St. Patrick’s Day Pairing: Murphy’s Stout and Corned Beef with Cabbage

Nothing says St. Patrick’s Day quite like beef and beer, the food and succor of our (honorary or real) ancestors.

The beer is Murphy’s Irish Stout and the beef is corned beef served up with cabbage. Why do these two go so well together? Well, there’s the historical side of it and then there’s the flavorful aspect, as well.

A great way to start off in creating complementary dishes is to create dishes with ingredients that are sourced from the same region. Grown from the same dirt and acclimated to the same environment, these food items often are mutually complementary. Although corned beef and cabbage may not be considered a completely traditional Irish meal (at least according to articles like this), Murphy’s Stout is known as the rebel stout throughout Ireland. The beer has been a part of Irish culture since 1856 when the Murphy family first started brewing up the liquid. Now, the Irish stout and the American-Irish dish are both synonymous with St. Patrick ’s Day.

Murphy’s shows off the characteristics a true Irish stout with its creamy head and rich black color that is chock full of roasted malt flavor. Available on nitro, it has a light-bodied mouthfeel with little to no carbonation and finishes on a chalky, dry note. These characteristics make it the perfect accompaniment to corned beef and cabbage. The thin mouthfeel of the Irish stout matches the light texture and flavor component of the steamed vegetables. The main attraction – the salty meat – is counterbalanced by the acrid roasted malt flavor and dry finish from the stout. Together, there’s a feast to be had for St. Patrick’s Day.