Beer and cheese are the ultimate combination, and when paired correctly, they can elevate each other’s flavors to new heights.
Find the best beer for cheese options for your next beer cheese adventure, so you can take your taste buds on a delicious journey. From light lagers to hoppy IPAs, we’ll cover all the best options for the ultimate beer and cheese pairing.
Best Beers For Different Types Of Cheese
Beer and cheese can make a surprisingly delicious combination. To get the best out of pairing them together, it is important to consider different beers for different types of cheese.
Lighter beers such as pale lagers or wheats pair best with lighter cheeses like fresh mozzarella or goat’s milk chèvre. IPAs or Porters work best for blue cheese because their stronger hop characters can stand up to the complex flavor profiles of blues and balance out their acidity.
The intensity at which beer’s hops and yeast interact with a particular type of cheese also plays an important role when creating successful pairings. Milder beers tend not be overly bitter, so they are better able to complement certain age-ripened cheeses that may have softer flavors than others.
Best Beers For Cheddar Beer Cheese
For cheddar beer cheese, try classic beers like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Founders Centennial IPA and Newcastle Brown Ale for a perfect balance of flavors.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Crisp and hoppy
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Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
- Experience the refreshing taste of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, with its distinctive blend of citrusy hops and a clean, crisp finish.
- Brewed with meticulous attention to detail, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale embodies the spirit of craft beer, delivering a rich and flavorful drinking experience.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is an American original-style Pale Ale which makes it a great choice for pairing with beer cheese.
Its hop character provides a bold flavour that complements sharp cheddar and other high-fat cheeses with its bitterness, while the malt profile helps to balance out the intensity of these flavours.
The length of the boil gives this beer a slight caramel sweetness, adding another layer of complexity to any dish featuring it as part of the combination.
Beer cheese soup, dip or fondue all do exceptionally well when paired alongside Sierra Nevada Pale Ale thanks to its deep flavour and subtle but distinct aromatics like pine and grapefruit zest.
Founders Centennial IPA
Founders Centennial IPA is an award-winning American IPA known for its balance of hop flavor and malts. This beer has malty undertones that make it an excellent pairing with aged cheddar cheese, which offers notes of sharpness from the extended aging process.
Besides aged cheddar, this IPA can be paired with slightly sweet saison or Belgian ales as well as drier varieties of cider to create a well-balanced combination that pairs perfectly together.
Its hop strength should also be matched accordingly to the sharpness of whichever cheese you pair it with so that one does not overpower the other.
Additionally, Founders Centennial IPA makes a great pairing with creamy blue cheese and even English Westcombe Cheddar due to its fresh-hopped taste profile.
Newcastle Brown Ale
With its complex, malty sweetness and nutty, caramelized flavors, Newcastle Brown Ale is an ideal beer to pair with cheddar cheese.
The subtle bitterness of this classic English ale beautifully complements the sharpness and tang of cheddar and creates a smooth balance between the two flavors.
With hints of roasted nuts, toffee apples and coffee beans in every sip, this tasty brew is sure to make any beer cheese dish more enjoyable.
Best Beers For Gouda Beer Cheese
For a lighter beer option, try Boddingtons Pub Ale or New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale for Gouda Beer Cheese.
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Boddingtons Pub Ale is a smooth, creamy beer with a light texture, making it an excellent crossover brew. It’s a great choice for pairing with Gouda cheese, as its slightly sweet flavor profile helps to bring out the nutty and buttery notes of the cheese.
The malty sweetness combined with subtle hoppy tones also helps cut through some of the sharper flavors in the cheese. Boddingtons Pub Ale is particularly suitable for darker or more mature goudas, but can also be used to compliment lighter creamier varieties too.
New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale
New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale is a Belgian-inspired beer that has been the flagship brew of New Belgium Brewing Company since 1991. It’s a full-bodied amber ale with subtle caramel sweetness and hints of toffee, biscuit, citrus fruits and herbs.
It is moderately hopped with German noble hops to create distinct aromas such as herbal or floral notes. Its signature taste makes it ideal for medium Cheddar cheeses, Brie, and Gouda cheese varieties due to its light bitterness and sweet bread-like maltiness.
This perfectly balances out creamier cheese textures, creating an almost crispy outer bite before yielding into creamy melted toppings on pizza or burgers.
