Tips For Pairing Cheese and Booze

Being a memorable host means surprising your guests. A few bottles of wine and mixed cheese plate is de rigueur at most whoop-de-do’s but have you thought about coloring outside the lines by serving a cheese and spirit pairing? Setting up small sips of special hooch and tiny bites of luscious cheese for your guests to sample together is both appetizing and fun. I’ve been doing some (delicious) research for you, and have a few suggestions:First, a few general cheese tips:To eat, or not to eat the rind? That is the question! Check to see if there is plastic or cloth on the rind. If it is embalmed in herbs, or other tasty things, it is likely meant to be eaten.Appetizer or After-Dinner? Most Europeans eat cheese after the main meal, before dessert. The less-Americanized ones will sneer if presented with cheese at aperitif. However, in the U.S., we love cheese. Anytime. Anywhere.Keep it cool? The refrigerator is where fine cheese goes to die. Keep it in a dark, temperate spot in your kitchen, away from directly sunlight.Cheese tasting tips:

  • smell, then sip the spirit (cleanse the palate)
  • smell, then bite the cheese
  • taste cheese on a little fork, or very bland bread, so other flavors don’t interfere

Spirit pairing ideas:Vodka: The clean taste of a quality vodka cuts through the fat of a luscious double-cream brie. Just as with wine-and-food pairings, focus on finding similarities or opposites to balance flavors and textures.Whiskey: New Mexico's Taos Lightning Rye is great with a hard cheese, something like a parmesan or cheddar. Thanks to an interview with Barrie Lynn (find her online tips at The Cheese Impresario), I tried Wisconsin’s Sartori BellaVintano with an espresso-rubbed rind with our local hooch and loved it. Sartori is available at Smith’s and Whole Foods.Rum: A barrel-aged rum has a beautiful nuttiness that is enhanced by a parmesan or white cheddar. Add apple slices – or even fresh pineapple – to play up its fruity qualities.Mezcal: The crisp, “green” agave notes, and slightly lingering smoke of the Del Maguey line of mezcals creates a wonderful contrast with a mild, creamy blue. I tried a few spirits with the Fromager d’Affinois Saint Geric, and the mezcal was by far the best. The cheese is made in France but available at Whole Foods.Gin: Santa Fe Spirits Wheeler gin’s botanicals (such as juniper, osha root and sage) play nicely with goat cheese, in particular. Head down to our local Cheesemonger of Santa Fe to see what they have available, and let the games begin!