Pairing beer, cheese

  • Tuesday, October 7, 2003 9:00pm
  • Life

Wine and cheese has long been considered a perfect match, but with many breweries now producing beers that invite savoring over swilling, a beer and cheese tasting party can be an appetizing change of pace.

  • Generally, lagers equate with white wines and stronger ales and bocks equate with red wines.

  • Lighter-flavored beers go with lighter-flavored cheeses, such as Muenster or provolone. Strongly flavored beers need assertive cheeses, such as aged Gruyere or surface-ripened brick cheese.

  • Beers with a biscuity malt or sharp bitterness, such as India pale ale, go better with traditional aged cheeses, such as gouda or cheddar.

  • Sweeter cheeses also pair well with beer. A fruity beer such as raspberry ale or apple draft cider is a wonderful match for a mascarpone or young brie.

  • Bring cheeses to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and aroma.

  • Plan on two ounces of cheese per person.

  • Suggest that guests sample cheeses from mildest to strongest in flavor and arrange them that way on your table.

  • Pair cheeses and beers with accompaniments such as specialty breads, dried or fresh fruits, nuts, pickles, olives and crudites.

    Wisconsin Milk

    Marketing Board

    Talk to us

    > Give us your news tips.

    > Send us a letter to the editor.

    > More Herald contact information.

    • More in Life

    Photo courtesy of Kristi Nebel Folk duo Steve and Kristi Nebel will be among the musical acts performing at the Edmonds Arts Festival, which takes place Friday through Sunday. Photo courtesy of Kristi Nebel Folk duo Steve and Kristi Nebel will be among the musical acts performing at the Edmonds Arts Festival, which takes place Friday through Sunday.
    Coming events in Snohomish County

    Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

    Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

    To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

    Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

    Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

    A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

    $20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

    Audi SQ8 Wows In Motion Or At Rest. Photo provided by Audi America MediaCenter.
    2025 Audi SQ8 Is A Luxury, Hot Rod, SUV

    500 Horsepower and 4.0-Second, 0-To-60 MPH Speed

    The Mukilteo Boulevard Homer on Monday, May 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    ‘Homer Hedge’: A Simpsons meme takes root in Everett — D’oh!

    Homer has been lurking in the bushes on West Mukilteo Boulevard since 2023. Stop by for a selfie.

    Sarah and Cole Rinehardt, owners of In The Shadow Brewing, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    In The Shadow Brewing: From backyard brews to downtown cheers

    Everything seems to have fallen into place at the new taproom location in downtown Arlington

    Bar manager Faith Britton pours a beer for a customer at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Burgers, brews and blues: Madison Avenue Pub has it all

    Enjoy half-price burgers on Tuesday, prime rib specials and live music at the Everett mainstay.

    Ellis Johnson, 16, left, and brother Garrett Johnson, 13, take a breather after trying to find enough water to skim board on without sinking into the sand during opening day of Jetty Island on Friday, July 5, 2019 in Everett, Wash. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Epic ways to spice up your summer

    Your ultimate guide to adventure, fun and reader-approved favorites!

    Everett High School graduate Gwen Bundy high fives students at her former grade school Whittier Elementary during their grad walk on Thursday, June 12, 2018 in Everett, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    ‘Literally the best’: Grads celebrated at Everett elementary school

    Children at Whittier Elementary cheered on local high school graduates as part of an annual tradition.

    A bear rests in a tree in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. (U.S. Forest Service)
    Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest transitioning to cashless collections on June 21

    The Forest Service urges visitors to download the app and set up payments before venturing out to trailheads and recreation sites.

    The 2025 Jeep Gladiator pickup, in one of its more outrageous colors (Provided by Jeep).
    2025 Jeep Gladiator is a true truck

    The only 4x4 pickup with open-air abilities, Gladiator is more than a Wrangler with a bed.

    Support local journalism

    If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.