Beer and cheese

Expert advice from Philippe Wouters

If you’re serving a cheese platter at cocktail hour or after a meal, calculate about 80 g of cheese per person. If, however, you’re organizing a full dinner with cheese as the main event, plan on 160 g each. As for the beer, calculate about 125 mL (½ cup) of each beer being tasted.

The festive platter

For palates in search of mild pairings.

Here’s a cheese platter to enjoy on a beautiful, sunny afternoon. I suggest you serve two bitter beers and one acidic beer
– all three super refreshing and thirst-quenching.

Le Champaître, a cheese washed on pine boards, is the ideal companion for a mild blonde beer served nice and cold. You’ll see that this fresh pairing enhances its character.

La Tomme de Brebis de Charlevoix’s lovely notes are best tamed by a bitter beer
– typical of the hops found on the west coast of the United States
– with warm aromas of tropical fruit or citrus.

With a line of hot peppers running through its centre, La Barre du Jour cheese goes great with bitter beer, like an amber, with light caramel notes.

Serve this refreshing platter with sun-packed fruits (peaches, pineapple, papaya, or other fruits) that are reminiscent of bitter beer aromas.

The cocktail platter

For palates in search of moderate pairings.

Here’s a cheese platter to enjoy with cocktails for a gentle start to the evening. Given that the cheese’s flavours range from mild to strong, I suggest serving them with three full-bodied or bitter beers.

With its cream, butter, and hazelnut aromas, La Dame du Lac cheese will have fun with the sweet notes of a full-bodied beer.

As for Le Ballot cheese with its layer of vegetable ash and its woody aromas, full-bodied, slightly sweet beers are the way to go.

Le Guilbault is a semi-soft cheese that gets along really well with bitter beers because it mellows them while bringing out the creamier, sweeter notes.

Accompany this platter with cocktail must-haves like plain chips, pretzels, marinated olives, or deli meat. In addition to flavour combinations, contrasting textures also add interest to the platter.

After-dinner platter

For palates in search of powerful pairings.

Here’s an after-dinner cheese platter that I concocted with informed gourmets in mind – those on the lookout for surprising flavours. I suggest pairing it with three strong beers.

A goat cheese with slightly tangy flavour, Les Trois Princes will transform into a magnificent cappuccino when served with a smooth, black beer. A lovely, original pairing.

Le Voyageur cheese with its light hazelnut and smoky notes is simply sublime alongside a full-bodied brown beer with candied sugar or molasses aromas. A sweet and creamy pairing.

To top things off, the strong, salty taste of Le Blackburn cheese is best tamed by a bitter or even a sharp amber beer with a bit of bite.

And while you’re at it, surprise your guests with a few pieces of dark chocolate added to the platter.

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