Beer works well with cheese. The carbonation and elegant maltiness of a fine beer compliment the creamy texture and thick mouthfeel of cheese. The biased opinion that wine goes best with cheese is simply not true. Wine is very acidic with cheese -- it quickly washes the cheese coating (and flavor) off the tongue. Beer nurtures the flavors of the cheese in the mouth, thus producing quite an interesting array of remarkable combinations.

How does one begin to choose a beer to pair with a cheese? There are several lines of thought here. A beer that is lighter in body and flavor would be a perfect marriage to a mild, mellow cheese; and, conversely, a dark, rich ale would stand up well to a heavier, more pungent cheese. Many people prefer their beer and cheese to have similar flavors, while others look for more contrast to keep the taste buds at attention. Beer and cheese from the same country also tend to work well together. If it is popular to have a certain style of wine with a certain type of cheese, give some thought to which beer may be a close approximation to that wine. With beer and cheese, experimentation is most of the fun.