Guides6 Cheese Boards, 6 Perfect Beer Pairings
Beer and cheese are both fermented, both built on terroir, and both get better with a little age. We'd argue beer and cheese is actually a better pairing than wine and cheese. To prove that point, we put together six boards along with a Beer Sommelier for a recent tasting. Here's the rundown, board by board.
Board 1: Bright and Buttery
Andante Figaro and Brillat-Savarin kicked things off. The fig-leaf wrapped goat cheese paired with West Ashley beer from Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Santa Cruz. The triple cream paired with 3F's Oude Gueuze 2013.
"The Trader Joe's Fig Crackers added a wonderful hint of sweetness to the Brillat. Then the sour, funky Belgian lambic cut through the creamy cheese in a delightful way making you crave another bite."
Board 2: Terroir of the Midwest
Prairie Breeze is an award winning cheddar cheese from Iowa. We had it with Single Thread 2025 from Side Project Brewing in St. Louis. Together the cheese and the beer embodied a new take on the "Terroir of the Mid-West" showcasing the evolution in this beer-loving capital of the USA. Both of them are built around the same idea: using local, place-driven ingredients.
The crunchy crystals in Prairie Breeze are divine. Cory King's beers take it to the next level. Chef's kiss! This is my favorite pairing of the night.
Board 3: Horseradish and Pepper
Montgomery Cheddar joined Shadow Blossom on our third board. Montgomery Cheddar is a traditional cloth-bound cheddar from England made by Neal's Yard Dairy. Shadow Blossom is an alpine-cheese covered in black peppercorns from colorful cheesemaker Albert Kraus who also makes Alp Blossom. Horny Devil is a Trappist-style Belgian beer made by AleSmith in San Diego.
I loved the peppery shadow blossom paired with the Belgian Triple. So good!!! The peppery yeast of the tripel were a great echo of the shadow blossom’s rind.
Board 4: Gouda and Alpine
A simple but delicious board designed to fill people up! The Double Cream Gouda is imported by Cheeseland, a Dutch Family living on the beautiful Orca's Island in Washington. You can see why this is a favorite snacking cheese. It was joined by Red Witch, a broth-forward, salty, savory, alpine cheese from Switzerland and Smoking Goose duck Prosciutto.
How could you not love the Smoking Goose Duck Prosciutto. Especially when your host is slicing it himself at home!
Board 5: Spanish Cheese
Spain is hot. Sheep and goats thrive in the rocky, alpine regions across the country. Montes de Alcalá Payoyo, a semi-cured Spanish goat cheese, and Pascualino from Finca Pascualete, a sheep's milk cheese brought our first non-Cow milk cheese since the first board. These two cheeses were joined by 6th Anniversary de Garde Wild Ale from Tillamook, Oregon.
I was excited to try some something beyond Manchego and Ossau-Iraty. The pudgy, goat milk cheese from Cadiz was my favorite! It was fun to try it paired with a beer from the other side of the world.
Board 6: Dessert Cheese
Our final board was one of the best with two very different types of blue cheeses. First, we had Gorgonzola Dolce, the creamy Italian blue cheese that even blue cheese skeptics (and haters) can't say no to. This cheese paired with Level Crossing's barrel aged Eternal Pursuit, a Belgian Quad. Second, we had Stichelton, a raw milk version of Stilton. It is strong, savory, dense and creamy. This paired with a barrel-aged and a non-barrel aged version of VII XXV XVII Wheatwine Ale from Level Crossing Brewing Company.
The biscuity malts of wheatwine and quod acted as a sweet dark wheat biscuit canvas for the salty blues. And, the barrel aging on the wheatwine added an extra cherry note to contrast the savory cheese. Scrumptious!!!
The Rest of the Board
A cheese board dinner isn't complete without a bunch of other delectable items.
- Fruit: Figs, Black Grapes and Apples
- Bread: Cranberry Walnut Bread, Country Loaf, Baguette
- Nuts: Marcona Almonds
- Spreads: Truffle Honey, Calabrian Chili Orange Jam
Bonus Beers:
- Side Project - Gourmand
- Hill Farmstead - Vera Mae
- Hill Farmstead - The Order of Things 2 (Sherry Cask)
- Floodland - To Contemplate Eternity 2023
Shout out to Berkeley Bowl, Market Hall, and Rainbow Grocery where we bought a lot of the groceries as well as all the beermasters and cheesemakers from around the world.