Perhaps the way we think about beer – as a fresh, thirst-quenching drink with a golden color – is somewhat limiting. Our habit of always having a bottle of wine on the table certainly doesn’t help matters either. It’s a pity, but you can make up for it by starting to have beer (or rather, beers) as your table companion. For example, have you ever thought of pairing an excellent aged goat cheese with a full-bodied Trappist amber? Or a soft cow’s cheese with the famous blonde from Pilsen? If you have not, we highly recommend it.

What do you know about beer and cheese?

Belgian tradition offers us beers from Opatija with a lot of body, where the alcohol content is generally high and the complexity and softness never go unnoticed. Try them at the end of a meal with aged cheeses, both goat and sheep, perhaps something spicy and full of taste. Not to mention the blue cheeses: they will leave you wanting more.

The Anglo-Saxon inspired ales are enhanced by a good piece of grain or by a semi-matured cow’s cheese. The bitter sensations of English beers must contrast with the sweetness of the cheese but complexity is the key: this is why a good Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, aged for 24 months, is perfect.

The queen of beers is Pils, born in Pilsen, the historical town of the Czech Republic. It’s the one who gave the green light to all the “blondes” produced in Mediterranean Europe as a beer of moderate alcohol content, not too structured, slightly bitter and therefore excellent throughout the meal. It pairs perfectly with soft, creamy cheeses, especially goat’s cheese. The sweetness and complexity of the cheeses contrasts well with the typical bitterness of the hops and the core structure of the beer.

Weiss beers, the wheat beers of German tradition, are excellent with the most delicate, very young, soft cheeses made from cow’s milk.

So, what are you waiting for?

A good mug of beer and a delicious piece of cheese can’t go wrong. And don’t forget the toast which, thinking of the English with a perfect pint in their hand, is definitely Cheers.