Beer and Cheese
Who doesn’t like cheese? And we know everyone loves beer! Pair these two and it’s a match made in heaven.
Wine and cheese pairings have always been popular. But when wine is paired with cheese, the acidity and tannins in the wine quickly wash away the flavors of the cheese. Beer is lower in tannin and contains less alcohol than wine, so there’s no tannic bite or alcoholic heat to interfere with the taste of the cheese. The carbonation, maltiness and full mouthfeel of beer enhance and complement the creamy consistency of cheese.
A Quick Cheese Course
Cheese can be divided into two broad categories, fresh and ripened. Cheese is made from milk that’s thickened with rennin (a coagulating enzyme), special bacteria or acid (such as lemon juice) until it separates into curds (semi-solids) and whey (liquid). After this happens, the curd is drained and pressed into shapes. This is called fresh or unripened cheese. Examples are farmer’s cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, mascarpone and cream cheese.
In the production of ripened or aged cheeses, the curds are cured by bacteria or heat. The curds are then aged in a temperature- and humidity-controlled room.
Into this category fall the hard cheeses, such as Parmesan; semi-firm, such as cheddar; semi-soft, such as Gouda; soft ripened, such as Brie; veined cheeses, which are inoculated with mold spores, such as blue cheese; and spun cheeses, such as mozzarella. Washed-rind cheeses — such as Chimay, a Belgian cheese that’s washed in beer — are also gaining popularity in the United States.
Throw a beer and cheese party!
A beer-and-cheese tasting makes a fun party. The pairings can be by country; for example, you could serve Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout with English Stilton, or German rauchbier with smoked German gouda. You could also pair the cheese and beer by flavor, whether complementary or contrasting. The beer should balance the strength of the cheese but not overpower it.
For a small party, sample 6–8 cheeses with the same number of beers. Slice the cheeses into one- to two-ounce portions. Accompany the cheeses with platters of rustic breads (if you’re ambitious, make spent-grain bread), crackers, toasted nuts (such as walnuts and pecans), dried fruits, chutney, cured meats (such as Black Forest ham), fresh fruits (raspberries, strawberries, pears and apples) and slices of exotic melons.
Serve the mildest cheese first, and go in order to the strongest. Tell your guests to first taste the beer, then take a bite of cheese, and then taste the beer again. This will enable them to appreciate the full range of flavors. One thing to remember is that the fat from the cheese will remain on your lips, which will make the beer go flat. That’s a small price to pay for the wonderful tastes you’ll experience!
We have provided two homebrew recipes that pair well with cheese and are perfect to add to dishes with cheese as an ingredient. Enjoy!
BELGIAN BLOND ALE
(5 gallons/19 liters, extract with grains)
OG: 1.074–1.076 FG: 1.018–1.020
SRM: 6–7 IBU: 25 ABV: 7.1%
This blonde ale is a spun-gold color and is crowned with a dense head. The aroma offers a spicy and dry nose with a hint of alcohol. The soft palate is full of flavor with a smooth, malty quality. It finishes dry with a bit of hop bitterness. Pair with Brie in puff pastry with raspberries, or Clams Casino topped with Parmesan-Reggiano cheese.
Ingredients
4 oz. (112 g) Belgian biscuit malt
2 oz. (56 g) Belgian aromatic malt
8 lbs. (3.6 kg) Muntons extra-light dry malt extract (DME)
8 oz. (224 g) Belgian clear candi sugar
4 oz. (112 g) malto-dextrin
7.2 AAU Styrian Goldings (1.6 oz./45 g @ 4.5% AA) (bittering) for 60 min. 2.25 AAU Styrian Goldings (0.5 oz./14 g @ 4.5% AA) (flavor) for 15 min.
