5 great pairings for an IPA

Of course it depends what type of IPA or India pale ale you're talking about. A relatively light style will lead you in a different direction from a huge, hoppy double IPA, but these I think would be my top five . . .

1) Curry
Loose term but as a general match for mild-medium hot Indian food I don't think you can beat an IPA. A lighter, more refreshing style though.

2) Beer-can chicken
The spicy rub calls for a bit more ooomph than a straight pale ale. A generously hopped IPA hits the spot

3) Pork belly
And other roast pork joints of course. Brilliant with a slightly richer style like Goose Island

4) Chargrilled steaks
Again, particularly suits the richer, American styles. (So do burgers, of course.)

5) Mature cheddar cheese
Sometimes causes problems for red wines but not for strong hoppy IPAs. (They're great with proper artisan cheese toasties made with sourdough bread too.)

Image by Nina Firsova at shutterstock.com

5 great beer pairings for roast turkey

Even those who normally drink beer feel the need to have wine with turkey but beer is actually just as good, if not a better accompaniment.

I’m not mad about Christmas ales (better on their own or with stilton, I think) but there are plenty of other options:

A rich full-bodied IPA. I used to say American-style IPA but we have so many great ones of our own in the UK now you don’t need to constantly make that comparison. 

A saison - I remember Garret Oliver recommending this to me way back. It really works

An amber ale or bière ambrée has a fruitiness that plays well with a fruity stuffing

A strong Belgian ale like Duvel would make a good partner for the Boxing Day leftovers.

A brown ale - a good choice if you like to serve your turkey with a rich gravy. Nøgne Ø’s imperial brown ale is a corker or try Brooklyn’s Brown ale.

And what about cider?

I’d go for a medium-dry cider - totally dry is a bit austere to compete with the trimmings, medium sweet too sweet - for my palate at least. The very natural-tasting Pilton cider which comes in full-size bottles would be perfect.

Here are some more suggestions from Serious Eats

 

Some exciting drink pairings for cheese that aren’t wine

We automatically think of matching wine and cheese or beer and cheese but there are many drinks that work just as well and can give a real ‘wow factor’ to your cheeseboard.

Cider for example makes a very enjoyable lunchtime partner for a selection of cheese or a ploughmans while an elderberry wine or glass of sloe gin can make an unusual alternative to port for an after dinner cheeseboard. I also like soft drinks with cheese, which I often eat as a light lunch or snack, when I don’t particularly want to drink anything alcoholic.

Here are my suggestions for individual types of cheeses:

Goats’ cheeses
Apple, citrus and floral flavours work well with goats cheese so I often turn to soft drinks such as apple juice, elderflower cordial or traditional lemonade with young fresh cheeses, particularly in a salad. With more mature cheeses try an apple-flavoured eau-de-vie.

White-rinded cheeses such as Camembert and Brie
Milder versions work particularly well with red berry-flavoured drinks. (I know I said I wouldn’t talk about beer but a Belgian raspberry or cherry beer is a great partner for a Brie.) Guignolet, an inexpensive French cherry-flavoured aperitif, is a intriguing pairing for a slightly riper cheese though if it’s got to the state where it’s oozing over the board you may be better with a stronger drink like a Calvados or apple brandy. Apple flavoured drinks such as cider and Pommeau also go well with Camembert.

Hard and semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar and Gouda
Again cider will work well with these cheeses if they’re not too mature but aged cheddars and Goudas need something more intense, rich and nutty. Dry amontillado, palo cortado and dry oloroso sherries (though these strictly count as wines they’re an unusual pairing), malt whiskies that are aged in sherry casks, armagnacs and artisanal dark rums are all interesting matches. You might also try sake of which I understand the author Max McCalman, affineur of Artisanal in New York is a great champion. I haven’t given it a run through but imagine it would go particularly well with slightly waxy cheeses such as Beaufort and Comté.

Semi-soft/washed rind cheeses
E.g. Epoisses, Langres, Munster and Pont L’Evêque when allowed to mature to the limit, i.e. the proverbial ‘stinky’ cheese. These are real red wine - and even white wine-killers so it makes sense to look for alternatives. The pairings I find work best (apart from strong Belgian beers) are French ‘marcs’ such as marc de Champagne and marc de Bourgogne and - believe it or not - Dutch genever!

