A chance to combine Ox Burgers and beer pairings was too good to pass by. The burger joint is a short walk from St. Louis BTS station, and has a number of local beers, including Thursday Brewery which is only available at places associated with the “Jim’s Burgers” chain.
Beer pairings were explored, and to add to the “scientific exploration,” I brought in a bottle of Firepower Hot Sauce to further explore the question of “IPA beer pairings with food and hot sauce.”
Beer Pairings with Ox Burgers
1st, the beer: locally made fresh by Thursday Brewery.
- Henri Durant IPA (more west coast style)
- Samyan Hazy IPA (a bit more juicy)
Both the beers could be described as NOT over-the-top, but instead they are a bit more “tame” which often works better with food. They were very good, and quite easy to drink. However, they were both coming in at about 6.5% ABV, so no need to drink a lot very quickly.
NOTES:
1 – as with any suggestions about food and drink, it is all subjective, and it is best to eat & drink what you like. If you don’t like IPAs, you probably won’t like them paired with a burger.
2 – Ox also had a Samata beer on tap, as well as more cans in their fridge, but that will have to wait to be another pairings post.
Hot Sauce Pairings with the Beer at Ox
The great pairing question:
IPA or Hazy IPA to go with spicy sauces?
Although Ox Burgers had Tabasco on the table, I wanted something with less vinegar, and more kick, so I brought Firepower Hot Sauce from home. You can tell it is often carried in a pocket as the label is a little worn….
I added some ‘Smoky Ghost‘ hot sauce to my burger to compare the Henri Durant IPA, and then again with the Samyan Hazy IPA.
In beer pairings, bitterness in an IPA can emphasize the spice hit from the sauce. That is what I felt from the Henri Durant IPA, even though the beer was not especially bitter. The beer cleansed the palate for a moment, and then the heat came back through.
In the end, I felt the Samyan Hazy paired better with the hot sauce, as the finishing bit of sweetness from the ‘juice’ of the haze was a pleasant contrast to the hit of the spicy sauce.
But both were good beers that went well with the burger and hot sauce.
Beer & Food Science FTW!
It was a tasty and fun time doing Ox Burgers and Beer Pairings – but clearly, more research and testing will be necessary.