Krave Jerky. Crave Beer.

A friend sent a lovely assortment of Krave Jerky to pair with beer and so a couple weeks back we had ourselves a little tasting πŸ™‚ Krave Jerky uses beef, pork, and turkey in a variety of yummy flavors. Everyone’s first thoughts was that they all have a very nice texture.

Pineapple Orange paired with the Summer Wheat (Anchor) and Estival Cream Stout (Ska).

The Jerky: This jerky was a little sweet and overall the least favorite of the group.

The Pairing: The Summer Wheat was very light, easy to drink, yet still very flavorful. It went very nicely with the Pineapple Orange Beef Jerky. For a little switch up we also wanted to try it with the Cream Stout. Basically the stout made it more like a dessert pairing and something you might want while sitting by a fire. The Summer Wheat and this jerky was more of a let’s go hiking pairing πŸ™‚

Krave Jerky

Garlic Chili Pepper was paired with the IPA (Finkel & Garf) and Summer Wheat (Anchor).

The Jerky: It had a nice strong garlic smell. It left a nice tingle on your tongue. This jerky was an overall favorite!

The Pairing: When pairing food with beer, typically more garlic-y and spicy foods do well with an IPA since it can hold its own. However, the wheat was a great contrast with this delicious jerky. More flavors were relevant in the beer and all together it was a nice combination. Though this is a delicious IPA, it was no match as a pairing.

Krave Jerky

Sweet Chipotle Chili paired with the Estival Cream Stout (Ska) and The Dark One Milk Stout (High Hops)

The Jerky: It has a very subtle smoky flavor. The sweetness comes through more than the chipotle. It had no heat.

The Pairing: This jerky paired very nicely with the Cream Stout. They both complimented each other well, bringing out both sweet and smoky flavors. The Milk Stout was the rival pairing and though it was good, the combination of flavors was not as intense. The chipotle flavor was washed out by the Milk Stout.

Krave Jerky

Black Cherry Barbeque paired with the The Dark One Milk Stout (High Hops)

The Jerky: It was a great jerky that would definitely be awesome to snack on a hike or to have in your office to munch. This one was another favorite.

The Pairing: The Black Cherry Barbeque Pork Jerky with the Milk Stout created a nice balance of spice and sweetness. One taster’s comment was that this beer made the flavors in the jerky pop.

Krave Jerky

Basil Citrus paired with the The Golden One Pilsner (High Hops)

The Jerky: There were notes of rosemary and other spices. Lots of herbs and flavors encompassed this turkey jerky. Krave did a stellar job!

The Pairing: The Pilsner on its own was boring. It did not have much flavor and I thought it would not hold its own against this awesome flavor-packed jerky but they married really well.

Krave Jerky

Chili Lime paired with the The Golden One Pilsner (High Hops)

The Jerky: It has a nice, light lime flavor and a little heat. Mmmm, delicious!

The Pairing: Once again, though this pilsner was not the most exciting, it did make a good combination with this jerky. Another great beer and jerky combo to take on a hike πŸ™‚

Krave Jerky

Lemon Garlic paired with the IPA (Finkel & Garf) and Papa Silenus Double IPA (Odd 13)

The Jerky: I was expecting the lemon garlic turkey jerky to be more garlic-y. It was good but I definitely liked the Garlic Chili Pepper better.

The Pairing: This jerky with the IPA was interesting together. It brought out floral notes in the beer but ultimately did not do a whole lot. The flavors competed. We also tried this jerky with a Double IPA which provided a much more savory flavor. The combination was very nice.

There were five tasters in total. Three liked the Garlic Chili jerky the best. One person’s favorite was the Black Cherry and the other was the Basil Citrus. Overall, these were probably my top three favorites. The favorite beer and jerky combinations were:

-Pilsner and the Basil Citrus
-Summer Wheat with the Garlic Chili
-Cream Stout with the Sweet Chipotle
-Double IPA with the Lemon Garlic

For more beer pairing suggestions visit their website.

Cheers!

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