Best Beers For Blue Cheese Beer Cheese
Guinness Extra Stout
Guinness Extra Stout is a velvety black beer known for its smooth, creamy texture and deep roasted flavors. Guinness Extra Stout features notes of coffee and dark chocolate with an underlying hint of sweet caramel.
It’s full bodied flavor makes it the perfect pairing for intense blue cheeses as well as rich, flavorful beer cheese creations. The slight sweetness and bold profile of this beer contrasts nicely with sharp blue cheese or smoky cheddar to dramatically enhance the taste experience.
Its characteristic creaminess helps to soften strong flavors while also providing balance between intensely flavored cheeses and the richness of a good quality brew.
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is a Sweet/Milk Stout style beer brewed by Eagle Brewery in Bedford, GB2, United Kingdom. This decadent beer has aromas of milk chocolate, vanilla and coffee roast.
It has a smooth body which makes it the ideal companion for rich blue cheese dishes like crostini topped with Gorgonzola or Creamy Blue Cheese soup. The sweetness of this dark brew balances out the sharpness of the cheese while its mild malts provide an enjoyable background flavor.
The blend of malt and hops found in Young’s Double Chocolate Stout offers complexity to its aroma and flavor profiles, making it perfect for pairing with blue cheeses as a great contrast between both ingredients is achieved; complementing each other deliciously.
Best Beers For Pepper Jack Beer Cheese
Stone IPA
Stone IPA is a classic craft-style American India Pale Ale with an intense hop character that balances a solid malt base and offers tropical, citrusy, and piney flavors. It has become one of the most popular IPAs in the country thanks to its full-bodied flavor profile.
With bright aromas of fresh hops and resinous pine needles, Stone IPA pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese or other cheeses that have a bold flavor. In particular, it complements Pepper Jack Beer Cheese due to its high fat content which brings out the hoppiness of this beer style.
Fans of Stone IPA appreciate its bitter finish as well as its smooth-bitter balance made possible by the combination of Columbus and Galena hops used for brewing this beer.
The IPA’s bitterness pairs perfectly with slightly sharp notes from certain cheese varieties making it perfect for any kind of cheesy appetizers—from dip to soup recipes! Stone IPA also has several awards under its belt including two medals from GABF (2001 & 2004), three medals from World Beer Cup (1998 & 2002) and an impressive five golds at Great American Beer Festival between 2001 – 2007.
Lagunitas IPA
Lagunitas IPA is an award-winning craft beer from Lagunitas Brewing Co. It has a medium-light body and unique hop profile, making it a great choice for pairing with pepper jack beer cheese.
This American India Pale Ale (IPA) has 6 different hop varieties that combine to provide the ale with complex flavors like pine and citrus, as well as some florals. In addition, it also has malts which bring in some sweetness without being too overpowering.
The IBU of this beer is 51 with an ABV of 7%. Due to its balance between hops and malts, it’s considered one of the best IPAs on the market when it comes to craft beer pairings.
Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA
I recently discovered the amazing Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA and was instantly taken with its delicious taste profile. Toasty and fruity, this black IPA is a perfect accompaniment to any dish featuring curried dishes or shellfish from Thai cuisine.
It also pairs incredibly well with cheese, especially something luxurious like Pepper Jack or Monterey, because of its low bitterness and malty flavor. This beer has an alcohol content of 5.6%, making it pleasantly easy drinking for long nights away from home.
Best Beers For Brie Beer Cheese
– Hoegaarden White Ale
– Allagash White Ale
– Blue Moon Belgian White Ale
For brie beer cheese, lighter and sweeter beers like Belgium white ales are the perfect choice.
Hoegaarden White Ale
Hoegaarden White Ale is a Belgian witbier with unique flavor profiles that make it an ideal pairing for Brie beer cheese. This distinctive beer is light and crisp, made from sprouted wheat and unmalted barley, along with other uncommon ingredients, such as coriander seed, orange peel, curacao bitter oranges and hops.
Its combination of sweetness and spiciness creates interesting flavors that are great when paired with the creamy, mild taste of Brie cheese.
The balance between the two creates a delicious experience not only in terms of flavor but also of contrasting textures — the smoothness of cheese against the tartness of Hoegaarden’s fruity finish.