1 tsp. Irish moss for 15 minutes
Wyeast 1762 (Belgian Abbey II)
Wyeast 1214 (Belgian Abbey)
1-1/4 cup Muntons extra-light DME for priming
Step by step
Bring 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water to 155 °F (68 °C), add crushed grain and hold for 30 minutes at 150 °F
(66 °C). Strain the grain into the brewpot and sparge with 1/2 gallon (1.9 liters) of 168 °F (76 °C) water. Add the dry malt extract, candi sugar, malto-dextrin and bittering hops. Bring the total volume in the brewpot to 3 gallons (11.4 liters). Boil for 45 minutes, then add the flavor hops and Irish moss. Boil for 15 minutes, then remove the pot from the stove. Cool wort for 15 minutes in an ice bath or chill with a wort chiller. Strain into the primary fermenter and add water to obtain 5-1/8 gallons (19.4 liters). Add yeast when wort has cooled to below 75 °F (24 °C). Oxygenate-aerate well. Ferment at 70 to 72 °F (21 to 22 °C) for 7 days, then rack into secondary (glass carboy). Ferment at 70 to 72 °F (21 to 22 °C) until target gravity has been reached and beer has cleared (4 weeks). Prime and bottle. Carbonate at 70 to 72° (21 to 22 °C) for 3–4 weeks.
Partial-Mash option:
Acidify the mash water to below 7 pH. Mash 2.75 lbs. (1.24 kg) Belgian two-row Pilsner malt and the specialty grains in 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water at 153 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with 1.5 gallons (5.7 liters) of water at 5.7 pH and 168 °F (76 °C). Then follow the extract recipe, omitting 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) of Munton’s extra-light DME from the boil.
All-Grain option:
Acidify mash water to below 7 pH. Mash 13.5 lbs. (6.1 kg) Belgian two-row Pilsner malt and specialty grains in 4.75 gallons (18 liters) of water at 153 °F (67 ° C) for 90 minutes. Sparge with 5 gallons (19 liters) of water at 5.7 pH and 168 °F (76 °C). Boil time is 90 minutes. Add 5.4 AAUs of bittering hops for the entire boil. Add candi sugar, flavor hops and Irish moss as indicated by extract recipe.
SCOTCH ALE
(5 gallons/19 liters, extract with grains)
OG: 1.084–1.086 FG: 1.020–1.022
SRM: 27 IBU: 31 ABV: 8.2%
A classic wee heavy brimming with the aroma of sweet and peat-smoked malt. Bold and packed full of flavor, this is a beer to be sipped slowly. Pair with a plate of Stilton cheese, pears and walnuts. It’s also delicious with a slice of grilled black bread topped with tomatoes and melted sharp cheddar.
Ingredients
12 oz. (336 g) British crystal malt (55 °L)
2 oz. (56 g) roasted barley
2 oz. (56 g) peated malt
7 lbs. (3.15 kg) Muntons extra-light dry malt extract
3.5 lbs. (1.58 kg) John Bull light malt extract syrup
9 AAUs Northern Brewer (1 oz./28 g @ 9% AA) (bittering) for 60 min.
2.5 AAUs East Kent Goldings (1/2 oz./14 g @ 5% AA) (flavor) for 15 min.
1 tsp. Irish moss for 15 minutes
Wyeast 1728 (Scottish Ale)
White Labs WLP028 (Edinburgh Ale)
1-1/4 cup Muntons extra-light dry malt extract for priming
Step by step
Bring 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water to 155 °F (68 °C), add crushed grain and hold for 30 minutes at 150 °F (66 ° C). Strain the grain into the brewpot and sparge with 1/2 gallon (1.9 liters) of 168 °F (76 °C) water. Add the dry malt extract, malt extract syrup and bittering hops. Bring the total volume in the brewpot to 3.5 gallons (13.3 liters). Boil for 45 minutes, then add the flavor hops and Irish moss. Boil for 15 minutes, then remove the pot from the stove. Cool wort for 15 minutes in an ice bath or chill with a wort chiller. Strain into the primary fermenter and add water to obtain 5-1/8 gallons (19.4 liters). Add yeast when wort has cooled to below 75 °F (24 °C). Oxygenate-aerate well. Ferment at 62 to 65 °F (17 to 18 °C) for 7 days, then rack into secondary (glass carboy). Ferment at 62 to 65 °F (17 to 18 °C) until target gravity has been reached and beer has cleared (4 weeks). Prime and bottle. Carbonate at 70 to 72 °F (21 to 22 °C) for 3-4 weeks. Store at cellar temperature.
