Cheese and Beer Pairing

It’s the season for giving, but also – and more importantly – it’s the season for eating and drinking. Office party to organise? Quiet get-together at yours with friends? Or simply looking to spend a nice night in watching a film? One of the simplest snacks to prepare is cheese, and while most people tend to go for the classic wine-cheese combination, beer is a slightly less conventional but just as tasty pairing that doesn’t get nearly enough credit.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few pairing options for cheese and beer that are sure to make for a delicious night!

For light cheeses, like a Chèvre (French goat’s cheese), go with a nice light beer, for example Three Boys Pils (5.5%) in a can. Brewed in Christchurch, NZ, this beer boasts a crisp, clean flavour, distinctive yet subtle, with only a slight bitterness that won’t compete with this cheese, whose strength is also its subtlety.

A heavily aged Gouda, rich and nutty, will fit perfectly with something malty and amber, something overwhelmingly English in style. Harbour Amber Ale (4.4%) is just the ticket. Caramel and sweet toffee flavours come through from the malt to perfectly complement the rich caramel-like characteristics in the cheese. With a mild floral finish, this is one truly sweet combination!

Blue cheeses go great with beer. Choose a strong, bold cheese like Roquefort and put it alongside an insanely bitter hoppy American IPA for an ultimate clash of the titans. Firestone Walker’s  9.5% Double Jack would be a great choice here; this is a dry, tropical tasting beer with a citrusy finish that will collide nicely with a cheese as naturally loud as blue cheese.