The versatility of beer when it comes to food pairings is virtually endless. This is evident from the countless combinations we create every day at the bar or at home with all sorts of tapas and snacks, always with excellent results.
However, there is one food that we still don't commonly pair with beer, and that is cheese. Despite our love for beer, we must admit that the first choice for enjoying a gourmet cheese experience is usually wine.
On the other hand, when we think about having a beer in Spain, it is still rare for us to consider the many styles of this delightful drink, each varying in aroma, flavour, colour, carbonation, body and alcohol content. If we limit ourselves to the single option of golden lager, it’s understandable that we might not approach cheese and beer pairings with much enthusiasm, as this style may not be the most suitable for many of our popular cheeses.
However, thanks to the vast array of beer styles available, there are excellent beer options to pair with any type of cheese. Before delving into specific pairings, it’s important to know that both products share some of their production processes, which creates a sensory affinity between them. Both beers and cheeses result from fermentation and can have various degrees of intensity and maturation.
The key to their harmony lies mainly in what sets them apart: cheese is typically a fatty food, which leaves a creamy texture in the mouth. This texture finds its perfect counterpoint in the carbonation and bitterness of beer.
You may be familiar with the popular expression ‘que no te la den con queso’ (don’t let them trick you with cheese), which seems to originate from an old trick used by unscrupulous wine merchants to sell dubious-quality wines. This trick involved offering a piece of cheese during a wine tasting. The strong flavour of the cheese and the greasy residue it left on the taste buds masked the flaws of those mediocre wines, making them easier to sell and drink. With beer, however, this trick wouldn’t work as effectively, since its carbonation and bitterness provide a cleansing effect on the palate that diminishes the impact of the cheese’s fat on the sensory perception of the drink.
Now, let’s delve into specific pairings. As always, the key to success is choosing the right beer to complement a particular cheese. Here are some recommendations to get you started on these harmonious combinations, which we are sure will pleasantly surprise you and open the door to many more explorations:
- Goat cheeses with sour beers > Goat cheeses often have a hint of acidity that pairs well with beers featuring similar flavours, such as Belgian wheat beers or even spontaneously fermented beers if the cheese is particularly strong.
- Aged cow and sheep cheeses with malty beers > The flavours from the ageing process usually have musky notes and hints of toffee or nuts, which pair perfectly with beers dominated by roasted malts, and those with a certain body and alcohol content.
- Blue cheeses with IPA or Sout beers > The fungal and slightly spicy notes of blue cheeses contrast well with the fresh and fruity characteristics of IPAs and the bitterness of their hops, creating a surprising and complementary pairing. These cheeses also work pleasantly with dark and intense beers like Stouts. These cheeses also go very well with dark, intense beers such as Stouts.
Cheers!
