Ten Ideas for Pairing Beer and Cheese

Beer and cheese are a classic pair. While these are a few of our favorites, they aren’t the final word on cheese and beer—many of these cheeses, especially blue cheeses, can vary greatly in flavor profile and intensity. We found Doppelbock to be a great match with the blue we had on hand, but many blue cheeses can also work well with a fresh American IPA or even an Imperial Stout. Try out some pairings on your own and let us know what you enjoyed best!

Here's a quick rundown of the ten pairings we found to work well together:

Camembert & Belgian Golden Strong Ale - the beer's light malt flavors made this taste like creamy cheese on crackers.
Triple Crème & Flanders Red Ale - this cheese's funky notes were tamed by the beer's tartness and while bringing out a sweet cherry flavor.
Taleggio-style & Fruit Lambic - this pair reminded us of pie dough and baked cherries.
Sharp Cheddar & American Porter - nutty and toasty notes in the porter enhanced the cheese's sharp flavors.
Smoked Cheddar & Belgian Dubbel - the smoky cheese with the beer's fruitiness were reminiscent of smoked dried cherries.
Bandage-wrapped Cheddar & American IPA - the beer & cheese mellowed each other and created a new flavor of golden raisins.
Traditional Jack & Witbier - this cheese was mild enough to enhance the delicate spice & fruit notes of the Witbier.
Pepper Jack & Imperial Stout - this pair created a flavor combination similar to that of an spicy mole chili.
Dry Jack & American Pale Ale - malt sweetness enhanced the nutty notes, while the cheese tempered some of the beer's bitterness.
Blue Cheese & Doppelbock - this particular blue enhanced the dark fruit (think fig & date) notes in the Doppelbock.

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