Partial-Mash option:
Acidify the mash water to below 7 pH. Mash 2.25 lbs. (1 kg) British or Scottish two-row pale malt and the specialty grains in 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water at 151 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with 1.5 gallons (5.7 liters) of water at 5.7 pH and 168 °F (68 °C). Then follow the extract recipe, omitting 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) of Muntons extra-light dry malt extract from the boil.
All-Grain option:
Acidify the mash water to below 7 pH. Mash 15 lbs. (6.75 kg) British or Scottish two-row pale malt and the specialty grains in 4.75 gallons (18 liters) of water at 151 °F (66 °C) for 90 minutes. Sparge with 5 gallons (19 liters) of water at 5.7 pH and 168 °F (76 °C). The total boil time is approximately 90 minutes. Add 7.1 AAUs of bittering hops for the last 90 minutes of the boil. Add the flavor hops and Irish moss as indicated by extract recipe.
Hearty Homebrewer’s Onion and Ale Soup
Serves 6–8
The slow-braised sweet onions complement the malty sweetness of Scotch ale in this delicious soup. Melted Gruyere cheese makes every spoonful complex and comforting. Serve as lunch, with a simple salad of field greens with fruit-beer vinaigrette.
Soup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large sweet (Vidalia) onions
2 leeks, sliced in thin rings (white part only)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 Turkish bay leaf
Pinch of allspice
6 cups of hearty beef stock
2 cups Scotch ale
1 tablespoon sherry
Salt to taste
Lots of freshly ground pepper
Chopped chives for garnish
In a heavy Dutch oven, slowly brown the onions, leek, garlic, salt, pepper, allspice and thyme in butter until caramelized (approximately 15–20 minutes). Add the bay leaf and flour; stir until the flour is slightly browned. (Keep the heat low so that it does not burn.) Slowly add the hot beef stock and Scotch ale. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sherry and simmer for 5 minutes.
Cheese toast
6 to 8 one-inch slices of French bread
1 large clove garlic
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
Pre-heat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Cut the garlic clove in half. Rub it on both sides of the bread and brush with olive oil. Place the bread on a parchment-covered cookie sheet and bake until crusty, turning once.
Pre-heat the broiler. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls. Remove bay leaf. Place a toast in each bowl and cover with cheese. Broil until the cheese has melted and is bubbly. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.
Baked Rigatoni in Belgian Blonde Ale Cream Sauce
Serves 4
This dish is excellent with strong Belgian blonde or golden ales, weizen and wit beers. The spiciness of these beers will cut through the creaminess of the cheese. My favorite variations of this dish include roasted broccoli or steamed spring asparagus; Mark’s choice is crumbled hot Italian sausage. In summer we add just-picked grape tomatoes, straight from our garden.
This can be baked in individual gratin dishes (two-cup size) or in a large baking pan. The trick is to cook this dish on high heat and prepare it in a pan that is large enough so that the pasta is only 1-2 inches deep. At this depth, the pasta will be nice and crunchy on top and the lower layers will not get mushy.
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups Belgian blonde ale
Zest from one large lemon
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
1/2-cup fresh mozzarella balls, diced
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper
1 lb. imported Italian penne
Parsley to garnish
Step by step
Preheat oven to 500 °F (260 °C). In a large bowl combine the cream, 1/2 cup Belgian ale, lemon zest, cheeses, salt and pepper. In a large stockpot bring 4 quarts salted water and 1-1/2 cup ale to a boil. Add the pasta and boil five minutes. Drain and add to cheese mixture. Toss and put in a baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes until bubbly and the pasta tips are brown. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
