Beer with brunch from eggs to pancakes

Brunch beer starts with low alcohol

Brunch happens in daylight, often in the heat. It usually runs long. That makes alcohol the first thing to manage. We suggest beers between about 3.5 and 5.5% ABV and pours of 200 to 330 ml rather than full pints. A session beer you can sip over an hour fits brunch far better than a 9% Belgian tripel that ends the afternoon early.

Keep water and coffee on the table. A good brunch pairing is one or two thoughtful glasses with food, not a reason to start drinking at eleven in the morning.

Eggs are trickier than they look

Egg yolk coats the palate with a rich, slightly sulphury fat. It can make some beers taste flat or metallic, the same reason wine people grumble about eggs.

What works is carbonation and a little acidity or spice. A Belgian witbier, with orange peel and coriander, lifts a plate of scrambled eggs or eggs Benedict. A saison does the same with more pepper. Both are traditionally well carbonated, which scrubs the yolk off the tongue. A very bitter IPA, on the other hand, can turn harsh and metallic against yolk.

Hollandaise is basically butter and egg, so treat eggs Benedict as a fatty dish and lean on the bubbles.

Bacon, sausages and the smoky side

Cured, salty, smoky meat is where malt shines. Salt makes malt taste sweeter. Toasty malt flavours echo the browning on bacon. A Vienna lager, a Märzen or a brown ale all work.

If you can find a smoked beer, such as a Rauchbier, a small glass with bacon is a revelation: smoke on smoke. It is a strong flavour, so a 150 ml pour is plenty. For a lighter option, a well-made amber lager gives you the toast without the smoke.

Pancakes, waffles and French toast

Sweet brunch dishes need a beer that is at least as sweet as the food, or the beer will taste thin and bitter. That is the golden rule of dessert pairing and it applies to maple syrup too.

• Pancakes with syrup and berries: a fruit beer, such as a raspberry wheat beer, or a sweet stout in a small glass.
• Waffles with chocolate: a milk stout or a coffee stout, which picks up the chocolate and the toasted batter.
• French toast with cinnamon: a hefeweizen. The banana and clove from the yeast meet the cinnamon and egg.

Coffee stouts are brunch naturals because they double as a nod to your morning coffee. Most are 5 to 8% ABV, so keep the pour small.

Indian breakfast plates

An Indian brunch might mean masala omelette, poha, aloo paratha with butter, chole bhature or akuri on toast. A few pairings:

• Masala omelette or akuri: a witbier. The coriander in the beer meets the fresh coriander in the eggs.
• Aloo paratha with butter and pickle: a crisp lager. Achaar is hot and sour, so keep the beer light, cold and low in bitterness.
• Chole bhature: a Vienna lager or amber ale, with enough malt to stand up to the spiced chickpeas and fried bread.
• Poha with lime and peanuts: a Kölsch or a light wheat beer, gentle enough for a delicate dish.

Beer cocktails for the brunch table

If you want a brunch drink with even less alcohol, a beer shandy or a 'beermosa' (wheat beer topped with orange juice) brings the strength down to around 2 to 3%. Use a witbier, which already has orange peel in it. Use fresh juice rather than packaged. A michelada, lager with lime, salt and a dash of chilli, suits spicy eggs well.

These are easy, refreshing and a good way to include guests who only want a little alcohol. Always have a non-alcoholic option ready, such as a non-alcoholic wheat beer, fresh lime soda or cold coffee, so no one feels left out.

Glassware and temperature for a sunny table

Small glasses suit brunch. A 250 ml tulip or a stemmed wine glass holds aroma, keeps the pour modest and stays cold longer than a big pint left on a sunny table. Our beer glassware guide covers the shapes.

Serve witbier and saison at 5 to 8 °C and stouts a little warmer, at 8 to 12 °C, where their chocolate and coffee notes open up. If you want to make brunch into a proper tasting, our guide to setting up a beer tasting shows how to lay out small pours.

Your first step: pick one sweet dish and one savoury dish for your next brunch and match one beer to each. Taste both beers with both dishes and note which crossover surprised you.

Common questions

What beer goes with eggs?

A well carbonated, lightly spiced beer such as a witbier or saison. The bubbles clean yolk off the palate and the spice lifts the eggs.

What beer goes with pancakes?

A beer at least as sweet as the syrup, such as a fruit wheat beer or a milk stout, in a small glass.

Is it fine to drink beer at brunch?

One or two small glasses of a lower alcohol beer with food is reasonable for adults who choose to drink. Keep water and non-alcoholic options on the table.

What is a beermosa?

A wheat beer, usually a witbier, topped with orange juice. It lowers the alcohol to around 2 to 3% and suits a sunny brunch.