Blue Cheese And Beer: The Perfect Pairing

Blue cheese is a bold, funky, and creamy cheese with a strong flavour. When it comes to pairing it with a beverage, it's important to choose something that can stand up to its strong taste and not be overpowered. While wine is often the go-to drink to pair with cheese, blue cheese is a great match for a wide range of beers. The carbonation and bitterness in beer can cut through the density, richness, and fattiness of blue cheese, and the right beer can complement and enhance its nutty, earthy, and salty notes. So which beers pair well with blue cheese?

Blue cheese and barley wine

Blue cheese is a bold cheese, and its saltiness and pungency can be balanced by pairing it with a sweet beverage. While classic pairings include wine, brandy, or even coffee, blue cheese also pairs well with beer.

Barley wine, a type of beer, is known as the "cognac of the beer world" due to its high alcohol content. Its strong flavours and sweetness can complement the saltiness and pungency of blue cheese. However, not all barley wines work well with blue cheese.

For instance, Blithering Idiot and Insanity, barley wines by Weyerbacher Brewing, pair well with a variety of blue cheeses. Blithering Idiot, in particular, was deemed "O Negative" as it worked well with every blue cheese. On the other hand, the Spanish sheep's milk blue, Bleu de Basque, could not find a match among the barley wines, although Blithering Idiot worked okay.

When pairing blue cheese with barley wine, it is important to consider the intensity of the cheese and beer and match them by intensity. For example, strong IPAs or Belgian strong golden ales can play nicely with blue cheeses when matched by intensity. Additionally, the carbonation in beer can cut through the density and richness of most cheeses, making it a good pairing with blue cheese.

Blue cheese and stout

Blue cheese is a bold cheese, so it needs a beverage pairing that can stand up to it. Enter stout: a dark, roasted malt beer with complementary flavours that make blue cheese sing.

Stouts are known for their roasted malt flavours, which can range from sweet and chocolatey to smoky. These flavours are a perfect match for the creaminess of a full-fat blue cheese. The sweetness of the stout also helps to moderate the acidity of the blue cheese, creating a well-rounded and harmonious pairing.

When it comes to choosing a stout to pair with blue cheese, you have a few options. A classic choice is a Bourbon barrel-aged stout, which offers sweetness, chocolate, and vanilla notes, and sometimes a complementary smokiness. Another option is a big imperial stout, which can stand up to the strong flavours of the blue cheese. Look for a stout with fruity and roast malt flavours that will bring out the chocolatey side of the cheese.

If you're feeling adventurous, you could also try pairing blue cheese with a different type of beer. Blue cheese pairs well with stronger-flavoured, bolder beers like IPAs or imperial IPAs. The hop bitterness of an IPA can cut through the creaminess of the blue cheese, and the fruitiness of the hops can complement the flavours in the cheese. So whether you go for a stout or an IPA, raise a glass to blue cheese and beer—a perfect match!

Blue cheese and IPA

Blue cheese is a bold cheese, so its beverage pairings must be chosen carefully to avoid being overwhelmed. Blue cheese is often paired with classic wines, such as Port, but it can also be paired with a wide range of other drinks, including brandy, beer, and even coffee.

When it comes to beer, blue cheese is best paired with stronger, bolder beers like IPAs or Imperial IPAs. The carbonation and bitterness of the beer cut through the density and richness of the cheese, while the floral and fruity notes of the hops complement the cheese's acidity and sharpness. The right IPA can bring out flavours in a creamy blue cheese reminiscent of elderflower.

Some specific recommendations for IPAs to pair with blue cheese include:

• Blue Cheese IPA by Zack's Brewing Company
• Blue Cheese by Other Half Brewing Co.

In addition to drinking IPAs with blue cheese, they can also be used as an ingredient in a blue cheese dressing, adding a distinctive hop kick to your salad or dip.

Blue cheese and Belgian beers

Belgian beers, often brewed in the same abbeys where the cheese is made, provide a complex taste profile that stands up to the strong flavour of blue cheese. The carbonation in beer also helps to cut through the density and richness of blue cheese, creating a well-balanced pairing.

When it comes to specific beer styles, strong, dark beers are a classic choice to pair with blue cheese. A Belgian Quad, for instance, is a strong, dark ale that can hold its own against the pungency of blue cheese. Its malty sweetness and high alcohol content can complement the salty, sharp notes of the cheese.

Belgian Tripels, on the other hand, are strong golden ales that offer a different kind of contrast. Their light colour belies their high alcohol content, and their spicy, fruity notes can play off the saltiness of blue cheese while highlighting its sweetness.

For a more unusual pairing, a Belgian sour beer can also work well with blue cheese. The tartness of the beer will accentuate the cheese's sharpness while providing a refreshing contrast.

When pairing blue cheese and Belgian beer, it's important to consider the intensity of both the cheese and the beer. A strong, mature blue cheese like Stilton or Roquefort will stand up to a heavier, more complex beer, while a milder blue cheese might be overpowered by an intense beer.

Blue cheese and brown ale

Blue cheese is bold, so when pairing it with beer, care must be taken to ensure that the beverage doesn't get left in the shadows. Blue cheeses may be mild or sharp, and the beer should be chosen accordingly.

When it comes to blue cheese and brown ale, there are some excellent pairings to be found. Brown ales are an excellent choice for a blue cheese board, as they are for hard cheeses in general. A brown ale is a good choice for a restrained blue cheese, such as Cambazola or Chiriboga Blue. A good example is Bell's Best Brown from Bell's Brewery in Michigan, which pairs well with these more nuanced blues.

When choosing a brown ale to pair with blue cheese, it is important to remember that mild cheeses go well with mild beers. A beer should never overwhelm the cheese with alcohol, strong flavours, or a lot of hops. Brown ales are typically malt-forward, with notes of caramel, making them a good match for restrained blue cheeses, which can bring out their caramel notes.

For sharper blue cheeses, a heavier beer is required. A full-bodied, mature cheese often goes well with heavier beer types, and a brown ale can be a good choice here too. The carbonation in beer works well with cheese as it cuts through the density and richness of most cheeses.

When pairing blue cheese with brown ale, it is also worth considering the intensity of the cheese and beer. A very mild blue cheese may be overpowered by a strong, high-alcohol brown ale, so it is important to choose a beer of similar intensity to the cheese.

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