Serving the Right Appetizers with Beer

With microbreweries and home brewing on the rise, many people like to sample their latest finds or creations at home with friends. If you're planning on entertaining and serving beer, you may be interested in a few suggestions for appetizers that will help to enhance your gathering by complementing the flavor of a good beer.

There are just some foods that seem to go perfectly with beer. Although caviar is a gourmet appetizer, it just isn't one you'll ever want to serve with beer. Crudites may be lovely with a light wine, but they'll never hold up to a fine pilsner. Following are a few suggestions for appetizers that you may want to consider the next time you gather a group of friends together for that tasty beverage we commonly know as beer.

The four most important things to remember when choosing appetizers to go with beer are: meats, cheeses, spices and more beer. If you can include all four, you're guaranteed a winning combination!

A cheese fondue made with a mild cheese and beer can be great fun for your guests. Dippers that can be served with your fondue are meatballs, cocktail sausages and beer and cheese biscuits.

Meatballs are a versatile choice to consider. In addition to serving them with a cheese fondue, you could serve them in a barbeque sauce, salsa or a cheese and salsa "queso" sauce. You could also serve a platter of plain, baked meatballs, garnished with fresh parsley and radishes with salsa, barbeque and cheese sauces on the side.

Cocktail sausages are a great meaty option. In addition to serving them with a fondue, you can serve them in or with a barbeque sauce. Cocktail sausages wrapped in bacon and served with toothpicks are a tasty option as well. For fancier cocktail sausages, wrap and bake them in small crescent rolls. Consider wrapping them in bacon or cheese before wrapping them in crescent rolls and baking them.

Another great meat choice is chicken wings. This versatile and inexpensive party snack can be prepared either baked or fried and served "Buffalo" style or in a teriyaki or honey-mustard sauce. Like the meatballs, you could serve them already saucy or just serve a large platter of crispy, golden fried or baked wings garnished with fresh parsley and orange twists with your honey-mustard, teriyaki and buffalo sauces on the side.

If sandwiches are more your style, you might also consider serving Mini Reuben Sandwiches or a Reuben "dip" with rye toast points.

For those Mexican beers you may be serving, consider nachos, taquitos and jalapenos rellenos or "poppers". A large festive tray of nachos complete with seasoned meat, refried beans, chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions will make a colorful buffet centerpiece. Taquitos are a great finger food with a spicy, meat filling. Jalapeno poppers are also a terrific finger food to serve with beer. The spicy jalapenos filled with cream cheese or cheddar cheese are a zippy combination that is sure to please.

Stuffed potato skins are another versatile appetizer that go exceptionally well with beer. The skins can be baked or fried and served stuffed with any combination or sour cream, cheddar cheese, chives and bacon.

The beauty of these appetizers is that they can be very casual or dressed up for more formal gatherings. The key to dressing them up is in their presentation. Good china, attractive serving platters and trays, lettuce beds and colorful, zesty garnishes such as lemon, lime and orange twists will dress up any of these appetizers. The most important thing to remember is that the flavors of these appetizers will prove the perfect accent to enhance the flavor of any beer you serve.