Great British Food - Christmas 2025

Beers to say CHEERS WITH If wine’s not your thing, have you considered serving a fewbrews withChristmas dinner this year? T here’smore diversity of flavour in beer than there is in wine,” explains beer sommelier, international beer judge and Jiddler’s Tipple founder, Jacob Liddle, who thinks we should all be giving the drink pride of place in our Christmas celebrations. Champagne, sparklingwine, cream liqueurs, brandy andwhisky – the average cupboardwill groan under theweight of alcohol as 25thDecember comes around. And beer should fully be factored in, he thinks, for its versatility and the huge amount of nuance and difference it can offer across a spectrum filledwith variety – from rich, creamy, sweet oat stouts, to fruity porters, funky sour beers, crisp lagers and IPAs, old ales, red beers and ambers beer – there’s something for everyone, you justmight not have tasted it yet. “It’s a totally different product towine,” he continues. “A light refreshing lager or golden ale is going to bemuchmore refreshing than a 14%glass of wine, andwill have a totally different flavour profile that pairs well with food in a different way. Beer adds diversity to the table.” Bringing the wow factor In wine, the line of thought is that the more expensive it is, the better it will be. This isn’t the case, though, with beer. “Some of the more expensive ones can be a bit more challenging and funky,” says Jacob. “You’ll get the type that are spontaneously fermented, aged on blackberries that have been sat in a barrel for three years.” And these won’t be to everyone’s taste. If you’re after something a bit special to bring out when your guests arrive, he recommends a jeroboam of Chimay Blue, or one of the “beautiful beers” from Brasserie Dupont such as Saison Dupont. “The reason people like things like Prosecco is that they’re bubbly and very light,” Jacob adds, and that’s exactly what you should be aiming for when seeking out a beer-based alternative to Champers. “ greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com 78 FEATURE | BEER AND FOOD PAIRING