Food pairing
Beer with soft cheese
Rich, buttery bloomy-rind cheese with a mushroomy savoury edge.
Butterfat and a mushroomy rind, with very little salt or sharpness to work against. The texture is as much of the problem as the flavour: it coats the palate and stays there.
High carbonation scrubs it clear, which is why Belgian styles suit soft cheese so reliably. Bitterness is less useful here than it is with a hard cheese.
Soft cheese 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
Tripel — excellent pairing
High carbonation and a dry finish cut straight through the butterfat, and the beer’s orchard-fruit esters lift the mushroomy note of a bloomy rind.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
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.
Oud Bruin — strong
Tartness resets the palate between mouthfuls, the way a squeeze of lemon does.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
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.
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.