E166: Craft beer and cheese pairing with Brick Store Pub's Bernard McCoy

Step aside, wine.  We're pairing craft beer and cheese.

Wine and cheese get plenty of love but craft beer is gaining more respect for pairing with cheese.  I'll admit, this show was all for us.  Selfish, I know.  However, Chef Bernard McCoy shares some amazing info on pairing craft beer and cheese and we think you're going to enjoy it.

McCoy is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, a passionate craft beer fan, and a member of the "Kitchen Killaz" team at the renowned Brick Store Pub.  During our selfish session, we get some info on how to set up your pairing, how to best enjoy your beer and cheese pairing, and we sample a few cheeses with a few beers and see how well they play together.  Although there are guidelines when pairing, there are no rules.  McCoy says the main goal is to enjoy yourself.  Ideally, you'll find a combination that brings out flavors of the cheese or beer that you wouldn't have tasted, or a combination that makes muted flavors pop.  However, you do it, just have a good time.

Cheeses and beers we tasted

• Karst Cave-aged with Creature Comforts Bibo Pilsner
  • Cheddar/gruyere blend from Karst in Vermont
  • Sharp and buttery
  • Also pairs with Kolsch or Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Accompaniments: Dark chocolate, soppressata, caramelized walnuts, dried apricots
• Ewephoria Sheep’s Milk Gouda with Trim Tab Mosaic Singularity and Old Nation Boss Tweed
  • From a small family farm in the north of Holland, aged 9-12 mos
  • Butterscotch sweetness and nuttiness
  • Also pairs well with bourbon, Malbec, Riesling
  • Accompaniments: Pears, whole grain bread, Italian speck. Gouda melts well and makes an excellent grilled cheese. As a dessert cheese with white or green grapes
• Bellamy blue and St. Bernardus Prior 8
  • From Sequatchie Cove Creamery in Tennessee
  • Raw milk cheese aged 90-120 days, rind is washed with applewood smoked sea salt
  • Also pairs with a smoky Rauchbier or Sauternes wine
  • Accompaniments: Toasted nuts, strong honey, cured meats and olives.
• Cravanzina and Zillicoah Saison
  • From Caseificio dell‘Alta Langa in the Southern Piedmont region of Italy
  • Cow and sheep’s milk soft rind cheese, ripened for about 15 days
  • Very soft and buttery, with earthy mushroom character

Shout Outs / Links

• Beats Brews & Life | Bernard's podcast feature craft beer talk, interviews w

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