A concept that was largely lost in our country during the years of prohibition is the idea of using beer as a recipe ingredient.
Many pub dishes in Britain use ales, porter and stouts as ingredients.  Among the more common "beer" based recipes are beer
cheese soup, beer battered shrimp, and "beer bread" which substitutes beer for water in making dough.  However some more
extreme beers can add a degree of complexity to any dish.  Some examples include raspberry lambic drizzled over cheesecake,
vanilla porter concentrated down to make ice cream, or Belgian amber used as a base for steamed mussels.  

Use your imagination.  For every food imaginable, there is a beer that will compliment it perfectly.  Here are a few suggestions
to pair with your next gourmet meal.
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Many people are aware that unique wine styles can offer a
terrific complement to various types of food.  Most people
do not realize, however, that the myriad of traditional beer
styles that are now available in America can provide an even
greater diversity in food pairing with a wider array of flavor
characteristics.

The basic rule of thumb holds true for both beer and wine,
in that lighter fare is generally best served with lighter
libations.  However, while wine is typically paired with
contrasting flavored foods, beer is best matched with
complementary flavors.  

Some of the leaders in the American craft beer renaissance
have extended the challenge to top level wine sommeliers to
prove that beer can serve as an equal or even better
counterpart to a meal.  In many of these convivial
competitions, which are judged by the general public, beer
has dramatically exceeded wine in the extent to which it
complements a variety of foods.  One common stumbling
block for wine sommeliers is with spicy foods, which are
difficult to pair with wine, but work beautifully with a
variety of beer styles which use hops as a spicing agent and
have carbonation which helps to cleanse the palate of oils.
Apertif.......................................................................Gueuze, Berliner Weisse
Vegetables, Eggs, Onion Soup....................................Brown Ale
Salads........................................................................Belgian Strong Golden Ale, Belgian Witbier
Sausages....................................................................Bock Beer, Dark Lager, Rye Ale
Smoked or Grilled Foods...........................................Bock Beer, Smoke Beer, Rauchbier
Spicy Dishes..............................................................India Pale Ale, American Pale Ale, ESB
Shellfish......................................................................Belgian Amber, Stout, Porter
Fish............................................................................Bohemian Pilsner, German Pilsner, Helles Lager
Poultry.......................................................................Bock Beer, Marzen, Octoberfest
Pork..........................................................................Belgian Amber, Irish Red Ale
Lamb.........................................................................Belgian Amber, Saison, Biere de Garde, Farmhouse Ale
Beef...........................................................................Belgian Amber, ESB, English Pale Ale
Pizza..........................................................................Bohemian Pilsner, Vienna Lager
Pungent Cheese..........................................................Belgian Abbey Ales, Trappist Ales
Fruity Desserts...........................................................Lambic Beers, Flemish Sour Ales, Fruit Beer
Creamy Desserts........................................................Robust Porter, Russian Imperial Stout, Oatmeal Stout
Chocolate and Coffee.................................................Imperial Stout, Chocolate Stout, Espresso Stout
Digestif.......................................................................Barley Wine, Grand Cru