These five spring pairings for cheese are cocktail-themed and ready for patio season.
Notice crocuses blooming? That’s a sign that it’s time to swap winter cheese plate pairings for spring ones. Break out anything in your wardrobe resembling florals (even if they’re not groundbreaking) and enjoy a picnic with something bubbly to sip.
Below are four must-have products for emerging from winter and their respective pairings, with cocktail-inspired twists.
Photo courtesy of Forever Cheese Co.
1. Mitica’s Piri Piri Cocktail Snack Mix hails from Spain but is inspired by Portugal. Peanuts, cashews, rice crisps, fava beans, and fried corn are doused in a smoky, spicy piri piri powder. The mix skews mostly savory, but the corn provides a touch of sweetness.
Pair with a Greek Feta, such as Mt. Vikos Traditional Feta, made from a blend of sheep and goat’s milk, and perhaps a wine spritzer or crushable pet-nat. Then, close your eyes and imagine you’re sunbathing on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Cured.
2. Martinis are having a moment. So, naturally, Brooklyn Cured added a Dirty Martini Salami to its cocktail-inspired lineup, which includes the artisanal brand’s takes on the Old Fashioned and margaritas.
The Dirty Martini Salami is made with Spanish olives and dry vermouth; on the palate, it’s like a porkier version of the classic drink.
Pair with Roth Cheese Canela, a Spanish-style cheese rubbed with cinnamon and paprika, and, of course, this salami’s namesake beverage.
Photo courtesy of Distillery 98.
3. You can’t make the aforementioned dirty martini without gin or vodka, and Half Shell Vodka by Distillery 98 is a great eco-friendly pick just in time for Earth Day.
This small-batch vodka, made with local ingredients from Florida’s Panhandle, is packaged in a 94-percent recycled paperboard bottle. Furthermore, Distillery 98 uses a coconut carbon and oyster shell filter to give this alcohol its signature smoothness.
I recommend making all of your future extra-dirty martinis with Half Shell.
Pair with the obligatory Brooklyn Cured’s Dirty Martini Salami and green olives stuffed with Great Hill Blue cheese for a briny, heavenly happy hour.
Photo courtesy of RedCamper.
4. RedCamper’s Bourbon Cocktail Cherries are the stuff of boozy dreams. With hints of vanilla and cardamom roaming on the tongue, combined with the taste of spring-verging-on-summer stone fruit, one could eat these cherries like candy.
They’re packed in a syrup that can (and should!) be used in your next Paper Plane or Manhattan.
Pair with my personal favorite right now: Nancy’s Hudson Valley Camembert by Old Chatham Creamery.
Photo courtesy of Murray’s Cheese.
5. Each bite of Rustic Bakery’s Chocolate Cacao Nib Shortbread is a little luxury with a buttery chocolate profile enhanced by savory sea salt. These cookies are made in the shape of flowers—a perfect item for winter-spring transitional plates in March.
Pair with a dollop of mascarpone from BelGioioso Cheese and, if you’re feeling extra, a dash of Just Date’s Pomegranate Syrup—a fitting, rich dessert and nightcap on its own.
Alana Pedalino
Alana Pedalino's work has been featured in Bon Appétit, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and The Buffalo News. She's currently serving as culture's social media manager. She loves to write poetry, cook spaghetti carbonara, and kayak. Follow her @APstyle on X. Read more by her at alanapedalino.com.
