Chips and sips: Which craft beers pair best with your favorite snack?

Chips and sips, what’s better than chips and beer? But, why stop at just chips and beer? Which craft beers pair best with your favorite snack?

Ruffles recently announced its chips and sips favorite chip and beer pairings. Who doesn’t love a bowl of chips with an ice cold beer while watching a game? The salty, crunch of a good potato chip with the cold, flavorful hops of a beer is a perfect combination.

Before you leave to go grab a cold one and some chips, here’s Ruffles suggested chip and beer pairings.

"Light & Loaded, nationwide: Ruffles Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins with Bud LightBacon & Brew, California: Ruffles Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins with Brew Free! Or Die IPA from 21st Amendment BreweryBuckshot & Bacon, Carolinas: Ruffles Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins with Buckshot Amber from Natty Greene’s All Dressed & Ale,Central Gulf Coast: Ruffles All Dressed with Good People IPA from Good People Brewing Co.Potato Skins & Pils, Mid-America: Ruffles Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins with Turntable Pils from Great Lakes Brewing Co.Sour Cream & Skull, Southeast: Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream with Laughing Skull Amber Ale from Red Brick Brewing Co.Hot & Helles, Texoma and Central US: Ruffles Flamin’ Hot with Texas Helles from Community Beer Co."

These pairs are really interesting. The list isn’t just a chip and beer scenario, but it is also a locale suggestion. Craft beers are growing at a huge rate. A tour of a beer cooler can be like a map of the U.S. No longer are premium beers from California or Oregon. Some great craft beers come from Florida, Kentucky and even Utah.

(Photo Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

But, only chips and sips? Why stop at just potato chips get beer pairings. What about all the other great snacks out there? Are those snacks dismissed to whatever is cold at the bottom of the cooler?

Here are some suggestions for snacking and drinking.

• • Doritos, nacho cheese flavor: Corona, the Mexican lager best served with a lime, is a good refresher to the nacho cheese flavor of the Doritos.
  • Pretzels: Bell’s Oberon Ale, the American wheat beer, has some citrus flavors. While not a German beer, the citrus plays off the salty pretzel.
  • Cheetos: Unita West Coast IPA, a new beer from the Utah brewing company, is hoppy and fruity. Let the pineapple flavor wash down the neon cheese that you can’t resist licking off your fingers.
  • Popcorn: Rogue Ales, Good Chit Pilsner is some good beer. This classic pilsner will balance either the salted or the buttered popcorn.
  • Fritos: Shiner Bock is the iconic Texas beer. While you may not be eating frito pie, the robust Shiner Bock flavors play off the corn chips.
  • Tostitos: Lagunitas Lil Sumpin is a crowd pleasing American pale ale. Whether you serve Tostitos with salsa, guacamole or by themselves, this summer inspired smooth ale will pair nicely.

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These snack and beer combinations are just a few of the many options. What chips and sips do you like best? Have a combination that isn’t listed? Share your thoughts in the comment section.