How To Pair Cheese And Beer

When it comes to cheese, one of the classic combinations is to find a cheese that you really enjoy and then search for a wine that brings out its flavor. This is great for snacking by yourself, having a romantic night with your loved one or even hosting a wine and cheese party. The problem for some people, however, is that wine can sometimes be expensive and that is why pairing nice cheeses with beer is becoming more and more common. Here are some things to keep in mind when making your pairings.

General Rules

As with pairing wine and cheese, there are some general guidelines to help you find the perfect combination of cheese and beer. If the cheese is mild, you should generally choose a mild beer and the same is true of any intensity so intense cheeses go well with intense beers as well. When analyzing your beer, consider how carbonated it is, what flavors have been added, how sweet the malt is and how bitter the hops are. You should consider the normal factors related to the cheese such as intensity, age and firmness.

Mild Cheddar 

Cheddar cheese is one of the best options when it comes to pairing cheese and beer because it is a classic combination and cheddar comes in so many different varieties. If you have a nice mild cheddar on hand, you should try pairing it with a brown ale as opposed to another beer. That is because the cheese will be nutty and have a sweet caramel flavor which goes well with the dark fruit and malt that you get in a nut brown ale.

Aged Swiss

Swiss cheese is another popular cheese that is widely available and although it is not available in as many varieties as cheddar, aged Swiss is still a classic option. Because aged Swiss tends to be dense and tangy, you should try pairing it with a Bock as these are strong, smooth and mellow. This will help balance out the intensity of the cheese.

Aged Gouda

Some people find it daunting to choose the right beer for an aged Gouda but their crunchy and butterscotch flavor actually helps them balance out a stout beer. That is because stouts can usually seem intense and tricky because of the black coffee flavor combined with deep-roasted caramel flavor. When paired with an aged Gouda, however, the flavor of a stout seems perfectly balanced.