Why Drinking IPAs With Hot Wings Can Be A Risky Move

When conjuring up images of memorable friend hangs and catching the big game, beer and chicken wings is one of the most iconic pairings that likely comes to mind. But in order to be truly delicious, this duo must be done well, so you need to understand some fundamentals about pairing beer and food. Some elements of certain beer styles mute or highlight different flavors and mouthfeels in varying dishes, and few examples are more instantly noticeable and potentially painful than matching a hoppy IPA with anything spicy, namely buffalo wings, Jamaican jerk chicken wings, or any hot wings. That's because bitterness enhances the sensation of heat, and IPAs have bitterness in spades.

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The presence and aroma characteristics of hops both define the IPA and play a direct role in making spicy things feel even spicier. We experience spice the way we do because foods such as hot wings have irritants, like capsaicin in chili peppers, cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon, or gingerol in ginger, that bind to receptors in our tongue in order to send a message to our brain that whatever we're eating might be harmful.

Capsaicin, which is what you'd likely be getting from wings, is hydrophobic. It won't dissolve in water-based solutions like beer, but it will dissolve with fat, which is why milk works wonders when you accidentally overdo it on the spice. Bitterness amplifies this entire process of pain signaling possible danger to the brain because the alpha acids in hops (which is what gives hops their bitterness) react with capsaicin.

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Why other beer styles work better with spicy wings

Pretty much everything about beer will play up the heat of hot wings a bit since it's water-based and the fact that the majority of beers do, in fact, utilize hops and have at least some presence of bitterness. Even beer's carbonation is known to emphasize the sensation of spice. Capsaicin will actually dissolve better with more ethanol, meaning higher-alcohol beers could calm spiciness, but you don't want a super boozy beer every time you eat wings. Luckily, the water, hops, and carbonation of many other beer styles prove to highlight spice in more of an enjoyable, complex, and complementary way compared to the bitterness of IPAs heating things up to an unbearable degree.

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When it comes to the best beer pairings for spicy foods, think about balance or neutrality. For example, with the latter, one of the best beers to pair with Buffalo wings is a Mexican lager because it doesn't have a ton of competing flavor but is crisp and refreshing with a touch of sweet grain that can counteract heat. In fact, sweetness in general is a great way to go for balance. Consider that come of the best Indian food and beer pairings involve brown ales and dark mild ales. These styles are rich with nutty, toasty, caramely, even chocolatey malt. Similarly, porters, stouts, and less bitter, graham-forward amber ales temper fiery spice with a rounded flavor and mouthfeel.

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