Beers, barbecue and the Fourth of July— a perfect pairing. “The Brewmaster’s Table” offers some guidance.

Independence Day marks the first official weekend of summer for many, with cookouts, friends, fireworks and, of course, beer. It’s among the top holidays of the year for beer sales, and several years ago I suggested beers in the theme of “red, white, and brew” for the holiday.

This year, I thought it would be fun to suggest beers to pair with classic Fourth of July food. With the number of craft breweries available there are a wide variety of styles to choose from.

To many it might seem as though food and beer pairings are something to consider with gourmet, multicourse meals, and don’t give a second thought to stocking a cooler of Coors Light to accompany your casual picnic grilling. Not at all! Craft beer pairs remarkably well with food of all kinds, from hot dogs and potato chips to filet mignon and truffle frites.

Let’s look at several traditional holiday foods and what local beers to pair with them.

Hot dogs: While there is a wide variation in preparation, a hot dog is essentially a sausage. Brewmaster Garrett Oliver, the author of “The Brewmaster’s Table,” suggests several Belgian styles to pair with sausage, including Belgian pale ale and saison. Monkless Belgian Ales’ Brothers Bier fits the bill: a clean, easy-drinking ale with spicy hops and a dry finish to cut through the fat.

The spicy complexity of a saison can be found with Crux Farmhouse from Crux Fermentation Project, and for a lighter version, Spider City Brewing Company offers Mosaic Grisette, a 4% table saison. Or consider one of the complex, wild-inflected beers from The Ale Apothecary for a fun pairing. Both the flagship Sahalie and El Cuatro would be terrific choices.

Hamburgers: A classic American picnic food calls for a classic American style pale ale. The malt and hop balance of a good pale ale pairs well with burgers. It’s hard to beat Mirror Pond Pale Ale from Deschutes Brewery, though I also like Sunriver Brewing Company’s Rippin NW Pale Ale and GoodLife Brewing Company’s Sweet As! Pacific Ale as burger beers.

Hoppy IPAs work well here too, and there are plenty of local options to choose from. I’m fond of classic West Coast-style IPAs with hop bitterness and flavor and would reach for Hophead Imperial IPA from Bend Brewing Company and IPA 97 from Silver Moon Brewing Company, among others.

Potato salad: A rich, mayonnaise-based dressing calls for a crisp, clean, bitter beer to cut through the fat and heaviness. Pilsner is a great choice here, dry and bracing with a nice hop snap to wash it all down. There’s no shortage of local pilsners available, including Crux’s Crux Pilz, Sol Power Pils from Worthy Brewing Company, Bohemian Pilsner from Kobold Brewing Company, and Pub Beer from 10 Barrel Brewing Company.

Baked beans: Oliver recommends brown ales for beans, and I’d extend that to include amber and red ales as well. The maltiness of these styles complements the saucy beans and draws out additional sweetness. In my opinion, you don’t see enough brown ales these days, but consider Bridge 99 Brewery’s Broken Top Brown or Cascade Lakes Brewing Company’s 20 Inch Brown for nutty, malty flavors. If you’re looking for a red ale, Diablo Rojo from Boneyard Beer is a great option with a touch of hops and a drier finish.

Apple pie: This classic, all-American dessert calls out for imperial stout, strong Baltic porter or cream stout. Think sweet, roasty, creamy and boozy. A great choice would be Deschutes’ just-released Black Butte XXXII barrel -aged imperial porter, with flavors inspired by a Spanish coffee cocktail. Another is Three Creeks Brewing Company’s Bourbon Barrel Aged TenPine Chocolate Porter, full of chocolate and bourbon character.

Several others include Bevel Craft Brewing Company’s Glow Round Imperial Stout, and Kobold’s Full Throttle, a whiskey barrel aged imperial breakfast stout. And of course, you can never go wrong with Suge Knite Imperial Stout from Boneyard.

All of these suggestions are available in cans, bottles or crowlers, perfect for backyard barbecuing at home.

Happy Independence Day!

1. Flip Up IPA — Bevel Craft Brewing

2. Hayduke Helles — Crux Fermentation Project

3. Enjoy By 07.04.20 Unfiltered IPA — Stone Brewing

4. Brenna A Amber Lager — Wild Ride Brewing

5. Merica American Farmhouse Ale — Prairie Artisan Ales