Recently, I had the pleasure of "researching" my newest pairing project ... Beer and Cheese!  Kelly Briglio and Tina Thayer, owners of Paradise Pantry, took time to sit down with me and explain a little bit about cheese but more importantly they indulged me for two hours while we tasted eleven different cheeses and seven different beers. This series will detail each of those cheeses and the beers that brought a little extra life to them.

If you live in or near Ventura, CA be sure to stop in at Paradise Pantry and say hello and buy some cheese especially if these pairings inspired you to try something new. Also, be sure to let Kelly and Tina know you read about them here!  

Ewephoria

Just as the punny name suggests, this is a sheep's milk cheese. Produced in Holland, this firm, Gouda-like cheese has a sweet nutty-butterscotch flavor.  However, the real treat is in the tiny calcium deposits which not only add a layer of interest to the texture but also add a wonderful salty flavor burst that balances out the sweetness of the cheese.  After the burst, the resulting flavor combination is reminiscent of sweet, salted nuts such as pecans. Truly euphoric.

Robust Porter

This is as smooth a pairing as you will find.  The  dark chocolate, roasty malt flavors in this beer perfectly balance the sweetness of the cheese. Together, the cheese rounds off the sharpest roasted malt (burnt toast/coffee) flavors and helps create a soft dark chocolate flavor.

Examples:  Anchor Porter, Sierra Nevada Porter, Great Divide Saint Bridget’s Porter, Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Serving Temp: 50°- 55°
Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Roasty aroma should be noticeable may be pronounced with coffee and/or chocolate undertones.
Appearance: Pours a dark brown with garnet highlights with a fluffy tan head.
Flavor: Noticeable roasty malt flavors of strong coffee, dark chocolate or slightly burnt toast. 
Mouthfeel: Medium-full body that may finish drier because of roasty characters. Warming alcohol feeling may be present.

Food Pairings: Cuisine: barbecue, Mexican.  Cheese: earthy. Dessert: chocolate. Meat: beef, smoked meat, grilled meat.

HopHeadSaid: Robust porters are really easy to pair with food.  Their roasty notes resonate with grilled foods and their flavor intensities ensure they will hold their own in most pairings. Robust porters also pair well with many desserts.  Their roasty flavors help balance sweeter desserts while their dark chocolate/coffee flavors resonate well with chocolate desserts.

American Brown

This particular beer is a bit roastier then most American Brown Ales which is why this pairing is so ewephoric. Old Bar Brown Ale's roastiness combined with its crisp hop flavor causes the calcium crystals intensity to momentarily explode.  After the initial flavor burst, the bittersweet-roasty malt flavors combine with the sweet nutty flavors of the cheese to create a subtle candied pecan-like flavor.

If you cant'f find this particular beer, I suggest you start with Indian Brown Ale from Dogfish Head, Bender from Surly Brewing Co or Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewing Co.

Serving Temp:40°- 45°
Glassware:Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Hints of sweet chocolate, caramel with toasted nuts are typical of this style.  Some American browns have pronounced hop aromas especially if they are dry hopped.
Appearance: Pours clear brown to dark brown with a light tan head.
Flavor:  Pronounced sweet malty flavors reminiscent of caramel and chocolate are balanced by elevated hop flavors and bitterness.
Mouthfeel:  Medium-full body that finish fairly dry due to the hops and elevated carbonation levels.

Food Pairings:Cuisine: Barbecue. Cheese: Earthy, Nutty. Meat: beef. Dessert: Chocolate.

HopHeadSaid:  I prefer American brown ales over English brown ales because of the elevated hop profiles. The hop profiles help balance the toasted caramely/chocolate sweetness keeping the beer refreshing without limiting the beer’s pairing ability. The assertive hop intensity means the malt flavors have to be increased making it a great pairing beer for grilled foods, assertive cheeses and chocolate desserts.

Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

This pairing accentuates the nutty flavors of the cheese. The subtle toasted-nut malt flavors resonate with the cheese creating a more intense salted nut flavor. The sweet malt flavors bridge the gap between the nutty flavors and the hops which keep the pairing from becoming too sweet. 


Examples: Redhook ESB, Fuller’s ESB, Youngs Ram Rod, Bass Pale Ale, Morland Old Speckled Hen, Anderson Valley Boont ESB
Serving Temp: 45°- 50°
Glassware: Pint Glass, mug

Aroma: Hop aroma can range from low to high but will likely have a sawdust-like or earthy floral spice of traditional UK hops. Moderate caramel malt aroma and/or noticeable fruity esters will likely be present.
Appearance: The beer will pour clear, deep gold to copper with an off-white head.  Head size and density will vary depending on carbonation level – cask, nitro, force carbonated, etc.
Flavor: A pronounced bitterness will be balanced by a caramelly malt sweetness.  As the beer moves across the palate nutty or biscuity flavors may surface and mix with fruity esters.
Mouthfeel: These beers are generally medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.
Food Pairings: Cuisine: English, fried, roasted. Cheese: buttery (Gouda, Havarti, Swiss) Earthy (Blue, Brie, Winnemere) nutty (Asiago, Fontina, Parmesan). Meat: Pork, Game.

