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Beer and cheese pairing offers an enormous world of sensations, mainly due to their common points such as yeasts, earthy nuances, toasted aromas, floral or fruity notes, etc.
A great advantage found in the organoleptic traits of beers is their versatility, granted by the wide range of aromas and flavors they can offer when tasted, which allows them with relative ease to establish some pairing with the enormous range of flavors and textures found in cheese.
Throughout history, we have gained a multitude of complex varieties with their own aromas and flavors, which have formed certain combinations of bitter, sweet, or toasted beers, rounding out the nuances of strong, salty, buttery, or sweet cheeses.
In beer and cheese pairing, cheese manages to highlight the virtues of the beer rather than mask its imperfections or flaws — unlike wine (hence the old saying “don’t let them fool you with cheese”).
General pairing principles
A beer style can find harmony with an interesting variety of cheeses, even of different intensities.
It is important to remember, however, that a light, fresh cheese should go well with light beers; medium-complexity cheeses pair well with medium-complexity beers; while very aged and complex cheeses get along well with beers of complex aromas and flavors.
It is vital to respect this intensity-complexity principle, but above all it is important to embrace experimentation and play, because occasionally they can yield very interesting results.
Also, in beer tasting and beer and cheese pairing, we want complementary mouthfeel sensations and varying degrees of complexity.
The secret of a good beer and cheese pairing is to ensure the flavors of both harmonize and do not overlap one another.
With that said, let’s explore which types of cheeses pair well with which types of beers.
Lager beer and cheese pairings
Lager beers are much more uniform in flavor than Ale beers, partly because Lager yeasts produce a cleaner, rounder flavor.
When tasting or pairing with cheeses, we will tend to pay less attention to the variety of flavors and more to other elements, such as alcohol content.
1. Pilsner beers
Pilsner-style beers are characterized by their golden color, well-developed malts, and hoppy notes. They are normally dry and clear, with good carbonation.
Alcohol content is around 5 to 5.5% ABV. Pilsner beers pair well with creamy cheeses such as Brie de Meaux and mild cheeses like young Goudas and Cheddars (aged 4-8 months).
2. European dark Lager beers
These beers are made from roasted barley malts. Lager yeasts have a maturing effect on roasted malt, typically mellowing the caramelized flavor of the toasted malt, maturing into spiced notes.
Alcohol content normally ranges between 4 and 5% ABV, which allows them to contrast with any cheese.
This type of beer pairs well with sliced mozzarella, or sheep’s milk cheeses such as Ossau-Iraty or Petit Basque.
3. German Bock Lager beers
Bock-style beers are smooth in texture, strong in malts, and occasionally sweet. Alcohol content is normally high, starting at 6.5% ABV.
Bock beer has enough malt and sweet notes to pair well with flavorful cheeses such as more aged Goudas or smoked Scamorza cheeses.
Ale beer and cheese pairings
Ale beers are top-fermented, where yeast ferments in temperate environments and does not need to be cooled.
Generally, Ale beers pair very well with any very flavorful or strong cheese.
1. British Ale beers
Mild Ales are low in hops and alcohol, making them low in bitterness and alcohol (3-4% ABV) and good companions for light food.
Mild Ales pair well with very mild cheeses, slightly acidic or sweet and not heavy, such as plain or unsmoked Scamorza, English Real Yorkshire Wensleydale, or American Carmody.
Bitter Ales vary enormously but share hoppy bitter notes. They can also be quite sweet or tart, but are normally low in alcohol (3-4% ABV).
Given their bitterness or salty notes, contrasting pairings are essential. They can be paired with low-fat, mildly spicy cheeses with gentle salty notes, something like fresh Crottin or Tomme.
Pale Ales take this name to distinguish them from the dark Stout and Porter, for their amber-golden color. Pale Ales are robust in flavor, but drier, with hoppy (often bitter), herbal, and slightly toasted notes.
