Oakham Ales has teamed up with Leicester’s Gelato Village to bring a novel food pairing recommendation — beer and gelato.

Oakham Citra gelato

Maestro gelatiere Antonio De Vecchi crafts his own recipe treats using the best fresh seasonal ingredients. And they make a surprisingly good fit for the flavour profile of the iconic 4.6% ABV session IPA, Citra.

“We were delighted to be asked to find a match for such a legendary beer,” said Antonio. “The zesty freshness of Citra complements so many of our British summer fruit offerings perfectly, especially raspberry and strawberry.

“But the most refreshing pairing is with our PGI Amalfi lemon sorbetto. We bring these world class lemons direct from the farmers of the beautiful Campanian coastline. The gelato we make with them creates a great synergy with the zingy citrus tones in the beer.”

Oakham Ales’ Head Brewer Mark Tetlow is a trained Beer Sommelier and has a favourite pairing of his own. “I enjoyed a glass of Citra alongside Gelato Village’s San Biagio Pistacchio gelato,” he said.

“The gelato is so rich that it stops the hoppy bitterness of the beer from being accentuated by the sweetness of the dessert. And those indulgent nutty flavours really pull out the best of Citra’s tropical fruit and citrus tones.”