You would think a 35 year old man’s tastebuds would evolve as he gets older. You would think that the same things that he ate in high school and college would not be the same things he eats now. You would think these things about me and unfortunately, you would be wrong. I pretty much have the same flavor palette for food now as I did when I was a young kid. Sweet Tarts, Doritos, ice cream…you name it, I eat it. I’m pretty much a human dumpster for junk food.
Obviously, now that I’m of legal drinking age, I still enjoy a nice snack with a cold beer. This series will focus on my choices of snacks and beer for pairing purposes.
On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I was searching for something to satisfy my hunger and thirst. Looking through the pantry, I found some Jalapeno White Cheddar popcorn that I purchased from Buc-ee’s the day before. Feeling in a hoppy mood, I decided to pair this with Karbach Hopadillo IPA to complete the “meal.”
I’ve always found spicy and salty foods to work well with IPAs. The hoppy-bitter flavor blends perfectly with the popcorn because the saltiness is amplified after each handful of popcorn. I find the spiciness to be cleaned out by the IPA and it tends to be my go-to beer when eating something spicy. It leaves your palette satisfied and prepared to eat even more spicy food and drink even more bitter beer.
Granted, the jalapeno cheddar flavor is modest at best, but this popcorn is always a must have item when I stop at any Buc-ee’s statewide. Usually, I’ll make this a quick beer stop as well due to the unbelievably cheap prices as well. For example, I got a six-pack of Hopadillo for $6.91. The perfect price makes the pairing that much sweeter.