Looking for the best beer and cheese pairing?
Then this guide is made for you. After a lot of research we have decided to provide you with a complete guide to beer and cheese pairings.
The idea is to provide you with a real comprehensive guide so that you can choose your beers and pair them cheese you have.
Therefore we will explain not only what the different types of cheese are but also which beer to pair with them.
For this guide to beer and cheese pairings we have decided to divide the article by type of cheese. Therefore we will give you all the secrets to pair beers with the following types of cheese :
– Soft cheese with a flowery rind (Brie, Camembert, Chaource…)
– Soft cheese with washed rind (Epoisse, Mont d’or, Munster…)
– Cooked pressed cheese (Pecorino, Comté, Swiss Gruyère…)
– Uncooked pressed cheese (Cantal, Cheddar, Mimolette…)
– Blue-veined cheese (Blue, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, stilton…)
– Goat’s cheese (Chabichou, Charolais…)
– Fresh cheese (Saint-Marcellin, Saint Félicien…)
Finally, we will end this guide with beer and cheese tasting tips. You will leave fully armed for your tasting and probably a little hungry!
Sommaire
Beer and cheese pairing for soft cheeses with a flowery rind
What is a soft cheese with a flowery rind?
Soft cheese with a flowery rind is made from cow’s milk.
In visual terms it has a white rind. This is the result of a rapid ageing process of about a month.
On the inside it is a soft and firm cheese, generally white or even yellow in colour, as is the case with Camembert de Normandie for example.
Examples of a soft cheese with a flowery rind :
– Brie from Meaux
– Brie de Melun
– Brillat Savarin
– Camembert
– Chaource
– Coulom trees
– Jolirond (cheese made in the north of France)
– Le Neufchatel
Which beer and cheese pairing for a soft cheese with a flowery rind?
As you will see in this article we will always offer you different possibilities to combine your beers and cheeses. In the case of a soft cheese tasting with a flowery rind we offer you the following beers:
Option 1:
A lager or lager-type bottom-fermented lager. These beers are rather light in the mouth and will reveal the aromas of soft cheeses with a bloomy rind.
Cheeses such as Chaource or Brie will go very well with a low fermentation beer.
A lager with will also be a good match.
Option 2:
An amber beer with character will also go very well with a low fermentation beer. The spicy flavours and the body of the beer will go particularly well with a Camembert.
Option 3 :
Finally, a spontaneously fermenting beer such as a gueuze can also be an option.
Example of an agreement for soft cheeses with a flowery rind
Examples of beer pairing for soft cheeses with a flowery rind :
This mixed case of lager beer will be perfect to pair with soft cheese. You’ll find a range of different lager beers from all the world. That’ll be perfect to pair with those cheese.
Beer beer and cheese pairing for soft cheeses with washed rind
What is a soft cheese with a washed rind?
Like the previous one, the soft cheese with washed rind is made from cow’s milk. During its manufacture, it is not heated or pressed.
They are cheeses with an orange-coloured rind. Like soft cheeses with a bloomy rind, they are usually melted inside.
On the inside it is a soft and firm cheese, generally white or even yellow in colour, as is the case with Camembert de Normandie for example.
Examples of soft cheese with washed rind :
– Munster
– Taleggio
– Reblochon
– Bishop’s Bridge
– Old Lille
– maroilles
– Langres
– Livarot
– Golden Mount
– The Era
Which beer and cheese pairing with a soft cheese with a washed rind?
In the case of a soft cheese with a washed rind, we advise you to pair them with beers that are rather strong in alcohol to counterbalance the taste.
Option 1 :
Brown beer strong in alcohol and taste. One can think of Trappist beers, Barley wine, imperial stout. Beers aged in casks can also be very suitable.
Option 2 :
A strong-tasting lager such as a Trappist lager or a triple.
Option 3 :
Amber beer may be a good option as well.
Examples of a beer-cheese pairing for soft cheeses with washed rind :
This mixed case of trappist beer will be perfect to pair with soft cheese with washed rind. You’ll find a range of different trappist beers from all the world. That’ll be perfect to pair with those cheese.
Beer Pairing for pressed cooked cheeses
What is a cooked pressed cheese?
Yet another type of cheese! Cooked pressed cheeses are cheeses obtained from curdled milk that is heated at a high temperature.
These cheeses are then aged for several months before being marketed.
Examples of cooked pressed cheese :
– Comté
– Pecorino (Sardinian sheep cheese)
– The Etivaz
– Swiss Gruyère
– Abundance
– The Beaufort
Which cheese and beer pairing for a cooked pressed cheese?
With these cheeses you can combine pale ale beers with beautiful flavours and body!
Above all, you will have to pay attention to the maturing time of the cheese as the taste will be deeply altered. Indeed if you take a Comté aged 6 months you will have to associate it with a different beer than a Comté aged 36 months.
