Beer & Wine Cheese-A-Thon

A few weeks ago, LeeAnne and I were asked to join some friends, acquaintances  and strangers for a small get-together featuring wine and cheese. While this is always a fun time, the stakes were raised when I was asked to bring beer to the gathering to pair with the cheese—something I’d never done before. Everything turned out well, though, and everyone really enjoyed my pairings. Here is a rundown of what I chose, why I chose it, and how it worked (or didn’t). Many thanks to Sean Mellody for helping me with the selection. The cheese description is what I received prior to choosing the beer.

Beer and wine waiting to be paired with cheese.

Cheese: Moses Sleeper, Jasper Hill Farm (VT, Cow)
“An award-winning Camembert-style cheese with a bloomy surface, made from a small heard of Ayrshire cows.”
Beer Pairing: Affligem Dubbel (Abbey Dubbel), Brouerij Affligem (Opwijk, Belgium)

The cheese was said to taste like milk, hay and butter, so I knew I needed something that would be sweet, but not overpowering. The dubbel style fit right in to that description, and Sean suggested the Affigem (which turned out to be one of the favored beers of the night). The laid back raisiny, dark-fruit flavors of the beer played very well with the slight funkiness of the cheese.

Cheese: Ascutney Mountain (VT, Raw Cow)
“A semi-firm Alpine-style cheese with sweet vegetal notes—think peapods—from Gail Holmes at Cobb Hill in Hartland, VT. Raw Jersey milk makes this extra delectable.”
Beer Pairing: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock (Rauchbier), Brauerei Heller (Bamberg, Germany)

This was the pairing I was looking forward to most and least. I had promised David at our last meeting to introduce him to this beer—“liquid salami,” I called it—and had to fit it in somewhere. The Alpine style of cheese called for an autumnesque beer, like a bock or marzen. Whether or not it would be a stretch, I wanted Schlenkerla in here, and it seemed like the best place for it. As it turned out, it was called the best pairing of the night and everyone loved it. When paired together, the two made almost the perfect autumn day in the woods. The cheese had the outdoorsy flavor of damp fall leaves, while the beer added a smoky campfire quality that brought me back to late summers at the campground. Definitely give this pairing a try.

Cheese: Testun al Borolo (Italy, Mixed milk)
“A curious cheese from Piedmont that is packed in Barolo grape must and left to age in barrels for at least 4 months . Eating the rind, made of grape skin and seeds, is part of the appeal. The taste is grapey and complex, the texture crumbly.”
Beer Pairing: Saison Vos (Saison), Sly Fox Brewhouse  Royersford/Phoenixville, PA)

My lone local beer for the pairing, I chose saison for this cheese as soon as I saw the word “must.” Saisons have a great musty, musky funkiness that I thought would go great with the cheese. The only problem I had was the Saison Vos didn’t have enough funkiness, so the pairing fell a bit flat for me. The next time, I would use a slightly stronger, funkier saison. It is worth noting, though, that this cheese is outstanding.

Cheese: Ardrahan (County Cork, Ireland, Cow)
“A sensuous washed rind with a slight peanutty vibe – along with sautéed mushrooms and hay – from Mary Burns, a pioneering artisan. Mary raises her own Friesians and has made cheese for almost 40 years. Britain’s premier affineurs handle the aging at Neal’s Yard.”
Beer Pairing: Stone IPA (IPA), Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)

I knew this cheese would be a mass of smelly funkiness, so rather than try to find something to complement it, I wanted something that would cut through the potency of the cheese. The bitterness and the floral qualities of the IPA did that just fine, and it didn’t hurt that we were using the gold standard for IPAs. I thought the bitter beer handled the mushroomy, salty funk of the cheese perfectly.

The damage done.

Cheese: Brigid’s Abbey (CT, Raw Cow)
“A Trappist-style doozey from Cato Corner Farm, a small cheesemaking outfit run by mother/son team Elizabeth MacAlistair and Mark Gillman. They are well known for renegade stinkers like Hooligan, Drunken Hooligan, and Rappleree. This is a meaty, buttery cheese made from the raw milk of Jersey and Brown Swiss cows.”
Beer Pairing: Gran Met (Belgian Strong Ale), Voodoo Brewing Co. (Meadville, PA)

A Trappist-style cheese, of course, would call for a Trappist or Belgian beer, and the “meaty, buttery” description made me think I needed something a little stronger than a dubbel. In a perfect world, I would have picked up a really nice Quad to go with this, but didn’t want to go too far out, so I thought the more intense flavors of the Belgian Strong went well with the cheese. My only criticism with this would be the beer itself. Even if I were choosing the same style, I would pick a better example of it next time.

Cheese: Bailey Hazen Blue (VT, Raw Cow)
“From the legendary Cellars at Jasper Hill in Greensboro, one of the best blues in America. Spicy, grassy, with a hint of licorice, this natural rind cheese is made from the milk of Ayrshire cows, a smallish breed from Scotland.”
Beer Pairing: Olde GnarlyWine (Barley Wine), Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, CA)

The night ended with the big, bold blue, which needed a big, bold beer to go along with it. I had read stouts often paired well with blue cheeses, but I wasn’t feeling the pairing and wanted something sweeter and more summery for the occasion, which left me with barley wine. The sweetness and slight alcohol notes were able to cut through the intensity of the blue and tone things down just the right amount. I am not disappointed I didn’t choose a darker beer.

Hopefully this may influence a few of you to try pairing beer and cheese (or other foods) on your own. I used to be intimidated, but with as well as this turned out, I can’t wait to try my hand at it again. Many thanks to Tenaya Darlington aka Madame Fromage and Todd for hosting, as well as David Snyder, Marisa McClellan, Albert Yee and Kate, and, of course, LeeAnne, for letting me try out my first pairing on them. Hopefully, I’ll get the opportunity again.

5.11.11 UPDATE: Our friends Messy & Picky have posted their take on this particular get-together. Be sure to check it out for a more in-depth rundown on the non-beer aspects of the dinner, as well as some more amazing photos.

Photos are courtesy of Marisa McClellan.