Hoegaarden has been introducing many people to craft beers since over 25 years ago due to its approachable yet distinct character through its compatibility with different types of food including brie beer cheese dip or soup.
Allagash White Ale
Allagash White Ale is an authentic Belgian-style wheat beer brewed with a unique blend of oats, red and white wheat and spiced with coriander.
This light-bodied ale features subtle citrus aroma and the mildly sweet taste of orange peel followed by an extraordinarily smooth finish.
It’s this flavorful profile that makes Allagash White Ale the perfect choice for pairing with Brie cheese. The creamy texture of Brie pairs beautifully with the sweetness from the orange peels in this beer to create a balanced flavor combination.
Additionally, Allagash White Ale offers nutty flavors which marry well with the nutty notes found in many types of brie for an interesting mix without being overwhelming.
Blue Moon Belgian White Ale
Blue Moon Belgian White Ale is an excellent pairing for Brie Beer Cheese. It has a light and smooth flavor with notes of citrus and wheat, making it ideal for the nutty, buttery taste of brie cheese.
The beer’s Amber Ale category complements Bries cheese’s mild nuttiness and soft creamness. This combination brings out delicious flavors that wouldn’t be possible by either food alone.
The orange stems from Blue Moon Belgian White Ale play off the fruitier notes in Brie while its maltiness is enhanced by its creamy texture.
Best Beers For Beer Cheese Dip And Soup
– Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
– Montauk Wave Chaser IPA
– Guinness 0.0
For beer cheese dip or soup, look no further than a pale ale, an IPA with its fruity hoop flavors and aromas, or the alcohol free Guinness 0.0 for a truly unique experience! Read on to learn more about pairing beers with cheeses.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a well-known choice for beer cheese. Its crisp, hoppy bitterness and malty sweetness makes it an ideal partner to the creamy texture and salty flavor of beer cheese dip or soup.
This pale ale has notes of citrus, pine, and tropical fruits that cut through the richness of the cheeses while adding just the right amount of zestiness. At 6% ABV, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale provides enough complexity without overpowering more delicate elements of your dish.
Montauk Wave Chaser IPA
Montauk Wave Chaser IPA is the perfect choice for beer and cheese pairing. This old school style IPA has pine notes and hints of citrus, making it a great accompaniment to curried dishes like Thai cuisine featuring shellfish alongside cheeses with a more peppery flavor such as Monterey Jack.
The Wave Chaser IPA was created over 9 months by Montauk’s brewmaster Eric Moss experimenting with various hop varieties, giving the beer its unique taste.
For those looking for the perfect pair for beer cheese dip or soup, Beer & Cheese Works recommends using this IPA due to its depth of flavor.
With maltiness comparable to red ales, Montauk Wave Chaser adds complexity without overwhelming funkiness that can come from other strong beers in other styles.
Guinness 0.0
Guinness 0.0 is an alcohol-free stout beer that offers a unique flavor profile, which complements the flavors of Irish cheddar. This stout has a light roasted wheat taste, with notes of sweet malt and caramel for a blend that’s subtly smoky and earthy.
The low bitterness allows it to pair well with a variety of dishes from cheeses to chocolate desserts, without overpowering them.
Guinness 0.0 also contains significantly fewer calories than other beers, making it an ideal choice for those trying to watch their waistline or cut down on alcohol consumption as it is 100% non-alcoholic yet still packed full of flavor!
When paired with creamy Irish cheddar, this beer brings out complementary sweetness while cutting through the richness; its slightly malty finish helps builds complexity in the dish overall.
The Basics Of Beer Cheese
Beer and cheese are one of the most popular food pairings in the world, as they can bring out the best flavors in each other.
Why Beer And Cheese Is A Great Pairing
Beer and cheese make a great pairing, with some people who believe that beer even pairs better with cheese than wine does.
Not only do many craft beers have complex taste notes – such as bitterness from the hops or caramel malts – they also contain carbonation which helps to lift all these wonderful flavor profiles on your tongue.
This makes them an ideal match for cheese, whether creamy brie or a pungent blue cheese.
The variety of styles available can make it quite daunting trying to discover which beers work best with which cheeses.
The Ingredients Of Beer Cheese
Beer cheese is a delicious dish that can be enjoyed as a dip for vegetables or crackers, served over brats and hamburgers, or even as soup.