HopHeadSaid: These beers are great to pair with foods because their nutty/biscuity flavors resonate with many types of food but especially cheeses.  The earthy hop flavors also pair well with many cheeses and add a counterpoint to any residual sweetness or another layer interest that wasn’t there before.  Their medium intensity (flavor, body, alcohol) means their flavors won’t overpower many entrée’s and they can hold their own against all but the most intense foods or desserts.  In short – I guess I shoulda said this earlier- you can pair these beers with just about anything and not go wrong.  

*Photo credits: Photos linked to their source.

Topics: Food Pairing, Beer Pairing, Cheese Pairing, Beer and Food, Beer and Cheese

What is a Pale Ale?
  There are two categories of pale ales: American and English. Both pale ales are light to medium bodied, generally clear, and light yellow to light copper in color.  Both styles are brewed to be refreshing and easy drinking beers.

English Pale Ales, also known as bitters, generally have very little hop aroma. The malt in these beers produces a slight caramel or toasty flavor, yet are not overly sweet.  Bitters are fairly low in alcohol; stylistically they range from 3.2 to 3.8% ABV.  These beers have a low to moderate bitterness that can be earthy or spicy depending on the type of hops used.  The traditional yeast used in these beers gives them a slight fruity ester.  An ester is an aroma that can almost be tasted. Carbonation for English pale ales can range from low to medium depending on the serving method. 

American Pale Ales (APA’s) are more aggressive than their English counterparts. They typically have a moderate to strong hop aroma that can range from grapefruit to pine and are accentuated even more by APA’s moderate to high carbonation.  APA’s moderate bitterness is balanced by the malt although the malt flavor won’t be as pronounced as in English pale ales. The most commonly used yeasts in APA’s produce little or no fruity esters. These beers are generally crystal clear unless hops are added during the bottling process. This hopping technique is called dry hopping and can cause a slight haze in the beer and it will increase the hop aroma but not the overall bitterness of the beer.

Complementary Pairings
  Complementary pairings occur when the food and the beer mix together and create a harmonious flavor profile that didn’t exist when the food and beer were consumed separately.  Pairing foods such as smoky cheeses or grilled meats with a bitter are complimentary because the toasty and sometimes nutty flavors of the malt mimic the flavors found in these foods.  The fruity esters of a bitter also pair well with sharp cheeses like cheddar or specialty cheeses that contain fruit or nuts. APAs can also complement fruity or sharp cheeses but it depends on the hops used.  Some hops have citrusy aromas and flavors that can draw out the fruit flavors found in these types cheeses.

Contrasting Pairings
  Contrasting pairings occur when the food and beer mix together and accentuate or diminish a particular flavor profile.  APA’s work well in contrasting pairings because their hop levels naturally counteract the sweetness.  If you like spicy foods, then pair an APA with hot salsas or curries because their elevated hop levels and alcohol content will accentuate the spicy ingredients.  Conversely, if you are looking to bring down the heat a little, try the milder English pale ale because its pronounced malt profile will absorb some of the heat. APA’s pair well with fried foods or grilled meat because their elevated carbonation levels, alcohol content and citrusy flavors cleanse the palate.

The Wild Card
  Carbonation is the wild card component in any pale ale pairing because it directly impacts the beer’s presentation, aromatics and perceived bitterness.   Moderate to high carbonation levels will produce a sparkly beer with a thick aromatic head.  Higher carbonation levels drive out more hop and malt aromatics from the beer, providing another layer of complexity to your pairing. Carbonation also helps to remove residual oils and flavors from your palate. Conversely, beers with lower carbonation levels allow flavors to linger, which can build up over the course of a meal.

Rule of Thumb
  Pale ales (both American and English) are the workhorses of food pairings, as they go well with just about any food.  When planning your next pairing be sure to explore all the possible flavor components of the meal and pick one component that you want to accentuate.  Pick a pale ale that will do want you want, whether it is cleanse your palate, build a different flavor profile altogether or accentuate the spices of your meal.

Cheese isn’t just for wine, anymore.
  Now it’s time to start drinking! Err, I mean start exploring the wonderful world of pale ales. I suggest keeping it simple and begin with beer and cheese pairings. Choose two or three beers from each category and do the same with the cheeses.  Take small bites and let the cheese “melt” over your entire tongue, in a word SAVOR. Follow each bite with a small drink of beer and be sure to savor the beer as well. Take tasting notes along the way to record your experience.  These notes will ensure that you can reproduce your favorite pairings again.   Be careful not to overindulge, you’ll want to be able to read your hand writing in the morning. 

Now start enjoying the finer things in life and make them even better with beer. Cheers!

Cheese Suggestions

Earthy Cheeses: Gouda, Fontina
Nutty Cheeses: Munster, Colby
Tangy Cheeses: Goat, Feta

Topics: Food Pairing, Beer Pairing, Cheese Pairing, Beer and Food, Beer and Cheese