Beer: The quest for a perfect beer and food combination using big data, algorithms and contextual consumer product testing (virtual reality)

This paper reports the findings of a study by beer brand Heineken exploring whether beer-food pairings, as predicted by big data machine-learning algorithms, are successful when tasted by real consumers in France and the US.

Introduction

The beer category is upgrading, with especially craft beers becoming increasingly popular (Martens, 2012). Next to this increase, the beer industry is continuously focusing on how to keep their relevance for consumers in the future as well. One opportunity lies in the field of beer-food pairing. Traditionally, beer does not have a prominent role in occasions where foods are combined with drinks, especially not in restaurants. Wine is taking the lead in these important alcoholic consumption occasions. This creates an opportunity for brewers to play in a field where they are not yet well represented. Moreover, when studying such...

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