ALE TO THE CHEESE
"People don't realize that beer is an easier match with cheese than wine," said George Palmer, Taste's co-owner.
Surprised? Ah, you Americans are so easily shocked!
"I think that beer and cheese are a relatively new notion for us - and by us, I mean Americans," said Rob Kaufelt, proprietor of Murray's Cheese Shop in New York City.
"But clearly it is not new."
In fact, it is accepted wisdom in Belgium, Holland and England. These countries lack a robust wine tradition, yet their beers and cheeses have shared tables for centuries.
On this side of the Atlantic, though, the best-known beer-and-cheese pairing remains a six-pack of Bud and a large pizza. Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, has long insisted that both beer and cheese deserve better.
"His attitude is that, with cheese, beer is the superior beverage to wine," said Kaufelt. "I didn't believe that. Neither did anyone else."
But one night in 1999, Kaufelt's Greenwich Village institution paired his and Oliver's wares. Murray's now offers similar classes each month, uniting fine cheeses with craft brews from the U.S. and abroad.
Kaufelt, though, still doesn't agree with Oliver. Not quite. Beer, he said, "is equal to wine as a beverage with cheese."
Matt Parker, owner of The Cheese Stands Alone in Chicago, disagrees: "Beer and cheese is a much better pairing than wine and cheese."
But enough arguing. Tom Nickel, a former brewer who now owns O'Brien's pub in San Diego, thinks that this debate misses the point. "The mistake that beer people make is they say that beer is better with cheese than wine," he said. "That's a subjective judgment.
"But beer is far more versatile."
"It's easier," George Palmer insisted.
It's certainly an easy sell. Four times a year, O'Brien's and Taste co-sponsor beer-and-cheese nights, two at Taste and two at O'Brien's Pub. ("Home and away," Nickel said.)
"It's our most popular class," said Mary Palmer, co-owner of Taste, whose course catalog leans heavily toward the traditional wine-and-cheese events.
Hamilton's, a neighborhood beer bar in San Diego, throws a "Second Saturday" party to spotlight a different brewery each month. Before these bashes, owner Scott Blair stocks up at San Diego gourmet cheese shop Venissimo.
Why the rising popularity? First, it has never been easier to find a wide spectrum of full-bodied beers. "I'm not talking about Bud or Miller," said Parker from The Cheese Stands Alone. "But you take a Belgian ale, one of those Trappist beers, and a nice aged gouda ... "
Second, if you are noshing on more than one cheese, beer's carbonation helps to keep flavors distinct. "The effervescence in beer cleanses your palate after the cheese," Mary Palmer said. "It lifts the fat off the taste buds."
Third, the flavors of many beers and cheeses are complementary. "A pressed sheep's milk cheese, that kind of cheese goes well with things that are nutty and sweet," Kaufelt said. "Like a brown ale.
"Porters and stouts go with blue cheese. The sweet molasses flavor on the beer side goes well with the saltiness of the blue."
Finally, if you take a dairy product and add a beverage made from fermented barley, hops, water and yeast - that's a natural combination. "When was the last time you saw cows eating grapes?" Parker asked. "They eat grains all the time."
FIVE TO TRY
Beer: Blanche de Chambly, Unibroue Brewery, Quebec, Canada.
Cheese: Taleggio.
Recommended by: George and Mary Palmer, Taste
Why it works: The pungent, washed-rind Italian cheese takes the lead here, with the soft wheat beer's gentle spicing (coriander and orange peel) adding depth and subtle contrast.
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Beer: Aventinus, Private Weissbier-brauerei, G. Schnieder und Sohn, Kelheim, Germany.
Cheese: Roaring 40's Blue.
Recommended by: Tom Nickel, O'Brien's
Why it works: Strength pitted against strength. The 8 percent weizenbock is dark and deep, sweet and spicy. The blue, which Taste imports from Australia, is tart and fruity. A bite and a sip deliver a wealth of complex, powerful flavors.
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Beer: Triple Play, Goose Island Brewing Co., Chicago.
Cheese: Goat's milk gouda.
Recommended by: Matt Parker, The Cheese Stands Alone
Why it works: The Belgian-style tripel is dry and spicy, enhancing the cheese's sharp creaminess. "The clean brightness they both have are so complementary."
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Beer: Stone IPA, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, Calif.
Cheese: English farmhouse cheddar.
Recommended by: Rob Kaufelt, Murray's Cheese Shop.
Why it works: The briskly bitter India Pale Ale and the deep, smooth cheddar riff off each other, in two-part harmony. "The acidity of the one and the fattiness of the other."
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Beer: Karl Strauss ESB (Extra Special Bitter), Karl Strauss Brewing Co., San Diego.
Cheese: Shropshire.
Recommended by: Scott Blair, Hamilton's.
Why it works: The Extra Special Bitter has the depth and balance to handle this sweet-and-sharp blue cheese. The Shropshire's tanginess adds zest to the ale.
Greater Paramus News and Lifestyle Magazine
http://www.paramuspost.com/article.php/20070629075944157