[Brewtopia] Brewsletter: Beer and Cheese Ideas
- From: Owen Ogletree <brew@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: brewtopia@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 08 Mar 2002 19:23:59 -0500
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BREWTOPIA EVENTS EMAIL BREWSLETTER
08 March 2002
From: Owen Ogletree
http://www.ClassicCityBrew.com
phone 706.254.BREW
CLASSIC CITY BREW FEST REMINDER
Don't you dare miss our 7th annual Brew Fest coming to Athens, GA on
Saturday, April 6 from 2:30 to 7 PM. 160 of some of the best beers in the
world will be available for open tasting -- along with live New Orleans
music from Rockin' Jake! To BUY TICKETS ONLINE and/or get more
information, simply click on...
http://www.negia.net/~brew/brewfest.html
BEER AND CHEESE PAIRING IDEAS FROM OWEN
Beer works well with cheese. The carbonation and elegant maltiness of a
fine beer compliment the creamy texture and thick mouthfeel of cheese. The
biased opinion that wine goes best with cheese is simply not true. Wine is
very acidic with cheese -- it quickly washes the cheese coating (and
flavor) off the tongue. Beer nurtures the flavors of the cheese in the
mouth, thus producing quite an interesting array of remarkable combinations.
How does one begin to choose a beer to pair with a cheese? There are
several lines of thought here. A beer that is lighter in body and flavor
would be a perfect marriage to a mild, mellow cheese; and, conversely, a
dark, rich ale would stand up well to a heavier, more pungent cheese. Many
people prefer their beer and cheese to have similar flavors, while others
look for more contrast to keep the taste buds at attention. Beer and cheese
from the same country also tend to work well together. If it is popular to
have a certain style of wine with a certain type of cheese, give some
thought to which beer may be a close approximation to that wine. With beer
and cheese, experimentation is most of the fun.
· Try a Pilsner Urquell with a mellow white Cheddar cheese. These
two compliment each other so well and produce a beautiful blend of mild,
butter-like flavors in the mouth. It makes sense that the Pilsner style
lager that is so popular around the world would go so well with one of the
world's most well known lighter cheeses.
· Asiago is a wonderful cheese that is experiencing new notoriety in
cooking circles. Asiago is a semifirm Italian cow's milk cheese that
exhibits a somewhat nutty flavor. Nibble on some Asiago while sipping a
nut brown ale for a smooth, nutty flavor blend that is close to
perfection. Some Asiago can be quite sharp with its strong aroma and
flavor; the malty brown ale tends to mellow the cheese.
· A malty beer would also be tasty with a bit of Gruyere. Gruyere is
a creamy, unpasteurized cheese from Switzerland with a flavor that tends to
start out somewhat light and fruity and end up nutty and earthy. A malty
Bock, Munich Dunkel, or Oktoberfest would be a great beer match to the rich
flavor of this cheese.
· The hop flavor and bitterness of a classic pale ale tends to be
enhanced by the smooth flavor and somewhat bread-like texture of
Provolone. Provolone is a semi-hard, all purpose cheese that can be quite
mild when young and more sharp, smoky, and spicy when aged. Cabernet
Sauvignon wine is often served with Provolone, and many would consider the
dryness and bitterness of a good pale ale to be reminiscent of a Cabernet.
· If the floral, fruity flavors of a Chardonnay cleanse the palate
after a taste of rich Brie or Camembert cheese, it follows that a German
kolsch, Belgian blond ale, or French Biere de Garde would accomplish the
same thing. These pale beers have mild to moderate fruity esters produced
by their yeast that are in lovely opposition to the thick, rich, pungent
nature of French Brie. Brie, considered to be a nice dessert cheese, can
also go quite well with a stout.
· Banon is a French goat's milk cheese that is wrapped, cured, and
served in chestnut leaves; it is sometimes washed in Cognac. Banon has a
mild, citrus flavor and a herbal, earthy character from the influence of
the leaves. The malty, butterscotch flavors of a Scottish ale make a
fantastic compliment to this cheese. Banon, often difficult to find in
local cheese shops, can be ordered from some gourmet sites on the internet
and ships fairly well.
· Don Feinberg of Vanberg and DeWulf Importers and Brewery Ommegang
in New York is very correct in recommending the ruby red, tart Rodenbach
Red Ale with a fine French Munster cheese. Rodenbach has flavors of wine,
cherries, oak, and sherry and is a wonderfully complex beer that makes a
perfect contrast to the mild, creamy cheese. Munster forms a mellow
background that allows the intense flavors of the red ale to be appreciated.
· Some beer and cheese combinations can be very obvious. The flavors
of Chimay Grand Reserve Trappist Ale and Chimay Trappist Cheese together in
the mouth are inspiring enough to almost make one want to become a
monk. This creamy cheese is actually washed in the Chimay beer, and
together the cheese and beer reach a new level of flavor and
complexity. The flavors of this combination explode with undertones of
fruit, nuts, allspice, clove, and other earthy qualities.
· Since herbal Sauvignon Blanc wines are often favored with a Chevre
goat cheese, try a tart, refreshing beer (perhaps with some wheat
character) with this cheese. Chevre boasts a tart, earthy character that
matches well with a sour Belgian Gueuze Lambic such as Boon, Cantillon, or
Cuvee Rene from Lindemans. These Lambics have a complex barnyard
earthiness that makes a nice counterpart to similar flavors in the cheese.
· What could be better than a dry, spicy, mineral-like India Pale Ale
with a dry, spicy, salty Parmigiano Reggiano? Be sure to choose authentic
Italian Parmigiano that is an unpasteurized, hard cheese made from skimmed
cow's milk. The aroma of this cheese is fruity and the flavor is
definitely piquant. A chunk of this noble cheese and the hop bitterness
and flavor of a fresh IPA make for a superb summer combination.
· Mascarpone is a very creamy, buttery Italian soft cheese made in
much the same way as yogurt. It is added to desserts and flavored with
other ingredients or spread on toast. Mix a bit of chocolate syrup,
molasses, or maple syrup with the Mascarpone, spread it on bread or a
cracker, and eat it along with a porter or stout. The chocolate and coffee
flavors of the dark beer with the cheese will seem like chocolate cream pie
on the tongue.
· If a rich Port wine is needed to stand up to the intense flavors of
English Stilton cheese, then a barley wine should also do the job. Stilton
is a ripened, crumbly blue cheese with blue veins of sharp mold running
throughout. Roquefort and Gorgonzola are similar. The plum, raisin,
toffee, and heavy malt components of a fine English barley wine meld into
an extravagant symphony with these cheeses. Be sure to save this
combination until last (to spare the tastebuds) if sampling several beers
and cheeses in one sitting.
Experiment with different beers and cheeses and find complex, unified
combinations that suit your palate. Search out top quality cheeses that
are authentic from their countries of origin and pair them with fresh,
craft brewed beers. Have some friends over for a beer and cheese tasting
of your own. Some people may have a "wine and cheese bias"and can be a bit
skeptical; but it is almost guaranteed that, after sampling these fine
brews and elegant cheeses, any bias will crumble.
______________________
To UNsubscribe to this Brewsletter, please send an email to
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To contact Owen, send an email to brew@xxxxxxxxx .
That's about all for now. Take care and remember to always drink responsibly
and support homebrewing and craft-brewed beers whenever possible! (Owen
Ogletree is an Athens, Georgia certified beer judge, beer traveler, homebrewer,
and director of Brewtopia Events, the Classic City Brew Fest, and the Oconee
Fall Wine Fest. Feel free to email Owen at brew@xxxxxxxxx with any questions or
comments.) THANKS!
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