Carbonation and bitterness cut through creamy fat and leave the palate ready for another bite.
Match intensity
Delicate cheese can disappear beside a huge beer; pungent cheese can flatten something too light.
Echo fermentation
Both beer and cheese can carry nutty, earthy, fruity, savoury or funky aromas, creating natural bridges.
Four cheese families to try
Cheddar
Bitter, pale ale or amber ale can meet salt and fat while malty flavours sit naturally beside nutty, savoury cheese.
Blue cheese
Strong stout, porter or a sweeter strong ale can stand up to intensity; the key is not letting the cheese overwhelm the beer.
Soft-ripened cheese
Wheat beer, saison or gently tart beer can bring lift and freshness beside creamy textures.
Washed-rind cheese
Aromatic Belgian-style ale or farmhouse beer can be a useful partner because both sides have enough character to remain visible.
The useful rule
Match strength before matching flavour.
A beautifully matched aroma is irrelevant if one side cannot be tasted. Start by keeping intensity roughly level, then decide whether you want echo, contrast or refreshment.
Try it with Sipping
Start with the cheese you actually have.
If the cheese itself is the unfamiliar bit, Milk to Board explains the families, rinds, ageing and texture before you choose the beer.
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