Pairings

Beer with burgers

A burger is a steak crossed with a cheese toastie, plus sauce. Fat from the patty and the cheese, salt, and something sweet or sharp in the relish. The beer that works is the one that resets that mix. Carbonation lifts the fat. Bitterness cuts the cheese. Too much sweetness in the beer and the ketchup or barbecue sauce has nothing to push against.

Match the toppings. A plain beef burger is happy with a lager. Cheese and pickles are happy with a pale ale. Mushrooms, onion and a dark sauce can take a porter. A single very hoppy beer for every burger on a mixed table will flatten the quieter ones.

Beer styles that work

Pale ale or IPA
The useful burger beer when there is cheddar, pickle, bacon or a tangy sauce. Bitterness cuts the cheese. A bright hop flavour stands up to char on the patty. Do not go so bitter that the tomato in the burger tastes metallic. Ordinary strength, cold, and fizzy.
Lager
Best with a simpler burger: beef, lettuce, a light sauce. The fizz does the work and the beer stays out of the way. Also the right pour if the burger arrives with a pile of salty chips. A sweet lager makes the meal feel like fast food in the dull sense.
Stout, for a rich burger
Mushroom, blue cheese, caramelised onion, or a patty that is more crust than crumb. A dry stout echoes that savoury edge. It is too much for a plain cheeseburger, where the roast flavour covers the beef. Think of it as the steak rule, applied only when the burger deserves it.

If you are not drinking beer

A cocktail

Whisky and soda

The same long whisky and soda that suits a steak, here in a taller glass because a burger is messier and saltier. The soda cuts sauce and cheese. Skip a creamy cocktail. There is already enough dairy on the bun.

Without alcohol

Cola or sparkling apple

A cold cola is the diner match: caramel sweetness against a charred patty and salt. It works, and it is sweet, so it is a worse idea with an already sticky barbecue sauce. Sparkling apple is the less sugary option and still has the acid to cut cheese. Ice, either way.

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Questions

What beer goes with a burger?

A pale ale or IPA with a cheeseburger, and a lager with a plainer burger. Use a dry stout only when the toppings are already rich, such as mushroom or blue cheese.

Why do hops work with cheeseburgers?

Hop bitterness cuts through cheese fat and salty sauce, and the carbonation lifts grease. Push the bitterness too far and tomato or ketchup on the burger can taste harsh.

What soft drink goes with a burger?

A cold cola, or sparkling apple juice if you want less sugar. Both should be fizzy. A still, sweet drink makes the burger feel heavier.