BEER RIVALS WINE AS THE PERFECT MATCH FOR CHEESE
Wine has traditionally been considered the best partner for cheese, but the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Cheese and the APPG for Beer have come together with MPs and Peers to challenge this assumption by voting on the ultimate British cheese & beer pairing.
After tasting a total of nine pairings, Fullers Vintage Ale 2008 with the Vintage Creamery Cheddars and Vintage West Country Farmhouse Cheddar came out on top, as the sweet barley taste of the beer complimented the creamy texture and complex flavour of the cheese perfectly.
In advance of the event, beer and cheese experts paired the nine distinctively different beers and cheeses so that attendees could decide on their favourites. Due to the fabulous range of British beers and cheese available and the amazement at how well they matched each other, picking a second and third place was not the easiest task. However, after much deliberation, it was decided that Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer paired with Farmhouse Red Leicester was the preferred pairing so it took second place and third place was awarded to Meantime IPA with Wensleydale and Cranberries.
Nigel White, Secretary of the British Cheese Board, commented on the event and the results saying ‘It is perhaps not surprising that the Vintage Cheddars paired with the Fullers Vintage Ale came out on top as they really are a match to savour. The hope is that these pairings will challenge the widely held belief that you should only drink wine with cheese. These beers, which ranged from low alcohol Mackeson to the high alcohol Vintage Ales, went perfectly with some fantastic British cheeses. When trying the pairings, in my view, the trick is to drink the beer as you would the wine – in small glasses to savour the way the cheeses and the beers complement each other.’
Pairing Notes
The Beer & Cheese Challenge
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Young Cheshire
A mild milky flavour and a crumbly texture, that melts in the mouth with a slight tangy finish
Where to buy? – all major supermarkets |
Sam Smith’s Cherry Beer Yorkshire 5.1% abv
An historic ‘fruit beer’, combining ripe cherry, marzipan and sherbet flavours with a devilishly sweet-and-sour finish. |
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Red Leicester
A young russet-red coloured cheese, with a mild creamy background and a slightly sweet, nutty finish
Where to buy? – all major supermarkets |
Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer Edinburgh 6.6% abv
A revolutionary “Oak Aged Beer” from Scotland, matured in Bourbon barrels for alluring caramel and spice flavours |
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Cornish Yarg
Deliciously creamy under the rind and slightly crumbly in the core. It has a young, fresh, slightly tangy taste and a unique edible rind made of nettle leaves.
Where to buy? – most major supermarkets from the deli counter. |
Hall & Woodhouse Stinger Dorset 4.5%abv
This soft, slightly ‘speciality ale’ flavoured with nettles mirrors the spiced beers of the 1500’s, before hops were first grown in Britain.
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Cornish Brie
Everything you look for in a good Brie – soft, pasty texture and a delicate piquancy with a creamy background flavour.
Where to buy? – selected major supermarkets either standard or organic. Or try Somerset Brie instead. |
Kronenbourg 1664 5.5% abv
A pale ‘Continental-style lager’, delicately flavoured using pale lager malts and hops , giving a slightly salty tang to the palate. |
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Pont Gâr
This is a brie-style cheese with a smooth creamy flavour and a slight hint of mushrooms which develops a more pronounced flavour with savoury notes as it matures.
Where to buy? some supermarkets and specialist cheese shops. |
Brain’s Dark Cardiff 4.1%
This soft, easy-drinking brew combines chocolate flavours with hints of liquorice and freshly ground coffee |
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Capricorn Soft Goats’ MilkCheese
Crumbly and slightly sharp when young, ripening to a creamy texture, full flavour and a slightly nutty finish.
Where to buy? – most major supermarkets. |
William Worthington’s White Shield IPA Burton on Trent 5.6% abv
This live, bottle-conditioned ale was one of only five such bottled beers in 1971 (there are now over 900). It is a serial award winner, still brewed in Burton-on-Trent. |
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Creamy Lancashire
Delicate flavour and a moist texture that delivers a long-lasting and surprisingly tangy finish for such a young cheese. It creates the finest cheese on toast.
Where to buy?– some major supermarkets – note that Creamy Lancashire is very different to the standard white crumbly Lancashire found in most supermarkets – you may have to go to the deli counter. |
Mackeson Stout Salmesbury 3% abv
This 1907 ‘milk stout’ is like liquid chocolate and “looks good, tastes good and, by golly, it does you good” (Bernard Miles!) |
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Vintage Cheddars Aged for around 18 months for extra flavour – a firm texture and a sweet nutty palate, with a long lasting finish of complex flavours. Note the subtle differences between the different creameries.
West Country Farmhouse Cheddar Traditionally farm-made Cheddar and a protected food name. Complex long lasting farmy flavours with a creamy background
Where to buy?– all major supermarkets |
Fullers Vintage Ale 2008 London 9.5% abv
This vintage ‘barley wine’ has wonderful sweet barley flavours, merged with the apricot and raisin flavours of its hops |
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Mature Blue Stilton
A creamy textured, creamy flavoured experience with a mellow, long-lasting finish as the complex flavours bounce around your mouth – the King of English cheese and a protected food name.
Where to buy? – all major supermarkets – look for creamy or mature Blue Stilton which has been aged for a few weeks longer than the standard one. |
Brakspear Triple Oxfordshire 7.2% abv
An ‘old ale’, best from a brandy glass, which brims with the plum and sultana flavours of its Northdown and Challenger hops. |
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Wensleydale with cranberries
Young crumbly Wensleydale blended with cranberries for the ultimate creamy, sweet combination
Where to buy? most major supermarkets |
Meantime IPA (India Pale Ale) London 7.5% abv
A magnificent example of ‘India Pale Ale’, the Chardonnay of its age, pale in colour and highly hopped to preserve it on its three-month voyage to India |
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