Food pairing
Beer with camembert
A bloomy-rind soft cheese that develops mushroom and ammonia notes as it ripens, and turns liquid when baked.
The white rind is a mould that works inward, breaking the paste down as it goes, which is why a ripe camembert is soft at the edge and firmer in the middle and why a very ripe one smells of ammonia. Those mushroom and farmyard notes are the flavour to pair, not the milk.
It is a fattier and more assertive proposition than brie at the same age, and baking concentrates both. The classic answers are highly carbonated and either dry or lightly tart, because the fat coats the palate and needs shifting between mouthfuls.
Camembert narrows the field sharply, and one answer stands clear of the rest. Most beer falls down on at least one thing this dish demands. The attribute doing most of the work is fat.
What to drink
Gueuze — classic pairing
A ripe bloomy rind coats the palate with fat and mushroom, and gueuze arrives with acidity and very high carbonation and strips it between mouthfuls. It is the same reason the region drinks it with cheese, arrived at from the beer’s side.
Caution: A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
American stout — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
American wild ale — strong
Tartness resets the palate between mouthfuls, the way a squeeze of lemon does.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Bière de Garde — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Munich Dunkel — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Dubbel — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
American porter — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Märzen — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
What not to drink
- Eisbock — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Imperial stout — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Pastry stout — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.