Food & Beer Culture

What do people eat with beer in Chicago? Anyone familiar with the city will mention the Chicago-style hot dog first: an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, topped with yellow mustard, green relish, white onions, tomato slices, a pickle spear, hot sport peppers, and celery salt. Ketchup traditionally has no place on it. A pale ale pairs well here, its bitterness standing up to the acidity of the toppings.

Just as iconic is Italian beef. Thinly sliced beef, slow-cooked in its own juices, goes into a roll, often topped with giardiniera, a spicy, tangy pickled vegetable relish. The roots of this dish trace back to the Union Stock Yards, the massive stockyards that opened in 1865 and closed in 1971. An IPA with strong bitterness stands up well against the heat.

Deep-dish pizza originated in the city and is baked in a deep pan, with cheese on the bottom and tomato sauce on top. According to popular accounts, it was invented in 1943 at Pizzeria Uno. Alongside it you'll find thin, square-cut tavern-style pizza, served in corner bars to go with a beer.

The neighborhood bar is central to beer culture here. In areas like Logan Square, breweries and bars sit side by side, and in the taproom you drink the beer brewed right next door. Anyone visiting a brewery can also get a growler filled—a roughly half-gallon (1.9-liter) bottle to take home. And beer has been part of Chicago Cubs games at Wrigley Field for generations.

Strength pairs well with sweetness. An imperial stout isn't meant to go with a hot dog—it's an after-dinner beer, suited to chocolate, nuts, or a piece of cheese. Given the high alcohol content, you drink it in small amounts.