I FINALLY got the big deal about beverage and food pairings when I hit my 30s. Before, I was like - why all the fuss? Wine is booze, and I get it - there are some really old and expensive wines people covet because it supposedly gets better with age. But food is food is food. I’d rather have a Coke with it. (In some ways, I would still rather one. Mwahahaha!)
Then I decided to take it seriously, and really pay attention. My epiphany happened at my first real guided pairing - one that was intimate and quiet enough for me to concentrate. . And that’s when it hit me in the face, like a Pacquiao hook to the jaw. That first reaction.. that blending of flavours in your taste buds is shockingly pleasurable. Of course, I still think it leans a lot on the expertise of the cook and the sommelier, but the simple fact is that when done expertly, it is bomb.
A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to be asked to participate in a food and beverage tasting activity of what I thought was an odd pairing: craft beer and cheese. I have heard too many stories of beer and dairy misfortunes, leading to quick and frequent trips to the loo. But the Real California Milk Board peeps seemed to know what they were doing, even branding it as a #CheeseMisan sesh. I mean, if you can be funny about all this, then surely it must be safe!
Together with a bunch of online food media peeps, and under the guidance of one of their resident cheese experts, Joe Baird (who must get a medal for conducting this tasting at 330am his time!) we cut up the cheese, opened some bottles, and went for it!
Now that I know better, I think pairings are also an exercise in mindfulness. You have to be still and concentrate a bit - kinda hard to do when everyone is cracking jokes and getting giggly on the beers. But if you can manage it for a sec, the taste magic will most definitely come through!
It helped that Mr. Baird put us through our paces as only a cheese monger can: beginning from a gateway cheese to more complex ones. The beers - ales, stouts, and wheat beers - were put there expressly to extract all sorts of flavours. Cheese with an almost sweet finish go well with beers on the darker, more bitter side, for example.
Of all the cheese that was put before us - and they were a LOT - the champ that seemed to stand out the most was one from Fiscalini Cheese - a bandage wrapped cheddar, the “bandage” a term used in traditional cheddar making. Savory, with a hint of fruit.. can’t go wrong! But I will make a case for a lot of others. A Point Reyes Blue was a cheese I was familiar with and encountered a lot in my travels. If you’re going to dive into blue cheese, this is a good start. Their Toma, on the opposite end of it, flavour wise, is a good milder cheese. Finally, a triple cream Brie - a rarity in these parts - from Marin French Cheese Co. was my dark horse winner, too.. but because I love rich, mild cheese like this.
Would I play with this odd couple again? A resounding YES. But only if I had someone to guide me through it. It’s not as easy as getting a beer from the corner store and busting open some queso. But as I said - put yourself in the able hands of someone who knows what they’re talking about, and have one hell of a taste sensation party in your mouth. Perfect fuel for post-tasting #CheeseMisan. hehe!
(If you want to know more about Real California cheese, visit the Real California Milk PH FB page: https://www.facebook.com/RCMph