Beer cheese typically consists of sharp cheddar cheese (or processed cheese with cheddar flavor), beer, garlic, and a few spices to bring out the flavors.
Sharp cheddar cheeses are the star ingredient in the classic beer-cheese combination, offering both sharpness and creaminess when melted down into dishes such as macaroni and cheese.
As far as spice additions go, dijon mustard is often used separately from the beer-cheese mix donning additional layers of color intensity alongside fresh herbs such sage & parsley guaranteeing intense bouquets with every bite—the possibilities are almost endless!
Tips For Pairing Beer With Cheese
When it comes to pairing beer and cheese, there are some key tips to remember including matching intensity, balancing flavors, contrasting textures, complementing aromas and considering regional pairings.
Additionally, experiment with different styles of beer that will best highlight the complexity of the cheese or vice versa.
Match Intensity
When it comes to pairing beer and cheese, matching intensity is key. Both the beer and cheese should be relatively comparable in terms of flavors that are present as well as their overall strength.
For example, pairing a pilsner with a sharp cheddar results in complimentary yet balanced relationships between the maltiness of the pilsners and certain notes from the cheese – leading to an interesting flavor profile that won’t overpower your taste buds.
On the other hand, if you opt for an IPA instead with its strong bitterness on top of a sharp cheddar cheese, it can be difficult to differentiate between what’s coming from which item due to their overbearing natures being far too similar.
Balance Flavors
Finding the perfect pairing of beer and cheese starts by balancing the intensity of flavors. Each ingredient should have a complementary flavor that will enhance, not overpower each other’s taste.
A mild cheddar cheese can be paired with an IPA for a light yet flavorful combination because the hoppiness of the beer cuts through some of the cheddar’s sharpness. On the other hand, when pairing blue cheeses with beers like pilsners or Helles lagers, it’s important to find something that won’t compete with or overwhelm its strong and tangy profile instead softening it delicately for an unbeatable result.
Regional pairings such as Farmhouse ales from France matched with nutty French cheeses are also a great way to enhance both flavours after one another – allowing their distinct characteristics to shine side-by-side in all its glory.
Contrast Textures
When exploring the perfect beer and cheese pairing, texture is a key factor to consider. By combining contrasting textures in your pairing, you can create depth of flavor and an intensity that makes tasting all the more enjoyable.
For example, light lagers are often paired with milder cheeses like brie for its smooth and creamy texture which contrasts nicely with the crisp fizz of the lager. On the other hand, bold IPAs go particularly well with sharp cheddar as their hop bitterness complements well to balance out flavors from a sharper cheese.
Similarly there are rich stouts ideal for creamier blues due to its heavy body notes such as coffee or chocolate that helps cut through richer flavors in blue cheese varieties.
Complement Aromas
Aromas are a great way to enhance the flavors of beer and cheese, so it’s important to make sure they create a harmonious pairing. A strong-flavored cheese can be balanced with a lighter-bodied beer, while milder cheeses can benefit from fuller bodied beers.
For example, sage notes in chèvre pair well with citrus and floral flavors found in Belgian pale ales or wheat beers for an invigorating experience unlike any other. Similarly, nutty Gruyère works very well with maltier German bocks or dunkels which contain just the right level of sweetness that will bring out the best of both foods.
Consider Regional Pairings
If you really want to take your beer and cheese pairing game up a notch, consider looking into regional pairings. Regions have certain specialties when it comes to cheese, so why not pair those with the best beers from the same region? For example, try a French Comté paired with an Orval Belgian ale, or goose gouda from Holland accompanied by an Heineken lager.
Another pairing idea is to go local – seek out lower-profile craft breweries local to where you live and look for cheeses made there too.
Perhaps one of the most classic regional pairings involves English cheddar and pale ales like Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale or Founders Centennial IPA. The malty sweetness of these ales work well against sharp cheddar’s bite while still offering enough flavor complexity and bitterness of their own as well.
That said, these beers also complement milder varieties such as Gouda quite nicely too – just swap out bold American IPAs for lighter British pub ales like Boddingtons Pub Ale or New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale instead.
Experiment With Different Styles
A great way to make the most out of your beer and cheese pairing experience is to experiment with different styles. An 11th-century Bavarian Bishop, Wilhelm V, is credited with inventing beer cheese soup by combining hop flavors with creamy rinds of soft cheeses like brie or camembert.
