| Is there really a season for beer? I certainly | | | | Cheese Type: Bloomy |
| enjoy beer year round but find myself opting for | | | | Encased in a whitish, edible rind, bloomy cheeses |
| a cold brew more often during warmer weather. | | | | are often velvety, gooey with a mild flavor. Add |
| This time of year seems to call for lighter and | | | | Brie, Camembert or Pierre-Robert to the cheese |
| more refreshing beverages but did you know | | | | board for a decadent treat. |
| beer just may be the better beverage choice to | | | | Peter's Picks: Pilsner, with its balanced flavor and |
| enjoy with gourmet cheese? | | | | mildly bitter finish, washes the palate of creamy, |
| Beer, like wine, has something in common with | | | | bloomy cheeses. Try Trumer Pils, Spaten Pils. |
| cheese. All of these products are pastoral and | | | | Cheese Type: Washed Rind |
| crafted using traditional methods that date back | | | | AKA "Stinky Cheeses". During the aging process, |
| centuries. Wine, beer and cheese speak of a | | | | washed-rind cheeses are usually bathed in a brine |
| particular culture, a place and a time. The | | | | or washed with liquor such as wine, beer or a |
| connection between beer and cheese is | | | | spirits. It's this brining process that gives the |
| particularly strong since the animals milked for | | | | cheese an aromatic quality. Almost all have orange |
| cheese ate the grains used for brewing beer. It's | | | | or reddish hued rinds. Not mild and not sharp, |
| possible that your nose and palate may pick up | | | | washed rind cheeses are full-flavored. Give |
| similar flavor profiles. Putting aside their natural | | | | Taleggio or Epoisses a taste. |
| affinity, perhaps the most important reason to | | | | Peter's Picks: India Pale Ale (Blind Pig IPA, Stone |
| pair beer with cheese is that the carbonation and | | | | IPA) and Belgian-style Dark Strong ales (Chimay |
| brisk qualities of beer refresh the mouth and | | | | Grande Reserve, Gouden Carolus Grand Cru of |
| wash away the tongue-coating richness of the | | | | the Emperor) have enough gusto to stand up to |
| cheese. Simply put, they taste good together. | | | | the power of these cheeses. |
| With the wide variety of domestic, imported, and | | | | Cheese Type: Aged, Hard Cheeses |
| craft beers now available, selecting the right one | | | | As cheeses matures, it hardens and concentrates |
| can be just as overwhelming as choosing an | | | | in flavor. Try our 3 Year Old Cheddar, Aged |
| appropriate wine. Fortunately, we have teamed | | | | Gouda and Piave. |
| up with Peter Estaniel, founder of Better Beer | | | | Peter's Picks: A pint of English ale (Samuel Smith's |
| Blog ( to give us an assist. Take a look at our | | | | Nut Brown Ale, Newcastle Brown Ale) is the |
| Gourmet Cheese and Beer Pairing Guide for | | | | traditional beverage of choice for Cheddar. The |
| Peter's recommendations for your next gourmet | | | | nutty and caramelized flavors of aged Gouda and |
| cheese and BEER tasting. | | | | Piave match well with brown ales, as well. |
| Cheese Type: Fresh | | | | Cheese Type: Blue |
| Fresh cheeses are not aged and usually are white | | | | The bluish-green veins give blue cheese its punch. |
| and light in flavor, smooth and sometimes tangy. | | | | Listed from strong to strongest in pungency are |
| Try chevre (goat cheese), buffalo mozzarella or | | | | creamy Gorgonzola, nutty Stilton and salty |
| feta. | | | | Roquefort. |
| Peter's Picks: The light citrus character of White | | | | Peter's Picks: Intense cheeses like blues can be |
| Beers (Unibroue Blanche de Chambly, Wittekerke) | | | | tamed with sweet, fruity beers. For a unique |
| and Wheat Beers (Erdinger Weissbier, | | | | treat, try a raspberry flavored beer like Belgian |
| Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier) marries well with | | | | Lambic (Lindemans Framboise) with blue cheese |
| the lactic tang of fresh cheeses. | | | | for dessert. |