One of the best ways to enjoy bourbon is to drink it with an accompanying beer. Sometimes known as a boilermaker (usually when the whiskey is in shot form), this combo is a favorite of drinkers and bartenders alike. In theory, the beer often acts as a sort of chaser for the warmer alcohol you’re enjoying as the main course. “A beer back” as it’s called by aficionados.
Charles Bement, sommelier and beverage director of B. Hospitality in Chicago, loves the bourbon-beer combination. In his opinion, the beer choice is just as important as the whiskey, because the two need to play off of each other.
“I think doing IPA and bourbon can be overpowering,” Bement explains. “Lager has just enough weight and citrus components to pair well with the caramel notes that you get on a nice Kentucky bourbon.”
To that end, we tasked a handful of well-known bartenders to pair beers they love with bourbons to provide us all a guiding light on the beer back issue. They didn’t disappoint in their selections. Check them all, below!
Kristan Arnold, bartender at Elgin Public House in Chicago
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $24
Why This Pairing?
At my bar, we do a bock and bourbon special with Shiner Bock and Buffalo Trace Bourbon. They are a perfect combo. Both of them have subtle complexities of sweet-bitter caramel notes that are perfect for an after-work combo.
Andrew Guerin, bartender at Bourbon O Bar in New Orleans
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $20
Why This Pairing?
I’m a bit of a classic on this. Give me a shot of Jim Beam and a Budweiser. I know exactly what I’m getting every time — classic bourbon flavors of caramel, vanilla, and oak and crisp with a thirst-quenching beer that tastes like beer.
Daniel Yang, lead bartender at Electra Cocktail Club in Las Vegas
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $48
Why This Pairing?
This may sound a bit strange, but I would personally choose a nice frozen glass full of Golden Road’s Mango Cart, which is a smooth mango-flavored wheat ale that offers a beautiful balance to the dryer finish to my pour of Eagle Rare 10-year bourbon. Having a nice contrast of refreshing fruit aroma to bold and oaky flavors of the bourbon makes the sipping all the better.
Lewis Caputa, lead bartender at Rosina Cocktail Lounge in Las Vegas
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $55
Why This Pairing?
This question depends on my mood, but I’ll go with a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout and a really strong and tasty bourbon like Frey Ranch. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout is a modern classic for me. The chocolate really comes through on the palate. Frey Ranch is great because of the cinnamon notes that come out on your nose and as you taste it. Chocolate and cinnamon? Great combo.
Evan Hosaka, lead bartender at The Dorsey Cocktail Bar in Las Vegas
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $93
Why This Pairing?
Trumer Pils alongside I.W. Harper 15-year bourbon is my favorite combination because it brings me back to an earlier time in my bartending career when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. Trumer Pils is a refreshing pilsner at about 4.7 percent ABV while the I.W Harper 15 is light in alcohol for bourbon at 43 percent ABV. But, it offers heavy and sensational flavors on the palate with notes of oak, caramel, spice, and vanilla. The distillery has been around for a long time but mainly produced for the international market until it was brought back to the domestic market in 2015.
Joshua Scheid, beverage manager at REX at The Royal in Philadelphia
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $20
Why This Pairing?
If I’m going for beer and bourbon, there’s nothing like a cold PBR and a shot of Old Grand-Dad Bonded. The extra oomph from the bonded bourbon with the grocery store white bread sweetness of PBR is so comforting.
Mariza Sabino, general manager at Dirty Habit in San Francisco
ABV: 44%
Average Price: $55
Why This Pairing?
My personal favorite right now is Neko no Sukiyoubi (Wednesday Cat White Ale) and Savage & Cooke’s Burning Chair. I love the barrel notes in the Burning Chair and there are mild tropical notes that pair perfectly with the mild fruit and maltiness of the ale.
Stephen Ohalloran, bar manager at Camino Riviera in San Diego
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $40
Why This Pairing?
Try not to overthink this one. I go with a Makers 46 and some Miller High Life. It’s an inoffensive beer that can go with just about anything paired with a nice and slightly higher-proof bourbon to punch it up a bit.
Claire Sexton, bar manager at Kettner Exchange in San Diego
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $35
Why This Pairing?
Guilty pleasure — I love light beer. I have been working in craft bars for all of my adult life. And even with endless spirits options from faraway lands behind the bar, I always lean towards an ice-cold lager like Coors Light and some good old Woodford Reserve bourbon to sip while closing.
Subhash Sankar, head mixologist at Alaia Belize in San Pedro Town, Belize
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $30
Why This Pairing?
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Bulleit Bourbon are my picks. If you’re looking for something lighter and hoppier, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would be fantastic, It’s got a strong, astringent flavor, so it’s a good palate cleanser against the bourbon.
Aaron Ramirez, lead bartender at Mr. C Beverly Hills in Los Angeles
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $28
Why This Pairing?
After a long day of work, I love to settle down with a boilermaker. In my opinion, the best combination for that is Maker’s Mark and Stella Artois Lager. The smooth, oaky, almost caramel notes of the bourbon complement the almost fruity notes of the Lager.
Nicholas Webster, bar manager and Fulton Market Kitchen in Chicago
ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $40
Why This Pairing?
Pairing Few Bourbon with a dark, chocolate-driven stout can help ease the cravings for spring. The NWAR Tsokolate stout from Whiner Beer company is one of my favorites to pair with FEW. The notes of chocolate, coffee, and toasted coconut compliment the rich flavors of caramel and spiced cloves in FEW Bourbon.
