Beer & Cheese Pairing

Beer & Cheese Pairing

We are riding high after the success of our first Beer & Cheese Pairing Event!   Thanks to all of you that were able to join us on Feb 14th for this little flavour adventure, we hope you enjoyed it. 

A big thanks goes to Cultured Fine Cheese for all their cheese knowledge, passion and for just being the nicest people!  We are so lucky in Whitehorse to have this amazing ‘little’ shop that brings our community such joy!

 

Why pair beer with cheese or food at all, isn’t beer just for drinking? 

Don’t get us wrong, we mostly enjoy a good beer on its own; but we also know that good beer and good food can bring out the best in each other.  With the right beer pairing, the meal can be transformed and elevated to a whole new level of flavour experiences. Some beers provide a nice contrast to the dish with a balancing or cleansing effect.  While others may serve to enhance or highlight certain elements in the food and vice versa. 

 

Valentine's Day Pairing

We wanted to share the pairings from the event and encourage you to seek out the cheeses and the beers to try at home! 

Cultured Fine Cheese has provided great little write ups on each cheese, and we’ve followed up with why the chosen beer ‘works’ with the cheese.  Try it and let us know what you think!  Spoiler alert, the Reckless Abandon Double IPA with the clothbound cheddar was the favourite by far! 

TIPS FOR TASTING:

  • Let your cheese warm up to room temperature and make sure the beer is at the proper serving temperature.
  • Taste the beer and cheese on their own first.
  • Then take a small bite of cheese followed by a small sip of beer (or vice versa) and let the flavours mingle together.
  • Have water on hand and simple crackers or bread to help reset your palate between tastes.

 

1. Buchette aux Fleurs

Loire Valley, France

Milk/Animal: Pasteurized/Goat & Non-animal rennet

Cheese Notes: This bright little gem of delicate fresh goat’s milk, sprinkled with edible flowers, will charm, delight and entice! Light, lactic, crumbly yet creamy, the undertone of floral married with the mild goat notes, hits the perfect note!

Beer Pairing: Ptarmageddon Witbier 5.5%

This herbal and citrusy wheat beer complements the tangy acidity of the goat cheese. The higher carbonation or ‘effervescence’ of this beer also helps cut through the dense, creamy cheese like a knife.


 

2. Thea Clothbound Cheddar

Lindsay, Ontario

Milk/Animal: Pasteurized/Sheep & Non-animal rennet

Cheese Notes: Thea is made in the old-world way by wrapping the cheddar wheel with cheesecloth. Aged 9 months, Thea yields a woodsy and buttery aroma, and a sharp nutty profile with subtle caramel undertones. It has the sought-after crystallization of a well-aged cheddar with a firm but creamy texture.

Beer Pairing: Reckless Abandon DIPA 8.5%   Our boisterous double IPA packs a punch on its own, and can stand up to this robust, aged cheddar. The earthy clothbound cheese helps tease out the tropical hop notes in the beer, which pair beautifully with the subtle caramel sweetness of the cheese. The alcohol and carbonation in turn help cut through the rich flavours and creamy texture.

 

 

3. Old Amsterdam Gouda

The Netherlands

Milk/Animal: Pasteurized/Cow & Traditional rennet

Cheese Notes: Rich and sweet, salty and savoury, with assertive flavour notes of toasted caramel and a long-balanced finish. Dotted with plenty of small nuggets of protein crystals, which you know you love!

Beer Pairing: Erebus Imperial Stout 8.5% 

Make sure to let this beer warm up to cellar temperatue ~12 C to get the most flavour (take it out the fridge 30 minutes before serving). The sweet and salty gouda helps to tame the bitterness from this roasty stout, and in turn lets the sweeter notes shine in both the beer and cheese, rounding out the sharp edges.

 

4. Cows Creamery Blue Moo

Charlottetown, PEI

Milk/Animal: Pasteurized/Cow & Non-animal rennet

Cheese Notes: This is an easy to love triple cream blue cheese. A perfect introductory blue to woo, and certainly for those true to blue, you will not be disappointed! Rich, and tangy, dense and creamy, it has a smooth pleasing mouthfeel, almost melting.

Beer Pairing: Guilt Trip Barleywine 9 % 

Make sure to let this beer warm up to cellar temperatue ~12 C (take it out the fridge 30 minutes before serving) for best enjoyment.  Barleywines are the beer world’s answer to port and sherry, which classically pair with blue cheeses. The malty and fruity flavours in the beer complement the tangy nature of the cheese. The higher alcohol content warms you up while also helping cut through the saltiness and creaminess.  It’s a match made in heaven.