Lenten Fish Fry Beer Pairing: Which Wisconsin Beer Is The Best?

MILWAUKEE, WI — In Wisconsin, it’s always fish fry season, especially during the Lenten months when more Wisconsinites choose to partake in their local fish fry. With 40 days in Lent, there are plenty of days to enjoy a fish fry more than once. Fried food can be delicious, but it can also leave you with a heavy feeling. Wisconsin's also known for its local beer, so we wanted to know which local beers go best with a fish fry.

We talked with the experts at Meijer to find out. They recommend to pair your fish with a beer that is somewhat “spritzy,” or with a firm bitterness that will cleanse and refresh the palate by stripping the excess oil and salt, ensuring that each bite is just as mouthwatering as the first. The people who buy beer for Meijer recommend the following Wisconsin beers to pair with your meal during Lent and year-round:

• Lakefront Brewery Riverwest Stein Amber Lager - described by the brewery as “an honest day’s beer,” Lakefront’s flagship lager is an excellent pairing for a fish fry. A slight front forward caramel maltiness and crisp finish ensure each fried bite tastes as clean as the first.
• MKE Brewing Company Outboard Cream Ale – This beer has a nice blend of malt and hops that cuts through the fried fish while the light body mingles with the sweetness of the batter.
• Miller High Life – The Champagne of Beers has an effervescent, crisp taste that makes for a refreshing combination when paired with your favorite fish fry.
• Sprecher Brewery Special Amber: This German-style lager has a complex malt flavor and an interesting bitterness to ensure you won’t suffer from premature palate-fatigue.
• Lakefront Brewery IPA – Fried fish stands up to the initial mix of piercing hops that cleanse the palate and leave a lingering refreshing finish that makes this an enjoyable pairing for any fish fry.
• New Glarus Spotted Cow – This Wisconsin favorite brewed with flaked barley and the finest Wisconsin malts is a classic pairing with your fish fry.

By all means, please drink responsibly. If it means partaking in a beer brewed outside of the Badger State, Meijer recommends trying the following varieties: New Belgium Fat Tire, Coors Banquet, Alaskan Amber Ale, Pilsner Urquell, Stella Artois, Killians, Budweiser, Sam Adams Boston Lager, or Michigan-based Bells Amber Ale, to name a few.

For more information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.

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