What Beer Goes with Empanadas: Sydney Guide

What beer goes with empanadas?

The short answer: a cold, dry, lightly bitter beer with enough carbonation to scrub the palate between bites. Argentinian empanadas have a buttery, golden pastry shell and a generously seasoned filling. You want a beer that refreshes without competing.

Across the five Argentum flavours, four beer styles do most of the work: pale lager (the everyday Argentinian pour), pale ale (hoppy, citrus-led), wheat beer (soft, spice-friendly), and amber or brown ale (malt-forward). Stouts overwhelm. Very sweet beers clash with the savoury crust. For a mixed box, a clean lager or sessionable pale ale will see you through.

Is Quilmes the right Argentinian beer?

Quilmes is Argentina's most famous beer. It's a pale lager: crisp, light, around 4.9 percent, with a clean malt backbone and just enough hop bitterness to balance. In Argentina, Quilmes is the default beer at a parrilla (grill), a football match, or a Sunday family lunch with empanadas on the table.

So yes, Quilmes works, particularly with the Carnivore and the Classic, where you want a beer that gets out of the way. It's also the most authentically Argentinian pairing you'll drink in Sydney.

That said, Quilmes is a mass-market lager. The Argentinian craft beer scene has been growing fast in Buenos Aires and Bariloche, but Argentinian craft is hard to find here. For weekly pairings, a Sydney-brewed pale ale or IPA is the practical substitute.

What beer pairs with the Carnivore (beef)?

The Carnivore is Argentum's flagship beef empanada: slow-cooked beef, hard-boiled egg, sweet onion, in a golden crust. No olives. The most traditional flavour, closest to a Buenos Aires panaderia.

The match is pale lager. A Quilmes-style, Mexican-style, or clean Sydney lager all work. Carbonation cuts the beef richness, the malt complements the sweet onion, and the dry finish keeps the pastry feeling light. For a step up, try a Vienna lager or a Mexican-style amber: the toastier malt picks up on the slow-cooked beef. Avoid heavy stouts.

What beer pairs with the Athlete (chicken + curry)?

The Athlete is Argentum's most unusual flavour: chicken, mild curry spice, green olives, and a high-protein profile that earned the name. The curry isn't fiery but it's present; the green olives bring a briny lift.

The match is wheat beer. A Belgian witbier (coriander, orange peel) or a German hefeweizen (banana, clove) both have the soft mouthfeel and gentle spice that mirror the curry. Wheat beers also handle salt well, which suits the olives. A second option: session IPA, bright and citrus-forward. Avoid heavy IPAs over 6 percent; the alcohol heat compounds the curry warmth.

What beer pairs with the Classic (cheese)?

The Classic is Argentum's cheese empanada: a melted blend with a soft, slightly sweet finish. The lightest filling in the range and the most flexible at the table.

The match is pale ale. A West Coast pale ale (citrus, pine, dry finish) cuts the cheese fat and lifts the pastry. An English-style pale ale (more malt, gentler hops) works if you want something quieter. If you're serving the Classic as part of a Chef's Box, a pilsner is the safe call. Save IPAs and sours for stronger fillings.

What beer pairs with the Patagonia (vegan)?

The Patagonia is Argentum's vegan empanada: roasted vegetables, herbs, and a plant-based filling that holds its own next to the meat options. The lightest flavour aromatically, which means the beer has more room to lead.

The match is a saison or a fruited sour. Saisons (Belgian farmhouse ales) have a peppery, dry, earthy profile that mirrors the roasted herbs. Sours bring brightness that lifts vegetables. If sour or saison isn't your scene, a Belgian blonde or a kolsch are the friendliest fallbacks. Avoid heavy IPAs and stouts.

What beer pairs with Habibi Yalla (Middle Eastern beef)?

Habibi Yalla is Argentum's Middle Eastern beef empanada: spiced beef with warm cumin, coriander, and a slight sweetness that nods to Pedro's Lebanese-Argentinian heritage. The most aromatic flavour in the range.

The match is an amber ale or a brown ale. Toasted malt complements the warm spice. Slight caramel sweetness picks up on the cumin. A nut-brown ale or Vienna lager both work. For a more adventurous match, try a Belgian dubbel. Order the Habibi Yalla pack of 12 to test pairings at a dinner.

Quick reference: Argentum flavour to beer style

Where do I get Argentinian beer in Sydney?

Quilmes shows up in major bottle shops and a growing number of Latin American grocers across Sydney. Stock comes and goes. If you can't find it, ask the shop to order it in, or substitute a clean Mexican-style or Australian-brewed pale lager. The pairing logic is the same: dry, crisp, well-carbonated, light enough to stay out of the way.

For craft beer with empanadas, Sydney's brewery taprooms across the Inner West, the Eastern Suburbs, and the Northern Beaches all carry pale ales, lagers, and IPAs that match the flavours above. A six-pack from a local brewery plus a box of Argentum is the easiest dinner you'll throw all year.

If you're catering a larger event and want help matching beer to a mixed Argentum order, get in touch and we'll send a pairing sheet you can print and slot next to the empanadas.

The Argentinian beer and football connection

Beer and empanadas, in Argentina, almost always come with football on in the background. The two foods that show up at every match-day asado: empanadas and choripan. The beer is usually Quilmes. We've written more about that culture in our Argentinian football food culture guide if you want the wider context.

If you'd rather drink wine

Beer is the Argentinian everyday pairing. Wine is the Argentinian Sunday-lunch pairing. Both work. If you want the wine version of this guide, we cover it in detail in What wine goes with empanadas and our deeper Malbec pairing guide for Sydney. For the broader context on Argentinian dining culture in Sydney, our Argentinian food in Sydney guide pulls it all together.

Frequently asked questions