Cocktails and Cheese: Pairing Four Drinks and Four Cheeses

Cocktails of all sorts and stripes are of course all the rage (as they should be). And more and more, cocktail and food pairings are showing up on menus. It’s nowhere near the amount as with wine, but progress is being made matching up particular drinks with particular culinary flavors.

And a great way to get started is with cheese! Everyone loves cheese, and the appetizer/cocktail combo is a revered one. I was recently lucky enough to get to sample some cheese from the new Bandon, Ore.-based Face Rock Creamery, and thought it would make for a perfect cheese-and-cocktail-pairing experiment.

First, a little background: Face Rock Creamery is from Brad Sinko, a founding head cheesemaker at Seattle’s own Beecher’s. A second-generation cheesemaker, Sinko’s father owned the Bandon Cheese Factory, which first opened in 1937, where Brad worked until the company shut down in 2003. But in May 2013, he re-opened a cheese company and Face Rock was born.

When working on the cheese-and-cocktail pairings, I decided to start with mainly classics on the cocktail side, just to make it easier for your try your own pairings at home. Let the pairing begin!

Pairing #1

Cheese: Aged Cheddar

Cocktail: Gin Fizz

Result: It may just be me (you’ll have to try it and let me know if you agree), but an aged cheddar, one with a hint of nuttiness and a good personality, goes better with a gin drink than any other beverage in the world. The Face Rock aged cheddar fits that bill, but also is a little bit creamy, which was balanced nicely by the bubbly nature of the Fizz. This is definitely a fine before-a-meal mix.

Pairing #2

Cheese: Monterey Jack

Cocktail: Margarita

Result: The tanginess of a good, real lime juice, Margarita is a tricky pairing, because it needs an easy-going partner cheese. Monterey Jack, as you might expect, is a good option, because it’s very smooth, and can be just a tiny bit sweet (it is here), both of which go exceptional well with the Marg. Round out the duo with some chips and salsa and you’re set.

Pairing #3

Cheese: Face Rock Horseradish Cheese

Cocktail: Bloody Mary

Result: This one may have been the most no-brainer of the bunch, because the spicy horseradish bite of the cheese, though not annoying, will tend to take over the combo with most cocktails in a way that’s less pairing and more overwhelming. But a good, slightly hot, Bloody Mary with the cheese? Well, then you’re bringing together two bold flavors that end up playing off each other. This is a pretty swell morning idea, by the way.

Pairing #4

Cheese: Face Rock Peppercorn Harvest Cheddar

Cocktail: I’m Going to Give You a Thrashing

Result: Combining the aged cheddar above with green and red peppercorns, this cheese has enough of a peppery nature that it needs a drink with a flavor that won’t back down beside it. I had to move away from the classics to find the perfect mix. I’m Going to Give You a Thrashing (find the recipe here) uses local Old Ballard Liquor Co. Riktig aquavit, which has a great, caraway and spice taste, that really aligned nicely with this cheese. I’d save it for after dinner, though.