As Tucson temperatures climb, the last thing you want to do is heat up the kitchen in hot pursuit of a dinner party. Sauce pots and sauté pans take a back seat to salad bowls and ice cream makers and even though you might not turn on the stove, you can still have a creative and fun time at your next shindig – just invite your local cheese monger and brewer. Pairing cheese and beer is the latest rage and with one bite and sip you’ll see why. To get started check out these two pairings we’ve recently enjoyed…
Point Reyes Original Blue & Dragoon Brewing Company’s IPA
Point Reyes Original Blue is a raw cow’s milk cheese that delivers just the right punch of blue, intertwined with a creamy-milky flavor. Paired with the crisp, fruity, and complex hoppy zing of Dragoon Brewing Company‘s IPA, you’ll find the bitter and the blue complement each other without overpowering one another. Full fat cheeses tend to coat the mouth, allowing the tastes to linger. The bitterness of an IPA will cut through, cleaning your mouth and creating the desire for another bite – the true mark of a perfect pairing. For a more complete cheese board, add a local honey from Dos Manos Apiary and a Time Market pain levain.
Cypress Grove’s Midnight Moon & Ten Fifty-Five Brewing’s XOXO Coffee Stout
Blue not your color (or flavor)? Check out the Cypress Grove’s Midnight Moon. This goat milk gouda is a dense aged cheese with a light toffee color. One bite and you will fall in love with flavors of brown butter and nuts. The lasting caramel finish pairs well with Ten Fifty-Five Brewing‘s XOXO Coffee Stout. Ten Fifty-Five uses single origin coffee from EXO Coffee Roasters. This aromatic stout is light enough to sip on those hot Tucson nights.
Both Point Reyes Original Blue and Cypress Grove’s Midnight Moon can be found at Blu: A Wine & Cheese Stop. Located at the Mercado San Agustín and with satellite locations in both Alfonso’s Olive Oil Stores, Blu features American Farmstead cheeses. While you can find both beers at a variety of bars around town, you can purchase growlers directly at the breweries themselves.
Of course, taste is personal and the beauty of pairings is finding something that tastes good to you. Luckily, you have all summer to keep the kitchen cool to taste, sip, and chat away.
To read more about creating pairings visit restaurantwife.com.
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