As a reminder, maturing is the period of time during which the cheese remains to be aged in a cellar.
This mixed case of IPAs will be perfect to pair with pressed cooked cheeses. You’ll find a range of different India Pale Ale. That’ll be perfect to pair with those cheese.
Beer and cheese Pairing for uncooked pressed cheeses
What is an uncooked pressed cheese?
Unlike cooked pressed cheeses, uncooked pressed cheeses have not been heated as their name suggests!
Therefore you will be faced with cheeses that are richer in water since the water has not been evaporated during cheese preparation.
Examples of uncooked pressed cheese :
– Cantal
– Cheddar
– Gouda
– Luzenac
– Fontina
– Farm raclette
– Saint Nectaire
– Goat’s cheese tomme
Which beers for an uncooked pressed cheese?
Amber beers are, in our opinion, the beers that go best with pressed uncooked cheese
This mixed case of belgian beer will be perfect to pair with uncooked pressed cheeses. You’ll find a range of different belgian beer like Leffe or Kwak. That’ll be perfect to pair with those cheese.
Beer pairing for blue-veined cheeses
What is a blue-veined cheese?
Blue-veined cheese simply means that blue or green mould is added to the paste to make it more marbled.
Cheeses such as blue or Roquefort are therefore blue-veined cheeses.
Examples of blue-veined cheese :
– Blue cheeses (Bleu du Vercors, Bleu d’Auvergne, Bleu des Causses and many others)
– Ambert’s oven
– Gorgonzola
– Roquefort
– Blue stilton
Which beers for a blue-veined cheese?
You’ve guessed it, you’re on acreage cheeses and very strong in flavour. To counterbalance this, you will need a strong and powerful beer with a strong taste.
Different possibilities are available to you:
– A strong, syrupy amber beer
– IPA Beer
– Barley Wine
This mixed case of IPAs will be perfect to pair with blue-veined cheese. You’ll find a range of different India Pale Ale. That’ll be perfect to pair with those cheese.
Goat’s cheese beer pairing
What is a goat’s cheese?
It is probably the cheese on this list that is the easiest to define! First of all because the name very clearly indicates that it is cheese made from goat’s milk.
Examples of goat’s cheese :
– Chabichou
– Charolais
– White square
– Crottin de Chavignol
– Tomme de chèvre
Which beers for a goat’s cheese?
As before, different beers can be served with goat’s cheese. However, it should be kept in mind that goat cheeses are light in taste and rather mild.
Therefore think about pairing them with light beers as we suggest below:
– A white beer of Belgian type (witbier). The sweetness of the beer and the tangy notes will make it a perfect goat cheese beer match.
– A pale ale or lager type lager can also go well with these beers.
This mixed case of lager beer will be perfect to pair with soft cheese. You’ll find a range of different lager beers from all the world. That’ll be perfect to pair with those cheese.
Beer and cream cheese pairings
What is a cream cheese?
To conclude a last type of cheese and beer-cheese pairing: fromage frais.
These are cheeses that have not been drained and not matured. They have a very mild taste.
Examples of cream cheese :
– Saint Marcelin’s Day
– Saint-Félicien
Which beers for a cream cheese?
– A white beer (witbier or Hefeweizen) with floral aromas will be ideal for fromage frais.
– A weisse berliner or a slightly acidic beer may also be an option. Be careful, however, with certain beers whose acidity is a little too strong, which could spoil the flavors of the fromage frais!
Tasting advice for a beer and cheese pairing evening
Like a proper beer tasting, a beer and cheese tasting requires a little preparation!
Here are a few tips:
First of all, don’t forget to start your tasting with the mildest beer and cheese combinations. Indeed, if you start by tasting a blue cheese your palate will be ankylosed and a goat’s cheese will probably have little flavour. Therefore start with fresh or goat’s cheese before going up the range.
Allow 150 grams of cheese per person to ensure that your guests will have enough to eat!
Finally, don’t serve beer too cold. The flavours may be too strong and spoil the taste of the cheese. Don’t forget that the aim is to highlight both products!
We are nearing the end of this complete guide to beer and cheese pairings. Beer goes wonderfully well with cheese and we have tried to provide you with the most detailed and organised guide possible!
Conclusion
A few simple concepts to remember :
– Mild beers (white and light lager) go wonderfully well with mild cheeses (goat’s cheese and fromage frais).
– Stronger beers (barley wine, brown) will be perfect to counterbalance the aromas of strong cheeses (blue, roquefort, munster).
– Don’t forget to pay attention to the maturing time for cooked and uncooked pressed cheeses (Comté, Cantal…). Indeed you will not marry these cheeses with the same beers!
To conclude, we have tried to offer you beer-cheese pairings with beers available online! Indeed we wanted to allow you to find the beers easily. However, many other combinations are possible and don’t be afraid to experiment!
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