They can be found under the name of Burton Ale or India Pale Ale (IPA). Due to their higher alcohol content than the above (5% ABV) and notable bitterness, Pale Ales harmonize well with strong Cheddars aged up to 12 months.
2. Belgian Ale beers
Strong golden, toasted, or red Belgian Ales are usually high in alcohol (6 to 12% ABV) and have an intense, bittersweet flavor that, depending on the malt used and its roasting, can contain fruity, floral, or caramelized notes.
Due to their strength, different notes, and great complexity, these Ales pair well with strongly aromatic cheeses such as blue or green cheeses, and with very aged or cured cheeses (the higher the alcohol and body of the beer, the more aged the better) made from cow or goat milk.
For example, if the beer is a low-alcohol blonde with not much body, it can be paired with Münster cheese — strong-smelling but mild in flavor — suitable for combining with beers with floral and herbal notes like Belgian Trappists.
3. American Ale beers
American Ale beers are styles originating in the United States and are generally a reflection of the hops used, the type of water, and the various grains taking part in their production.
First, we need to know what type of beer we are dealing with, and then we note whether it has fruity, floral, or grainy aromatic notes — very common in American Ales.
It is recommended to pair them with compatible cheeses that harmonize with these notes while contrasting flavors. For example, an American Ale with cherry notes can pair well with goat Brie cheese.
If we seek harmony, we can pair them with a sweet Mascarpone (fresh curd cheese) or a slightly fruity Camembert.
4. Porter-style beers
Porter-style beers are characterized by the use of roasted barley malt. They are very dark, some almost black, and very often have coffee, cocoa, or toasted notes.
The interaction of yeast with roasted malt adds many fruity flavors. Porter beers have a strong flavor with a relatively high alcohol content (4 to 6.5% ABV).
Porter beers pair well considering their toasted and fruity notes. Aged Gruyère or Comté, with fruity and floral flavors, complement this beer perfectly.
5. Stout-style beers
Stout-style beers are known for their bitterness and toasted flavors and, like Porters, for their dark color. They also have chocolate and caramel flavors, but are denser and creamier than Porters, with a wider range of alcohol content (5 to 8% ABV).
Drier Stouts like Guinness Extra Stout pair well with cured cheeses such as Manchego or Gouda.
Stouts with sweeter notes such as Samuel Adams Cream Stout combine very well with a creamy blue cheese like Rochefort, to harmonize with its density and contrast with its strong flavor.
Specialty beer and cheese pairings
1. Lambic beers
Belgian Lambic-style beers are distinguished by their use of wild yeasts that cause spontaneous fermentation by leaving the beer in uncovered vats, with airborne yeasts entering the wort and developing the process on their own.
Flavors vary greatly from one to another, but are normally very fruity. Cherry or raspberry are usually added as flavorings, combined with earthy and acidic aromas.
Lambic beers pair well with acidic cheeses like aged Cheddars or Goudas. With more markedly fruity Lambics, cheeses in the same vein such as Brie de Meaux or Camembert usually work very well.
2. Wheat beers
Wheat beers are brewed by adding substantial quantities of wheat to the barley mix (40 to 70% of the total).
They are generally very useful for quenching thirst due to their typically low alcohol content (2 to 3% ABV in Berliner Weisse and 4 to 5% ABV in Weizen), lightness, and smoothness.
However, Belgian Witbier or Bière Blanche have acidic notes due to lactic fermentation and more body due to the use of unmalted wheat, unlike the German varieties.
In general, wheat beers pair well with semi-cured cow or sheep cheeses or young Goudas, in keeping with their smoothness.
Beer and cheese pairing suggestions
Here are some additional suggestions that can serve to explore this delicious field:
- Consider a lightly grilled Brie with a Hefeweizen; the fruity flavors will make a great pairing with the sweet notes and slightly acidic and tangy points of the cheese.
