Cheese and Beer: Made for Each Other

As cocktails, on a warm summer day sitting on a patio, upon returning from a walk in the snow or for a "beer and cheese" tasting, there's nothing more comforting or more thirst-quenching than an elegant tray of assorted cheeses and beer sparkling in pretty glasses! Here is some advice and a few suggestions to help you better appreciate this merry union.

Simple as hello!

As with wines, it is suggested that you harmonize the character of the beer with that of the cheese. You can't go wrong by following this advice: while mild cheese goes well with light beer, stronger-flavoured cheese goes better with stronger-tasting beer. By enjoying them gradually, the beers and cheeses you will pair will reveal to you their best qualities. But just like with any other pairing, in choosing cheeses and beers, your taste is always your best guide.

From bubbles to bubbles

Today, as micro-breweries present us with such a vast choice, Canadian beer has become the ideal partner for our cheeses. You will surely find a beer to your liking among the light beers, lagers, ales, dark beers and even stouts available. From delicate, light golden ales to dark and robust brews, with a profusion of shades and flavours in between, micro-brewers offer beer for all tastes.

What cheeses? The choice is yours!

More than one hundred Canadian cheeses are available to you almost everywhere in the country, and most will be perfect as an aperitif or for a “beer and cheese” tasting among friends. For the various services, you should pick cheeses among the different categories: soft cheeses, semi-soft cheeses, firm cheeses and hard cheeses.

Comments

• Paul Zippel

  June 11th, 2010
  

  For stronger cheeses do you recommend stronger, darker beers?

• Walter Hego

  November 18th, 2009
  

  I like beer with...anything! But i LOVE it with cheese. Thanks for the tips!!!