Virtually tasty: beer and cheese pairings

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Beer tasting parties and sampling beer flights are a growing trend around the world. With the World Beer Cup 2010 approaching on April 10, here is a simple way to enjoy the winners with your favorite cheeses.

One thing to keep in mind when pairing beers is that complex beers go best with complex cheeses. Here is a simple cheat sheet from Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, and the American Dairy Association (ADA):

- Sharp Cheddar  - Pale Ale
- Feta  - Wheat Beer
- Mascarpone  - Fruit Beer
- American Cheese - Pilsner
- Colby - Brown Ale
- Gorgonzola  - Barleywine
- Gruyére  - Bock Beer
- Swiss Cheese - Octoberfest Beer
- Parmesan - Amber Lager

Two well-known beer blogs, Brewtopia and Beer Advocate have also created some tasting duos that you may want to try; here is a selection:

- Mellow white Cheddar cheese  - Pilsner Urquell
- Asiago - Nut Brown Ale
- Provolone - pale ale
- Brie or Camembert cheese - German Kolsch, Belgian blond Ale, or French Biere de - Garde and a Stout when the brie is for dessert
- Banon - Scottish Ale
- Munster  - Rodenbach Red Ale
- Chevre - Belgian Gueuze Lambic such as Boon, Cantillon, or Cuvee Rene from Lindemans
- Feta and Goat Cheese - Wheat Beer: Weihenstephan Hefe-Weizen, Schneider - Hefe-Weizen and UFO Hefeweizen
- Cabecou Feuille and Ossau Ira - Pilsner (lager)
- Mascarpone - Fruit Beers: Magic Hat #9, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, Melbourne Bros. Apricot or Strawberry
- American Cheese, Muenster, Havarti and Monterey Jack  -  Pilsners: Harpoon Pilsner, Radeberger and Stella Artios
- Colby, Gloucester and Cheddar - Brown Ales: Sam Smith Nut Brown, Shipyard Brown or Brooklyn Brown
- Gorgonzola and Creamy Blues - Barleywines: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Fuller's Vintage Ale, Rouge Old Crustacean and Brooklyn Monster
-Roquefort and Stilton - Belgian Ales: Lucifer, Duvel, Chimay Blue, Northcoast Pranqster, and Unibroue Don de Dieu
- Gruyére, Emmental and Swiss - Bock Beer, Dark Lagers or Oktoberfest Beer: Sam Adams Octoberfest or Double Bock, Harpoon Octoberfest or Munich Dark, Salavator, Celebrator and Dornbusch Bock
- Parmesan or Romano - Pale Ales and Amber Ales: Harpoon Ale, Stone Cat Ale, Ipswich Ale, Shoal's Pale Ale, Magic Hat Bob's 1st Ale
- Cheese with salad - India Pale Ale (IPA): Harpoon IPA, Wolaver's IPA and Tremont IPA

And, Chimay Grand Reserve Trappist Ale has even created the perfect complement, Chimay Trappist Cheese.

For more information about the World Beer Cup 2010, go to: http://www.worldbeercup.org/