Creature Comforts Works with Chefs to Design a Beer Specifically for Food

The science behind beer and food pairing can seem intimidating if you’re new to it, but Creature Comforts Brewing Company in Athens, Georgia, is releasing a beer that could help you get started.

The brewery announced Epicurious, a beer designed first and foremost to pair with food.

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“Rather than looking to industry trends for what to brew next, we developed a beer with the chef in mind,” explains Creature Comforts Co-Founder and CEO Chris Herron. “Epicurious is a beer that a chef will want to drink and serve with their food, whether at their restaurant or at home cooking with friends and family.”

The brewery leaned on top area chefs while developing the beer, including Ryan Smith, the executive chef at Atlanta’s Staplehouse and Peter Dale, executive chef and owner of The National in Athens.

Epicurious won’t fit into a traditional beer style. Creature describes it as “highly carbonated with an invigorating minerality to help cleanse the palate in between bites of food.”

While the brewery says Epicurious was built to complement any meal, there are a few combinations chefs who have had the beer recommend. Executive Chef Joey Ward at Atlanta’s Gun Show says he digs pairing with scallop crudo, pork belly, foie gras and caramelized white chocolate. Executive Sous Chef Patrick Stubbers at Athens’ Seabear says drinking Epicurious alongside buttery dishes, veggies, light pork dishes and fried foods is delicious.

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The sessionable 4.2% ABV beer will be released in October.

If you live outside Creature’s distribution area and are looking for more advice on beer and food pairings, CraftBeer.com has a depth of resources. Find our downloadable beer and food pairing chart here. The CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course for culinary professionals, educators and breweries, as well as our newly-published course for the at-home enthusiast chef can both be found here.

Jess Baker

Jess Baker walked into a beer fest in 2010 and realized beer had come a long way from what her dad had been drinking since the 70s. She served as editor-in-chief of CraftBeer.com from spring 2016 to spring 2020, bringing you stories about the people who are the heartbeat behind U.S. craft brewing. She's a runner, a die-hard Springsteen fan, a mom who is always scouting family-friendly breweries, and always in search of a darn good porter.

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