This blog post is brought to you by curdbox, our monthly cheese + pairing subscription service. Want to join our merry band of cheese lovers? Head on over to our subscription page to sign up for your monthly box!
As much as we like wine and cocktails (and oh, we do), there are times when nothing hits the spot like a cold beer. Our tasting team has been hard at work finding some amazing cheeses and pairings just for those moments, so read on for five ways you could go. And if you can't get your hand on any of these lovelies, we offer some suggestions for alternatives. As always, we encourage experimentation and exploration in your cheese (and beer!) journey.
Cheers!
SMOOTH AND SALTY
Allagash Barrel & Bean is a Tripel + cold brew, so you've get two sophisticated flavor profiles together in one bottle. We chose to highlight the beer's sweet and bitter notes with a creamy and salty Stilton (you'll have no trouble finding this classic!) and Only Child Chocolate's Rosemary and Ginger Walk Into A Bar.
Other great substitutes:
- Any dark beer with coffee undertones or a strong Belgian Tripel
- A strong but creamy blue cheese (maybe a Bayley Hazen hmm?)
- A chocolate bar with candied ginger
HOT AND FUNKY
Troegs Troegenator Double Bock is the perfect foil to the serious funk of Meadow Creek Dairy's Grayson. And Sutter Buttes' Jalepeño Whiskey mustard is strong enough to stand up to the both of them, while bringing the heat, to boot.
Don't have those on hand? You could...
- Grab yourself a double bock and settle in for the night
- Swap in any creamy and funky cheese, such as Taleggio
- Add a spicy mustard that has a touch of sweetness (like that Fallot Honey Balsamic)
TIME TO WHIP
Southern Tiers Vanilla Whipp Milkshake IPA is like nothing else, and Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co's rustic Bay Blue picks up on the beer's creaminess and embraces the sweet saltiness of McCrea's Black Lava Salt caramels.
Can't find these exactly? No problem, just...
- Search high and low for a milkshake IPA
- Use any rustic blue cheese with a natural rind
- Buy any sea salt caramels with a little crunch of salt
FROLIC IN THE ORCHARD
Bantam Wunderkind American cider with a touch of orange blossom honey readies your palette for this taste duet of Orb Weaver's funky Frolic and Molinari Italian dry salami.
Or, you could give it a go with...
- Any bright and crisp cider
- Another creamy & funky cheese, like a Limburger
- Sea salt caramels with a little crunch of salt
THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY
If you really want to be over the moon, you'd pair Guinness' Over the Moon Milk Stout with the salty and Spanish goat blue Valdeón, Stone Hollow Farmstead's Dulce de Leche and the Fine Cheese Co's Cherry and Almond Toast for Cheese crackers.
Can't get those fellas? No sweat, here's another way to sky-high bliss:
- Grab yourself a delicious Milk Stout, then...
- Slice a hunk of goat's milk blue cheese, before you...
- Drizzle it with Dulce de Leche or caramel sauce, and...
- Place it all atop a crunchy nut and fruit laden toast
So now you have a handful of beers, ciders, cheeses and gourmet pairings that would impress anyone—it really makes you want to grab a beer, doesn't it? You go do that, and in the meantime, we'll busy ourselves with the next post in this beer series. Until then, bottoms up!
(Is beer and cheese your thing? Check out all our beer + cheese posts here.)
Click below to sign up for curdbox and 3 cheeses + 3 pairings every month—just add beer.
