There is no better time of the year to drink beer than in October. The Germans agree with me as they chose October to celebrate beer with their beer festival, Oktoberfest.

In honor of Oktoberfest, I have put together suggestions for some delicious beer and cheese pairings. These are perfect to serve at an Oktoberfest themed event. Hosting your own Oktoberfest is a great excuse to get friends together and enjoy an outdoor beer garden experience while the weather is still warm enough. Our event planners can even arrange for tenting and music if you want to give the original Oktoberfest in Munich a run for its money.

You can always serve traditional Oktoberfest fare like sausages and salted pretzels but why not do something a bit more refined and unexpected? Often looked down upon by the oenophile, beer is gaining respect with the growth of microbreweries, and as a result, beer and Artisanal cheese pairings are becoming a major trend. The grain that is used to produce beer is the same that is fed to milk-animals to produce cheese, so it makes sense that these two would make a good pair.

One of my favorite kinds of beer is the Wheat Beer, it is the perfect choice for outdoor drinking as it light and fruity and great with a lemon wedge for some added citrus. Wheat beers have many high notes and pair well with Lactic cheeses, like Loire Valley goat’s milk or young, soft-ripened cheeses.

Another unique style of beer is Indian Pale Ale (also known as IPA) – this beer has a very distinctive taste due to the overwhelming hop profile. It takes a brawny cheese to stand up to such intense flavors, and strong stinky, washed-rind varieties are the best match for this flavorful beer.

There are so many varieties of beers and delicious cheeses to pair with them but instead of listing them all I thought I’d give just a bit of inspiration. Give us a call or schedule a tasting at our Greenwich or Westport office if you want to learn more.

Here are a few links with useful information:

- Beer and Cheese: It’s Better Than Wine and Cheese. – a great article!

- Beer and Cheese

Elizabeth Ethridge