You may have guessed that I love beer. But I’m also an unashamed lover of all things cheese. So for me, combining the two is perhaps one of life’s great pleasures. It’s also a lot better than the popular pairing of wine and fromage. Frankly, it’s baffling that beer isn’t the automatic go-to when deciding what to drink with your latest cheddar, mozzarella, or brie purchase.

Sure, there are tons of wine and cheese parties going on…well, everywhere. But that’s only because winemakers have done a much better job of marketing the idea than brewers. I’ve spoken to seasoned sommeliers who agree that the best thing a cheese can do is stay out of the way, especially with red varieties. And yes, some white wines work well with more delicate cheeses.

However, there is an old saying in the wine world: Taste with bread, sell with cheese. This is because the fats in cheese mask the harsh tannins that are common in aggressive or young wines. Cheese makes wine taste better and hides its flaws.

What makes pairing cheese and beer so great is a story of complements, contrasts, and balance. Cheese generally balances the sweetness of a beer’s malt and adjusts the acidity with fermented flavors and a hint of fruitiness. The carbonation in beer contrasts the fattiness of the cheese and helps cleanse your palate for the next bite. It’s no coincidence that both beer and cheese come from grasses; beer is made primarily from barley and wheat, while cheese comes from cows or goats whose diets consist of various grasses. Both production processes involve breaking these down into simple sugars and fermenting them.

As with most things, the trick is finding the right pairing. In general, milder beers of moderate strength pair well with milder cheeses. Richer cheeses can handle stronger beers, and the sharper and stronger the cheese, the more complex and stronger the beer can be. Beers with stronger fruit aromas and flavors tend to be a bit easier to pair. And beers that are more complex or have more herbal notes often pair better with stronger or more challenging cheeses. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

First beer:

Cloudy IPA: IPAs are generally tricky to pair with cheese because of the variety and intensity of the hops involved. However, the hops in hazy IPAs are essentially muted. The fruitiness of the Manchego cheese nicely complements the juiciness of a hazy IPA.

Pilsener: A number of milder cheeses go well with pilsner. Gouda is my personal favorite, although mozzarella is also good.

Pale Ale: I think a pale ale is the best hoppy choice for a cheese pairing, and a hard cheddar is the best choice, although provolone or feta would work as well.

Fruit beer: Of course, the fruit is important here, but overall, Camembert has a nice complexity that can benefit from the fruit in the beer’s flavor profile. Mascarpone is also a good choice.

Strong beer: Big, malty stouts pair well with a variety of cheeses, but I’ve had good results with ricotta, Comté, and all smoked cheeses.

Farmhouse beers: Saisons, biere de garde and other farmhouse ales are known for their spicy, sometimes peppery notes, usually from the yeast they’re brewed with. That means they’ll pair well with almost any cheese you’re considering.

First cheese:

Goat cheese: Try Humboldt Fog with a wheat beer. The clove and banana notes of the yeast and the citrusy flavor of the cheese work wonderfully together. A Belgian-style tripel is also a nice match.

Cheddar: A bold, rich, aged Cheddar is great with pale ales, porters or even brown ales. Basic Belgian ales, medium strength and above, can also be a nice pairing.

Alpine cheese: A nice Alpine cheese like Gruyère and a saison or similar farmhouse ale will bring out the spiciness in both, creating a complex blend of flavors that can include nuttiness, floral or herbal notes, or even a touch of earthy funk. Other beers to try include doppelbocks, English bitters, or Scottish ales. What we commonly call Swiss cheese can also pair well with a Märzen or bock beer.

Blue cheese: A big, bold blue needs an equally big beer, something like a chocolatey, roasty stout that brings out a salty-sweet contrast. Big barleywines, especially English ones that aren’t as hoppy as their American counterparts, or other strong, malty beers, also work well. And a strong sour beer can be delicious, too.

Parmesan cheese: A Belgian gueuze, lambic or gose complement the natural salty flavour of the cheese and savoury notes of nuts or fruit increase the complexity of both.

Brie: The creamy and often buttery Brie works well in a German or Bohemian pilsner, especially one that is well carbonated. A strong golden ale can also work well.

Havarti: A rich, buttery Havarti and a sour beer take the sweetness of the cheese and do battle with the tart sourness. Who wins? You.

Smoked Cheddar: The added smoky flavors scream for big, sweet, malty beers like a doppelbock or a Belgian-style dubbel. And of course, Rauchbier is a natural.

Cheese curd: A simple craft beer tastes delicious with a crunchy cheese curd, but a light or amber beer will do just as well.

Contact Jay R. Brooks at [email protected].