be in contrast of each other. Sometimes opposites attract for a good reason.