Sheep’s cheeses
The most wine-friendly of cheeses so what other options might tempt you? Poire William, I once discovered, was a fantastic match for Pecorino and I’m sure would go with other sheeps’ cheeses too. You might also try quince-flavoured liqueurs on the Manchego principle. Bramley and Gage makes one and Emporia Brands imports one from Gabriel Boudier. I also like dry, nutty sherries and Madeiras with sheep’s cheese but again that’s straying into wine territory.

Blue cheeses
As I’m sure you well know salty, pungent blue cheeses need a contrasting note of sweetness to balance them so any port drinkalike will fare well. Elderberry wine, sloe or damson gin are real champions. Going in a totally different direction, peaty whiskies such as Lagavulin and Talisker are also fantastic with strong blue cheeses, especially Roquefort.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Beer and Cheese: my 5 favourite pairings

Beer blogger Steve Lamond has been matching beer and cheese for the past seven years and has compiled an invaluable guide on his blog Beers I’ve Known. Hare are his 5 all-time favourites which include some cracking combinations.

Fiona asked me if I’d like to do a guest post on beer and cheese pairings. Never being one to eschew blathering on about my two favourite topics I of course said yes. I’ve chosen my top five pairings. I’m not saying they’re the best in existence but they’re the five that have most impressed me over the years.

I’ve not tried to put them in any order as that would be just too hard! Note that all of my favourites are British cheeses and unpasteurised (with the exception of the Colston Bassett) highlighting what fantastic producers of both beer and cheese we have in this country. Most of the beers should be readily available within the UK, but alternative beers have been suggested in case of difficulty (or if you want to try more than one beer!)

Bristol Beer Factory Hefe and Fresh Ragstone Goats Cheese

This pairing was tasted at Fiona’s own Cheese School and just really worked. The creamy lemon in the cheese complemented the wheat spice and yeast clove esters in this Hefeweizen beer. A light carbonation to titivate rather than scrub the tongue. A great lunchtime pairing.

Alternatives: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissebier, Schneider Weisse

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter and Colston Bassett Stilton

A classic American beer with a classic British cheese, I can still taste this in my mind one year on. Sweet funky blue marries fantastically with the umami of dark malts in the Imperial Porter. The piquant fruitiness of the cheese complements the yeast and malt fruit flavours. Our friend carbon dioxide works wonders at cleaning the palate after each bite. I’d also love to try this with Stichelton for even greater flavour heights.

Alternatives: Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Franciscan Well Bellringer and Sparkenhoe Red Leicester

Until I’d tried this unpasteurised version, I’d written off Red Leicester as plastic and avoided it. This cheese is fantastic however. As pungent as a mature cheddar and with a lot of fruit too the beer pairs very well with the Extra Special Bitter “style” of beers. The beer brings seville marmalade and candied citrus peel to the table on a chunky raft of malt. Just enough alcohol to ensure it doesn’t get lost under the cheese. The unexpected pairings are often the most rewarding.

Alternatives: Fuller’s ESB, Marble Old Manchester

Marble Saison Special 2011 and Stinking Bishop

I have a soft spot for washed-rind cheeses and Stinking Bishop by Charles Martell is my very favourite. Those slightly funky fruity aromas pair oh so well with Belgian yeast used in Saison beers, placed together they enhance each others’ flavours to a new level. There’s a fairly meaty savoury flavour brought to the fore and the New World hops that Marble loves to use are also accentuated by the pungent cheese. I could polish off a whole bottle easily.

Alternatives: Saison Dupont, Dark Star Saison

Fuller’s Vintage Ale and Keen’s Mature Cheddar

Bottle conditioned and released on an annual basis using the best of that year’s ingredients, Fullers Vintage is a fantastic Barley Wine. It changes with age but all vintages should pair just as well with the Keen’s cheddar. Being of higher alcohol the beer is able to deftly grapple with the tongue-tingling cheese whilst the cheese coaxes more fruity flavours from those malty depths. A perfect nightcap.

Alternatives: Thomas Hardy Ale, JW Lees Harvest Ale

Steve blogs as Beers I’ve Known and posts a monthly cheese and beer pairing. He has a guide to beer and cheese matching available at tinyurl.com/beer-cheeses

For more tips on pairing beer with cheese, check out this guide from Culture Cheese.

What are your favourite beer and cheese pairings?

Image by Alexey Klen from Pixabay