Impress Fromage Lovers With the Best Cheese Pairings This Season

If hosting dinner parties during the holiday season one way to enhance your entertaining game is by learning the art of putting together a serious cheese platter. We have mentioned in the past the best wine and cheese pairings so lets discuss pairing it with the right bourbon, mustard, or beer. This requires you to go beyond the assorted cheese cube tray at the grocery store. To help, we have enlisted tips from our friends from the French Cheese Board and experts in the industry to share the best pairings to serve at your next holiday gathering. Just remember to add dried fruits, nuts and baguette for a complete cheese plate.

Cheese & Maille Mustard

Emmental

Emmental is a cooked and pressed cheese from the Savoie region of the French Alps that is sweet and savory, and slightly nutty.

Pairing: Honey Dijon

Brillat Savarin

Brillat Savarin is a soft, triple cheese that has a very creamy taste with hints of salt and tang with a mushroom aftertaste. This is a great pairing with a whole grain mustard because of the textural contrast to the mustard kernels of the whole grain.

Pairing: Whole Grain

Abondance

Abondance is a semi-hard, raw-milk chese that features a firm and supple texture with a slight bitterness and lingers in the palate. Pairing it with rich country Dijon makes a delicious combo of creamy texture and spicy flavor.

Pairing: Rich Country Dijon

Fourme d’Ambert

Fourme d’Ambert is a mild and smooth cow’s milk blue cheese from the Auvergne region of France. It has a creamy fruity flavor and is one of the mildest of blue cheese.

Pairing: Dijon Originale

Le Pico

Le Pico is an aged goat’s milk cheese that has a creamy nutty and gamey flavor. It pairs well the earthy rich Black truffle infused mustard. It is a bit pricey compared to other mustards but worth every penny.

Pairing: Black Truffle

Cheese & Bourbon

Bethmale

Bethmale is a pressed goat’s milk cheese with a natural edible rind with tasting notes that include hazelnut flavors.

Pairing: Four Roses Bourbon

Brebicet

Brebicet has a bloomy rind that features a smooth and soft creamy paste that is mild, buttery, and with a slight sweetness.

Pairing: Four Roses Bourbon Small Batch

Affidelice

This pasteurized cow’s milk cheese highlights a velvety texture and has a mild, fruity, tangy savory flavor.

Pairing: Four Roses Bourbon Single Barrel

Cheese & Beer

Grand Mogol & Camembert

Grand Mogol is a soft triple crème brie with a bloomy rind. It is buttery, creamy and rich in flavor. Camembert is stronger in flavor than Brie with hints of wild mushrooms and a buttery texture.

Pairing: Brewery Ommegang Hennepin

Secret de Scey & Saint Nectaire

Secret de Scey has a soft and smooth texture with ash lined in the middle. It features a lingering aroma with creamy, fruity flavors. Saint Nectaire is semi soft, with a nutty and fruity flavor that has s touch of salt and spice.

Pairing: Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest

Mimolette & Comte

Mimolette will be a focal point of your cheese platter because of its bright orange color. It features a sharp, nutty fruity taste and includes sweet hints of butterscotch. Comte involves hints of apricot, chocolate, butter, cream, hazelnuts and toast.

Pairing: Brooklyn Brown Ale

Pont l’Eveque & Epoisses

Serve Pont l’Eveque before or after a meal. It is a stinky cheese, that is soft and smooth with hints of tangy fruit. Epoisses is a smooth and silky cheese with a slightly salty taste.

Pairing: Allagash Brewing Little Brett

Bleu d’Auvergne & Fourme d’Ambert

Bleu d’Auvergne has a pungent scent that is creamy, with a salty and spicy taste. The Fourme d’Ambert also pairs well with beer. Serve with bread or pear slices because of its delicately fruity flavor and mushroom overtones.

Pairing: Lagunitas Brown Shugga