Don’t be afraid to try mixing and matching through a wide variety of beers that can complement different types of cheese. Consider balance when selecting both components; a hoppy beer can provide the perfect contrast for sharp cheddar while an IPA may pair best with nutty, sweet cheeses like Gouda.
Malts are known for working well against blue cheese, as bitterness helps mellow some creaminess in Asiago or Jack Cheese – but if you prefer something smoother and milder like Brie then lagers or light lagers might work better.
There are no hard rules so feel free to experiment! To help guide you along the way remember that it’s all about finding harmony between sweetness from malt flavorings, acidity from hops and texture variations between buttery bitter undertones (or other characteristics).
Pair Hops With Sharp Cheeses
Pairing hops with sharp cheeses is a great idea when looking to achieve the perfect beer and cheese combination. The bitterness of hoppy or IPAs helps to balance out the strong flavors of sharp style cheese such as cheddar, blue vein, Gouda, Colby Jack and more.
Popular hoppy beers ideal for pairing with sharp cheeses include Lagunitas IPA, Stone IPA, Firestone Union Jack IPA – all which offer mild or intense levels of hop bitterness when needed.
If you’re looking to take your pairing game up a notch then why not try matching an aged cheddar cheese with a malty yet bitter English style barley wine? This is quite possibly one if the best combinations for both beer geeks and foodies alike!
Pair Malts With Nutty, Sweet Cheeses
Malty beers are the ideal match for nutty and sweet cheeses. Malts provide a full-bodied flavor that balances out; we need to counter the sweetness of these varieties of cheese with an opposing force—the slightly bitter notes in the malt can balance out their flavors without overpowering them.
Examples of nutty and sweet cheeses include cheddar, fontina, gouda, camembert, blue cheese—the list goes on! All these varieties pair well with malty beers like brown ales and amber ales.
The caramel malts used in such brews as Brown Ales will add a subtle sweetness which pairs nicely with the slightly sharp edges of aged Goudas or hard types such as Parmigiano Reggiano.
Additionally, lighter lagers can bring out the buttery texture and delicate flavors found in Brie or Camembert style cheeses.
FAQs on The Perfect Beer Pairings for Beer Cheese
What is beer cheese?
Beer cheese combines two classic favorites – sharp cheddar (or another flavorful variant) and a selection of light beer that are mixed together to create an unique, creamy mixture for enjoying with crackers or bread.
Depending upon the recipe used, other ingredients such as garlic and herbs can be added as well to complement both flavors.
What type of beer should I use to make beer cheese?
When making beer cheese it is recommended to opt for lager-style beers since they often contain milder notes that do not overpower the taste of the cheese when combined with bold flavoring from fresh herbs or spices incorporated in recipes manually by home cooks while others select pre-packaged mixes instead.
How long will homemade beer cheese last?
If stored properly, most types of homemade Beer Cheese should last between 7 – 10 days in the refrigerator before needing to be replaced with a freshly made batch or reserved ingredients. Please make sure to plan accordingly if larger batches are being created at once before entertaining guests during events at home so that food is not wasted.
Are there any health benefits associated with eating beer cheese?
While beer cheese is undoubtedly delicious, it is essential to note that it is not necessarily the healthiest food option due to its high calorie and fat content.
However, beer cheese made with quality ingredients can provide some nutritional benefits. For example, the cheese used in beer cheese can provide protein, calcium, and vitamin D, while some types of beer contain antioxidants and B vitamins. Additionally, moderation is key – enjoying beer cheese in small portions as an occasional treat can be a part of a balanced diet.
Final Take on The Best Beer for Beer Cheese
Beer and cheese pairings can take your taste buds on an exciting adventure. From a creamy brie paired with a light Belgian wheat to a sharp cheddar matched with an IPA, there are endless beer and cheese combinations to explore.
But be sure to pay attention to the flavours of both the beer and cheese; the intensity of each should match in order for their pairing to be truly successful. With some trial and error you will soon discover which beers complement different cheeses perfectly.
The best part about exploring beer-cheese pairings is that you’ll probably never have the same combination twice! Each style of craft beer offers its own unique flavor profile that can bring out new notes in every type of cheese—so gather some friends, get creative, and don’t let food go stale without having explored all possible delicious combinations.
