Morten Ibsen, brewmaster at the Jacobsen Brewery, believes it’s a much better combination. And as the man behind Semper Ardens Christmas Ale, that has to be his recommendation.
"Its complex fruity and spicy flavours go really well with the traditional Danish Christmas dinner of goose and duck," he says. "It has lots of body and, at 8.3% ABV, the strength to match the rich flavours and the sparkle to clean the palate.
"It’s also much better with red cabbage than red wine, where the sweet sour flavours of the cabbage can really clash with the acidity of the wine." 
Dark lagers also go well with roast meat – especially pork. "The caramel flavours go well with the caramelised surface that develops on the meat during roasting," he says. "Pork’s quite rich, so it needs a stronger beer with higher alcohol to help offset the fat."
If you want to cook with beer, then Morten has an important tip.
"Just add a little beer to the dish or make sure you boil it for at least 3 hours. If you add a lot of beer and only boil it for a short time, it can become very bitter."