A Perfect Match
While wine gets most attention, beer pairs brilliantly with cheese. The carbonation, bitterness, and variety of styles create pairing opportunities wine can't match.
Pairing Principles
Match intensity: Light beers with delicate cheeses, robust beers with bold cheeses.
Complement or contrast: Beer's bitterness can cut through rich cheese (contrast) or its malt sweetness can complement cheese's savory notes.
Consider carbonation: Bubbles cleanse the palate, making beer ideal with fatty, rich cheeses.
Classic Pairings
Fresh Chèvre + Saison: The farmhouse ale's spicy, citrus notes highlight goat cheese's tang while its light body doesn't overwhelm delicate flavors.
Aged Comté + Belgian Dubbel: The beer's dark fruit and caramel notes mirror the cheese's complexity. Both have similar nutty, sweet qualities.
Bloomy Rind + Champagne Beer: Light, effervescent beers cut through champenoise's richness perfectly.
Blue Cheese + Imperial Stout: Bold meets bold. The stout's coffee and chocolate notes complement blue cheese's intensity, while sweetness balances salt.
Washed Rind + IPA: Counterintuitive but brilliant. Hop bitterness tames pungent cheese while citrus notes add brightness.
Regional Logic
Like wine, regional pairings often work beautifully. Belgian cheeses with Belgian beers, British cheese with English ales — products from the same terroir often complement each other naturally.
