Combo Meals: Great Winter Beer and Snack Pairings

This feature also appears in Complex's December 2011 / January 2012 issue.

Successfully making it through winter depends on your ability to score the right amounts of beer and food (“lots” and “lots” in both cases). Sure, cheap beer and chips will satiate your craving, but why not do better? These perfect pairings will keep seasonal depression at bay.

Next time you're stomach grumbles and the you're cold because the landlord hasn't turned on the heat, order one of these combo meals. Booze and food—your new winter coat.

Photography by Brad Bridgers; Styling by Kira Corbin.

Here’s the black-tie version of the typical IPA and popcorn combination. A sophisticated black IPA (a popular trend in brewing recently) with bitter coffee notes and a sweet malt flavor, this Stone-made ale tackles the saltiness of the popcorn head-on. The heavy flavor of the beer works against the airy popcorn to great effect. 479° Popcorn puts out a handsomely packaged product—good looks all around.

Too much of a good thing is impossible when it comes to cinnamon, spice, sugar, and other Christmas-time flavors. This seasonal brew from Nøgne is packed with all of the above, making it a beautiful partner for the buttery and sweet cinnamon pita chips from Stacy’s, an old favorite that can’t miss. Like begets like.

Chocolate and pretzels shouldn’t ever have to separate, and the same is true of chocolate and porters. A dark rich beer (like this porter) deserves its equal. But what makes this pair pop is the saltiness of the pretzels, which acts as a foil to the beer, making for a deliciously complex taste. The folks at Fretzels are chocoholics at heart, providing exactly the kind of dedication your beer deserves.

With a wet-hopped beer like this one, the bitter, hoppy flavor is tempered, making for a milder, more drinkable beer. Sierra Nevada popularized the process, making this a no-brainer. A wet-hopped brew, because of that slight bitterness, will cut the spice of the wasabi peas, making for a well-rounded snack experience. Oh! Nuts makes a great version of the savory morsels.