These New Takes on Pretzels are an Ideal Match for Beer

For once, it’s OK to get twisted. Beer’s most iconic partner in debauchery is getting a much-needed makeover by chefs who understand the pretzel is your best friend during a solid night of drinking.

Some chefs are experimenting with flours, yeasts and grains, like at Beardslee Public House in Bothell, Wash., where Chef/Owner John Howie gives spent brewing grains from the brewery’s in-house beers a second...