Cheese and Beer Pairing List

Oh, cheese and beer, something that goes so well together! If you are looking for a great snack to go with your beer, you need to find some great cheeses. There are all kinds of cheeses that can be paired with beers that are from all around the world. So, let’s take a look at some of the most popular pairings and find a great snack to go with that cool, refreshing beer.

Why Pair Beer and Cheese?

Beer and cheese are basically the ultimate complimentary pair of each other. They basically started the same if you think about it. The same grain that is used to brew the beer was probably used to feed the cow that produced the milk that made the cheese. Or, you can take it this way; beer and cheese have a lot of the same flavors: earthy, musty, yeasty, fruity, rich, floral, and the list can go on and on. All over the world they pair great beer with great cheeses.

Mellow Cheddar Cheeses

For the mellow cheddar cheeses, so the mild cheddars and fresh cheese curds, you want to pair that with a great Pilsner-style lager. A lager is a bottom fermented beer that sits for a long period of time, generally six to ten weeks and has higher alcohol content.

Sharp Cheddar Cheeses

For the sharp cheddar cheese, like the extra sharp, even super sharp cheddar, and just the sharp cheddar, you want to pair those with a Pale Ale or an IPA. A Pale Ale generally has a lot of hops in it. If you are looking for a Pale Ale at the liquor store, just look for anything with the IPA label.

Mozzarella Cheeses

For the “fresher” cheeses like mozzarella, you want to pair that with a very light beer. In that sense, you want to try a fruit beer or a wheat beer. For wheat beer, try a Hefeweizen or a Witbier. You also can try something like a Cherry Wheat beer which will be a great pairing.

Gouda Cheeses

The gouda cheeses need to be paired with amber ales or nut-brown ales and porters. For amber ales, try the Alaskan Amber ale if you are in the area, or look for a great nut-brown ale like a Magic Hat.

Swiss Cheese

The Swiss cheeses go best with the bock beer, the brown ales, or the Oktoberfest beers. For them, you want something that is a little darker and a little heavier since this is such a light cheese. Check out the line of Oktoberfest beers that Sam Adams offers.

-Written by Viktoria Carella