Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American craft beer ambassador for Europe, suggests a unique way to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend next month.

carrot cake IPA
Carrot cake and IPA from Adam Dulye’s book, The Beer Pantry. Photograph: Scott Gordon Bleicher

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend,from 2nd to 5th June, is only a month away and presents a welcome opportunity for the whole country to celebrate with street parties and festivities. What could be more quintessentially British than tea and cake? But, why not think outside the box and try something different that will wow your family and friends?

Instead of tea, try exploring the mutual flavour synergies between American craft beer and cake. You’ll be amazed at how well the partnership works! The sweetness of cake and bitterness of beer balance each other perfectly, while the full spectrum of flavours found in beer will marry seamlessly with a range of traditional cakes.

Look for beers with either complementary or contrasting flavours that will harmonise well together with the chosen cake. Some cake pairings are obvious while some require more creativity. There is no right or wrong answer.

Cake and beer matching — a guide

Carrot cake with IPA
An absolute winner! The sweetness of the carrot blends with the malts and brings the citrussy hop flavour notes to the fore. The high fat content of the frosted topping will protect the palate from the ‘bite’ of the bitterness and a bittersweet finish will cut through the fatty richness to leave the diner refreshed and ready for more. Pair with:
Sierra Nevada Tropical Torpedo IPA

almond cake double IPA
Almond cake and double IPA. Photograph: Brewers Association

Orange and almond cake with double IPA
A beer loaded with fruity, citrussy hops will complement the orange notes of the cake perfectly. The bitterness will temper the sweetness, and the two together will provide a highly elevated taste experience. Pair with: Oskar Blues
Double Dale’s DIPA

Chocolate cake with brown ale
A smooth, rich, chocolate, toffee- or coffee-infused brown ale will provide a fitting complement to a decadent chocolate gateau. The dark, roasted malts found in stout would work just as well for this pairing. Pair with: Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale

Victoria sponge and strawberries with lager
An easy-drinking lager will provide just the right amount of bready sweetness in the malt bill to complement a Victoria sponge and let the strawberries shine. Pair with: DC Brau Tik Tok International Style Lager

Lemon cake with witbier
Contrast citrus flavour notes with a witbier containing flavours of orange and coriander and enough lemon-lime fruity esters from the Belgian yeast to pull the pairing together. Pair with: Cigar City Florida Cracker Belgian-style White Ale

chocolate cake
A luscious chocolate cake and beer match. Photograph: Brewers Association

Fruit cake and imperial stout (preferably barrel-aged)
A dense, rich, moist fruit cake oozing with dried fruits, cherries, and other delicious ingredients makes a perfect partnership with a big, bold, barrel-aged imperial stout, containing similar flavour notes. The cake and the liquid in your glass will merge seamlessly together to create an all-round incredible eating experience. If the cake has been doused with a similar spirit to the beer, so much the better! Pair with: Fremont Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star Imperial Stout

American craft beer and traditional English cake has a special place in my heart, and I will be raising a toast to ‘Her Maj’ with one of the above!

There’s still time to register for a one-off, special beer and food pairing event: SAVOR: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience, in Washington DC on Friday, 24th June, at new venue The Anthem. SAVOR pairs more than 200 flavour-forward, independent, American craft beers with sublime small bites from an award-winning culinary team to create an unforgettable culinary experience for beer lovers and foodies alike.

In the UK, American craft beer can be found at online retailers such as Athletic Brewing, the Cascade Club, the Malt Miller, Beer Merchants, Beer Gonzo, or selected bottle shops, off-licences, online subscription services, and supermarkets, and selected pubs and bars.

About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts.

The BA represents 5,700-plus US breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers.

The BA organises events including the World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival, Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America, SAVOR: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience, Homebrew Con, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week.

The BA publishes The New Brewer magazine, and Brewers Publications is the largest publisher of brewing literature in the US.

Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association and the free Brew Guru mobile app.