For the longest time, when one spoke about pairing cheese with an alcoholic drink, it would almost always be wine. But adventurous, and dare I say innovative, bartenders, alcohol aficionados and happy tipplers are increasingly trying out unique pairings.
Bourbon, rum, gin, vodka, tequila and whisky can be paired with cheese once you’ve established what flavours of the alcohol work well with characteristics of a cheese type. Amber-hued whisky works well with aged cheese.
The French cheese Comté, with its sturdy texture and earthy flavour, pairs well with whisky’s woody flavour. Johnnie Walker Blue can be served with aged Gouda or a softer variety such as goat cheese.
A good, ripe Brie or saltier, aged cheddar balances the sweet oak notes of an aged Glenlivet. Lighter whiskies have accents of passion fruit, orange and vanilla and also complement the creaminess and saltiness of Brie. Heavy, moist cheeses work well with aged single malt whiskies; the cheese brings out the oak, nutty flavours of the alcohol.
In general, sheep’s milk cheeses like Roquefort and Pecorino Romano tend to pair better with bourbon and other American whiskeys. If you’re looking to pair the strong flavour and certainly overpowering odour of blue cheeses like Roquefort and Gorgonzola, you could pick your favourite Scotch.
Remember to keep some vegetables like olives or cut cucumbers to cleanse your palate before you start the pairing.
Brandy, a distilled wine, is best served with a strong cheese. Calvados, the famous apple brandy, goes exceptionally well with camembert and cheeses from its native Normandy.
Parmesan works well with a strong tequila. Rum also brings out the flavour of the Parmesan. Gin and vodka pair well with sharp piquant blue cheeses.
Try a Martini with a piece of Gorgonzola.
