4 Simple Tips on How to Pair Beer & Cheese
HOW TO PAIR BEER & CHEESE
Wine isn’t the only drink you can pair with cheese.
Wine isn’t the only drink you can pair with cheese.
Beer also goes surprisingly well with a wide range of cheeses—from creamy Bries to sharp, salty blues.
Ready to embark on a new tasting adventure?
These four simple tips and pairing cheat sheet are all you need to create beer and cheese pairings that taste great, every time.
Mild Cheeses are made for mild beers
Achieving that perfect balance of flavours is essential when it comes to pairing cheese with any kind of alcohol. The same can be said about pairing cheese with beer.
If you’re serving a mild-tasting cheese, like fresh Mozzarella or Chèvre, you’ll want to pair it with a mild-tasting beer. In this case, a Hefeweizen would make an excellent match since it won’t overwhelm the cheese’s delicate flavours and aromas with alcohol, hops or other strong flavours.
Rich, ripe cheeses call for stronger beers
Just like wine, beers with big, bold flavours pair well with cheese that has a similar flavour intensity.
A full-bodied, mature cheese is an ideal match for heavier, full-bodied beer types like pale lagers and brown ales.
Stouts will also taste great!
For example, the deep, roasted malty taste of brown ale holds up great to the aged intensity of a rich and nutty Gruyère.
Strong, funky blues need big, bold stouts
Blue cheese is known for its characteristically sharp, pungent and assertive flavours. And when you’re dealing with that level of intensity, you need a beer that can match: something big and bold.
The strong, sheep-milk flavour and salty character of a blue-veined cheese like Roquefort hold up beautifully to a heavy, malty black stout. The bold sweetness of the beer does a great job at balancing out the intensity of the cheese, which often has a tendency to overpower other flavours.
Fruity beers also pair well with blue cheese. Beers that are particularly hoppy or bitter do a great job of balancing out the intensity in the blue cheese and drawing out its delicate fruity and floral undertones.
A pale lager is always a good choice
If you’re unsure of which beer to pair with your cheese, simplify your life by reaching for a pale lager. A classic pale lager goes quite well with many kinds of cheese.
Soft, creamy cheeses like Brie and other white, bloomy cheeses will bring out the fruity and malty flavours in a pale lager. When it comes to aged cheeses like Cheddar and Manchego, a classic pale lager will really bring out the caramel notes and the sharpness of the cheese.
Beer & Cheese Pairing Cheat Sheet
Beer
Flavour
Cheese Pairing
Pale Lager
Refreshing, balanced, and lightly hopped and malted, balanced, with a slightly bitter finish. Some can also be on the fruitier side.
- Brie
- Camembert
- Cheddar
- Comté
- Manchego
Belgian Ale
Bold and intense, with hints of sweet caramel, peppery clove, and dried fruits like figs and plums.
- Camembert
- Brie
Hefeweizen
Full-bodied with sweet and fruity notes of banana and clove.
- Burrata
- Fresh Mozzarella
- Feta
- Chèvre
IPA
Hoppy and herbal with citrus and fruit flavours.
- Brie
- Cheddar
Wheat Ale
Slightly bitter with bready, dough-like notes that stick to the tongue. Refreshing with a crisp finish.
- Feta
- Fresh goat cheese
- Swiss
Amber Ale
Easy-to-drink with a slight caramel-like taste. Perfect balance between bitter hops and sweet malt.
- Comté
- Aged Cheddar
- Asiago
- Munster
Brown Ale
Medium to low-bodied brew that combines roasted malty flavours with caramel, chocolate, and toffee characters.
- Comté
- Gruyère
- Gouda
- Munster
Porter
Dry with mild notes of roasted grains and chocolate and undertones of coffee with none of the harsh bitter notes of stout.
- Gruyère
- Gorgonzola
- Gouda
Stout
Rich, creamy, dark and strong balanced by a roast malt sweetness and a slight hop bitterness.
- Roquefort
- Bleu d’Auvergne
Beer & Cheese Pairing Cheat Sheet
BEER : Pale Lager
FLAVOUR:
Refreshing, balanced, and lightly hopped and malted, balanced, with a slightly bitter finish. Some can also be on the fruitier side.
CHEESE PAIRING:
- Brie
- Camembert
- Cheddar
- Comté
- Manchego
BEER : Belgian Ale
Bold and intense, with hints of sweet caramel, peppery clove, and dried fruits like figs and plums.
CHEESE PAIRING:
- Camembert
- Brie
BEER : Hefeweizen
Full-bodied with sweet and fruity notes of banana and clove.
CHEESE PAIRING:
- Burrata
- Fresh Mozzarella
- Feta
- Chèvre
BEER : IPA
Hoppy and herbal with citrus and fruit flavours.
CHEESE PAIRING:
- Brie
- Cheddar
BEER : Wheat Ale
Slightly bitter with bready, dough-like notes that stick to the tongue. Refreshing with a crisp finish.
CHEESE PAIRING:
- Feta
- Fresh goat cheese
- Swiss
BEER : Amber Ale
Easy-to-drink with a slight caramel-like taste. Perfect balance between bitter hops and sweet malt.
CHEESE PAIRING:
- Comté
- Aged Cheddar
- Asiago
- Munster
BEER : Brown Ale
Medium to low-bodied brew that combines roasted malty flavours with caramel, chocolate, and toffee characters.
CHEESE PAIRING:
- Comté
- Gruyère
- Gouda
- Munster
BEER : Porter
Dry with mild notes of roasted grains and chocolate and undertones of coffee with none of the harsh bitter notes of stout.
CHEESE PAIRING:
- Gruyère
- Gorgonzola
- Gouda
BEER : Stout
Rich, creamy, dark and strong balanced by a roast malt sweetness and a slight hop bitterness.
CHEESE PAIRING:
- Roquefort
- Bleu d’Auvergne
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