Try tasting one of your favorite beers and note its dominant flavors. What is the malt character ? rich, sweet, grainy, roasty, bready, caramel, chocolate? Does it finish dry, sweet, or medium? Are the hops flowery, earthy, or citrusy? Does it have warmth from the alcohol? Is it highly carbonated? Does it have fruity characteristics? Is it spicy, spritsy, sour, or tart?

Now start to think of the food that might pair well with those flavors. While beer is great at complimenting food, it can also be used to contrast flavors, and there are several beers that can be used to cut rich or fatty foods. Try complementing anything chocolate with strong stout, grilled meats with a nice robust porter. A nice pale ale contrasts well with the bold, spicy flavors of barbecue dishes. A dish that is very rich and buttery can be cut with a light, hoppy beer such as a pilsner.

Golden or blonde ale, American wheat ale, lightly hopped lagers, Kolsch style ales: Try them with a light salad, or delicate foods such as lightly flavored vegetable dishes such as grilled vegetables, delicate pasta or light chicken dishes. Or pair them with a light cheese such as butterkase, feta, havarti, Gruyere or Swiss. These Styles of beer are quite low in both maltiness and hoppiness, and high in carbonation, so they work best as thirst-quenchers.

Weiss bier, dunkelweiss, hefeweizen, wit:
This style of beer pairs best with feta, Gruyere, Swiss, or fresh mozzarella cheese. You want to be able to enjoy the flavors of the yeast or added spices, so stick with delicate foods, such as a cold soup or pasta or light cheeses.

India Pale Ale, Double IPAs: American IPAs (Highly hopped beers)
The bold flavors pair well with equally bold dishes. Try them with blue cheeses, mole or curry. For dessert pair them with cheesecake, crème brulee, or carrot cake. A double IPA, pairs nicely with raspberries and vanilla ice cream.

Robust porter, dry or oatmeal stout:
Pair with hearty foods ? meats with gravy, BBQ grilled beef (the charred flavors of a nice grilled steak pair wonderfully with the roasted notes in these beers). Oysters go great with these beers. Match them with desserts such as flourless chocolate cake or truffles. These beers will stand up to stronger cheeses such as cheddar, well-aged cheese, Stilton.

Cream or sweet stout, imperial stout:
Anything with chocolate pairs well with these beers. Dark chocolate pairs especially well with imperial stout. Try them with a decadent chocolate cake with or without a fruit topping, chocolate fudge brownies or even ice cream. Also pair them with New York cheesecake, steak au poivre, caviar, oysters, and chocolate cake.

Saisons:
Saison is one of the most versatile of beers for pairing with food. With their high carbonation and effervescence, Saisons are a great match for spicy foods ? try them with Cajun cuisine or spicy Asian foods. BBQ pairs especially well with saison?s fruity and spicy notes, while its spicy and peppery characters can enhance the flavors of any hot or peppery dish. Be aware, however, that saisons can overwhelm more delicate foods.

A few more thoughts:

The English learned long ago that stouts go well with oysters. Now who would have ever thought of that? The best food and beer pairing is the one you like the best. Don?t be afraid to experiment.