Although cheap food and booze are often synonymous with college, effectively combining the two may be off most students’ radars.

For centuries, cultures around the world have based their cuisine around alcohol. By using local grapes and grains, many of the flavors found in wine and beer can be matched with various foods creating an experience that borders perfection. Whether it’s a wine that brings out the smoky and earthy tastes in a steak, or a beer that adds a subtle spiciness to a hamburger – it’s an ambiguous process.

“When you have a great match up with food and alcohol – especially wine and beer – it brings out great flavors in both,” said Roger Esser, manager and wine class instructor at Cyclone Liquors, 626 Lincoln Way.

As unmatchable as they seem, common college staples like ramen and pizza have several possibilities for enhancement.

“It’s all about the balance,” Esser said. “You want to match the intensity of the food with the body and weight of the drink.”

Some students might not match their alcohol because they prefer social drinking on the weekends. However, Esser believes the cause could also be inexperience.

“A lot of these students come from small-town environments where learning about the different aspects of wine and beer are not introduced,” Esser said.

Although lack of knowledge may be a hurdle, the acquired skill of being able to pair food and drink may just not be appealing.

“I think that the reason most students would rather go out and do a keg stand than just socialize over a few drinks is because of the attention. The whole time someone is doing the keg stand, all eyes are on them,” said Nickolas Sawyer, sophomore in agricultural studies.

The appeal of experimenting with different drinks may not be attractive to the masses, yet some students are taking what they have learned and looking toward the future.

“I’ve bought wine specifically to pair with a meal or just to cook with,” said Beau Johnson, senior in landscape architecture. “I like to look at it as a skill to have for the future, because I think that there will be instances that I run into where having that knowledge will be needed.”

The ability to couple food and alcohol can be a lifelong pursuit, Esser said, but anyone can get started any time – all it takes is some experimentation.