Beer and cheese pairings are getting more and more press these days, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. They’re a natural pairing, and how can you be upset when you’re noshing cheese and sipping a great beer? Perhaps no one understands this better than Steve Jones of Portland, Oregeon’s Cheese Bar, a shop that sells cheese and the beers that complement it. Read his pairing tips below on Serious Eats.
The three aspects I try to think about when pairing beer with cheese are Comparative, Contrasting, and Regional. Comparative, I’m hitting acid with acid. Contrasting, I’m hitting that big chocolate stout with a fat, creamy cheese. And Regional, it goes back to the phrase “If it grows together it goes together,” and that’s quite often true, especially with cheese and beer. The closer a cheesemaker and brewer are, the more their matches seem to work. It’s really odd, but you see it again and again.
Photo by Adam Lindsley
Rebecca Haley-Park
Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.