- A Dutch Gouda will be a great pairing for a Belgian Witbier or an English IPA.
- Young Manchego pairs wonderfully with a Helles or Czech Pilsner; a semi-cured one pairs well with a British Pale Ale or English IPA; and a mature one could play with the fruitiness and acidity of a Belgian Gueuze.
- Bock and even Doppelbock beers go very well with Gruyère.
- For Emmental, if mild a Roggenbier works well; if strong the pairing would be a Golden Strong Ale, Old Ale, or even a Barleywine.
- Camembert can go very well with a Saison or an American Red Ale.
- Port Salut plays a good role with an English Brown Ale.
- Morbier is a wonderful pairing for a Bitter or an American Pale Ale.
- A delicious Comté can pair with a Bitter, Berliner Weisse, or a Kellerbier.
- The Alsatian Munster with its deep and complex flavor is a luxury pairing with a Strong Ale, Doppelbock, or a Barleywine.
- Gorgonzola is extraordinary with Barleywines, but could also contrast well with a Faro.
- The creaminess and sweet-salty flavors of Cambozola will be a delicious pairing with a Winter Ale or a Wee Heavy.
- Cotija can be paired with an English IPA, but if grilled, the best pairing would be a Schwarzweizen.
- A Dry Stout would add great sapid richness to a Chihuahua cheese.
- Pecorino Romano, with its pungent and slightly salty notes, could be contrasted with an Oud Bruin or paired with a Special Best Bitter.
- It is not very common to eat Parmesan in slices, but it is a good idea to pair it with a Czech Pilsner, American Pale Ale, Witbier, or a peach Fruit Beer.
- A natural goat cheese pairs perfectly with a good Weissbier or Witbier; but also consider a herb goat cheese with the same beers — glorious.
- How about an ash-rind cheese with Schwarze Weisse? Mozzarella is delicious with mild Pilsner, while an interesting combination is Feta (original) with wheat beers or a Czech Pilsner.
- Ricotta and Mascarpone are even richer when accompanied by a Fruit Beer (strawberry, raspberry, apple, and more). Cream cheese goes well with a light Pilsner, and for a Ball cheese, wheat beers.
- Natural (dolce) Provolone pairs very well with light beers such as English Pale Ale, Vienna, or Kölsch; the spicy version with its salty notes thanks to its aging of at least 4 months could be an excellent pairing with a Bock or even a Doppelbock; for a smoked version, a Märzen Rauchbier would be extraordinary.
- Stilton is the perfect companion for a Barleywine; Cabrales cheese and an English Porter will make a flavor festival; Roquefort contrasts beautifully with a Faro or Gueuze, or with Tripel, Dubbel, or Belgian Golden Strong Ale beers.
- Cantal, with its robust and tangy flavors, is exquisite paired with an English IPA, Best Bitter, American Pale Ale, or even an Old Ale.
- For preparations like salads, all ingredients and dressings should be considered.
- For dishes like Fondue, the predominant cheese and its accompaniments should be considered, as well as for other dishes with large amounts of cheese.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the key principle for pairing beer and cheese?
The essential principle is to match intensity and complexity: light, fresh cheeses pair with light beers; medium-complexity cheeses go with medium-complexity beers; and very aged, complex cheeses call for beers with complex aromas and flavors. The goal is for both flavors to harmonize rather than overlap.
Which beers pair best with blue cheeses?
Strong Belgian Ales with high alcohol content (6-12% ABV) and complex fruity or caramel notes pair excellently with strong, aromatic blue and green cheeses. Barleywines also work beautifully with Stilton or Roquefort. Gueuze or Faro can also provide a pleasant contrast.
What beer goes best with aged Cheddar?
Pale Ales — including IPAs — are the classic pairing for aged Cheddar (8-12 months), as their notable bitterness and herbal hop notes harmonize with the strong, slightly salty flavor of the cheese. Lambic beers with their acidity also work well with aged Cheddars.
