What Is The Best Type Of Beer To Pair With Blue Cheeses?

Although wine and cheese may still be the more dominant pairing, beer makes further headway on the drinks and dairy circuit with each passing party season. Just like a sommelier might expertly match your Sancerre and chèvre, so, too, can a brew pro couple suds with the stuff. This is a great development not only for your everyday snacking but to help you narrow down what to buy and what to skip for your next cheese and charcuterie board. For instance, some creamy, funky, assertive kinds can be harder to marry than others. So, we tapped Stephen Alexander, sales and marketing director for Tall City Brewing Company in Midland, Texas for his tips on what to sip with divisive yet beloved blue cheeses.

"Rich, bold ales like barleywines, Belgian dubbels, or imperial stouts pair well with blue cheese, as their strong, malty sweetness balances the sharp, salty tang of the cheese," Alexander spills to Chowhound exclusively. "For milder blue cheeses, opt for a brown ale or wheat beer, while intense blue cheeses like Roquefort pair well with robust ales that can stand up to their pungency."

Although your party guests probably won't complain (until you're out of ear shot), there are wrong answers regarding booze and blues. "Avoid overly bitter or dry beers, such as IPAs, as their strong hoppy flavors can clash with the sharp, salty taste of blue cheese," Stephen Alexander, who is also involved with the public relations and marketing committee for the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, says. "The bitterness may overwhelm the cheese, leading to an unbalanced pairing."

Your fan favorite cheddar, instead, is a nice accompaniment for an IPA, and, realistically, familiar enough to most lactose-tolerant folks that it'll probably disappear from your cheese board pretty quick. You could also swing back to those spreadable chèvres or similar light, mild varieties so as not to compete with the IPA's character. And, should your beverage selection demand any last minute cheese adjustments, you can always repurpose your blue as a pungent steak accompaniment.