Thai red curry with jasmine rice is a delicate and fragrant dish accompanied by varying levels of heat. Belgian Witbier is the perfect match.  Excellent choices are Hoegaarden or Unibroue Blanche de Chambly. 

Why does it work?

The spiciness of thai curries can range from mild to nuclear.  The low bitterness of the Wit ensures that at no point up or down the spice scale will the beer accentuate the heat or provide any aggravation.  

Thai red curries are a complex flavour mix of lemongrass, makrut lime (or lime zest in a pinch), fragrant cumin and coriander seed, and pungent ginger, garlic and shallots, all rounded out by smooth, soft, and slightly sweet coconut milk. Belgian Wit with its dried bitter orange and coriander is citrusy, perfumy, and floral, as well as having a slightly peppery phenolic yeast character.  

We are matching some synonymous flavours here. The coriander in both stands out as the most instinctive. The Citrus from the lemongrass and the lime leaf pairs with citrus from the dried bitter orange in the beer. Although we are talking about three different things all together, leaf, grass, and fruit peel, from three different species no less, they share many of the same terpenes and terpenoids and fit together quite nicely. Citrus can generally be grouped together rather harmoniously. Remember 5-Alive?  Finally the peppery phenols from the yeast complement the ginger and alliums nicely.  

The refreshing carbonation will scrub away the residual coconut fats, and the wheat sharpness will serve to refresh the palate.  

Alternatives

Don’t like Witbier, or can’t find it?  Weissbier will work as an understudy.  American IPA can work well too with one caveat. If your dish is spicy, high bitterness and or higher alcohol will only make it seem spicier. Look for specific hops where citrus is the dominant component of the aroma profile.  Citra, Magnum, Amarillo, Loral, Cascade are all good choices. If you can source something single hopped with Sabro, that citrus and coconut aroma will be magic with this dish. Most American hops will mention citrus in the aroma profile which can be confusing. Just look out for other aromas like berry or melon that might not work so well.  Again be conscious of the chili heat- bitterness issue.