Beer and cheese pairing: the guide that'll make you forget wine

In France, a cheese board calls for a glass of red almost by reflex. And yet, ask any curious cheesemonger: beer is often a far better match. Its bubbles cut through fat, its bitterness balances salt, its grainy notes echo the rind. In short, beer and cheese pairings work wonderfully, as long as you know a few rules. Here's how to impress your guests at your next get-together.

Why beer and cheese get along so well

Cheese and beer share something rarely pointed out: both are products of fermentation, born on farms and in abbeys. But the pairing really comes down to three very concrete mechanisms.

• Bubbles: carbonation "rinses" the fat off your palate, making you want another bite.
• Hop bitterness: it balances the salt and richness of hard and blue cheeses.
• Malt: its bready, biscuity or caramel notes echo rinds and aged cheeses.

Where red wine and its tannins sometimes clash with creamy cheeses, beer rarely has that problem. So it's hard to get a pairing truly wrong. But you can do much better than "fine".

The three golden rules

1. 1Match intensity with intensity: a mild cheese with a light beer, a strong cheese with a beer that has character. A light lager vanishes next to Roquefort; an imperial stout flattens a fresh goat's cheese.
2. 2Complement or contrast: either look for similar aromas (a caramelly amber with a nutty Comté) or play opposites (a sour beer with a rich, creamy cheese).
3. 3Terroir: what grows together often goes together. Maroilles with a beer from northern France, an abbey cheese with an abbey beer: tradition has often done the work for you.

Which beer with which cheese?

To help you find your way, here are the main cheese families and the beer styles that suit them best. If some styles are unfamiliar, our beginner's guide to beer styles covers them all.

Fresh and goat's cheeses

Freshness, acidity, lightness: these cheeses call for lively, refreshing beers. A wheat beer with citrus and coriander notes is the classic match for fresh goat's cheese. A slightly peppery saison or a crisp, dry pilsner also work very well. Avoid overly bitter beers, which make goat's cheese taste metallic.

Soft bloomy-rind cheeses (Camembert, Brie, Coulommiers)

Creamy and slightly mushroomy, these cheeses love beers with enough fizz to cut through the fat. A Belgian blonde or a tripel makes a lovely match for Brie. With a ripe Camembert, try a fruity, slightly tart beer: Normandy has known about apple and Camembert for centuries.

Washed-rind cheeses (Maroilles, Munster, Époisses)

These are the cheeses that scare off timid guests, and where beer is frankly better than wine. They need something with backbone: an amber ale or a northern French bière de garde with Maroilles, an abbey dubbel with Munster. The caramelised malt rounds off the power of the rind, and the whole thing becomes surprisingly harmonious.

Hard cooked cheeses (Comté, Beaufort, Gruyère)

Hazelnut, butter, dried fruit: this is the playground of amber ales and bières de garde. An 18-month aged Comté with a biscuity amber is a pairing you won't forget. For a younger, milder Comté, a malty blonde will do. With an aged Gouda or an extra-old Mimolette, step it up with a brown ale or a strong ale with caramel notes.

Semi-hard cheeses (Tomme, Saint-Nectaire, Cheddar)

Aged cheddar and IPA is the star pairing of the English-speaking world: the bitterness and citrus aromas of the hops answer the salty, sharp side of the cheese. For an earthier Tomme or Saint-Nectaire, a balanced amber or pale ale works wonders.

Blue cheeses (Roquefort, Bleu d'Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambert)

Salty, powerful, sometimes sharp: blue cheeses call for either sweetness or power. A stout or porter with chocolate and coffee notes creates a superb contrast with Roquefort. A barley wine or a slightly sweet strong ale plays the same role as the traditional dessert wine. With the milder Fourme d'Ambert, a brown ale is plenty.

Building a beer and cheese board

The ideal format: three to five cheeses from different families, each paired with a beer. Serve them in the same order as a tasting, from mildest to strongest, in small portions. If you like the idea, our guide to hosting a beer tasting at home covers pour sizes and serving order.

1. 1Fresh goat's cheese + wheat beer
2. 2Brie or Camembert + Belgian blonde
3. 3Aged Comté + amber ale
4. 4Maroilles + bière de garde
5. 5Roquefort + stout

Take the cheeses out of the fridge a good hour before serving, and the beers a little before too: too cold, both lose their aromas. Add some country bread, a few walnuts, a black cherry jam for the blues, and you've got a get-together people will talk about. For the rest of the gear, check out our list of must-have beer party accessories and, for glassware, which glass for which beer.

And to open the bottles?

Five pairings, five bottles to open: you might as well make each opening announce the next cheese. With the **Beer Mortar, the cap takes off* as the bottle opens. A guaranteed hit around the board, and a great way to win back attention between the Comté and the Maroilles.

Just one rule: aim at a clear area, never at people, or at the cheese board. A flying cap is still a small projectile, a bit like a champagne cork. To understand how it works, everything is explained on the how it works page.

The right pairing comes with the right measure

A beer and cheese pairing is best enjoyed in small amounts: you taste, you compare, you don't empty the bottles. Keep water on the table, plan a way home for anyone who's been drinking, and feel free to include an alcohol-free beer on the board: a good alcohol-free wheat beer or amber pairs very well with goat's cheese or Tomme. Please drink responsibly.

Frequently asked questions