Mark's Holiday Cheeses, Beer and Wine Pairings:

Cahill’s Whiskey Cheddar Cheese and Shiner Bock Beer

Mascarpone Cheese and
Moscato d’ Asti Wine

Columns to Savor
Mark Todd

Tilsiter Cheese and Octoberfest Beer, and
Alsatian Munster Cheese and Alsatian Gewurztraminer Wine

Classic Pairings from France and England: California Crotin and Sauvignon Blanc from Quincy, and Montgomery's English Farmhouse Cheddar and Samuel Smith's India Ale

Picnic Cheeses: Fiscalini Cheddar with Chemay Ale, and Lesendairy Blue Roomkass with J. Lohr Beaujolais Wine.

Picnic Cheeses that Celebrate Summer.

Spring Cheeses: White Stilton with Lemon Zest and German Hefe_Weisse Beer, and Blue Stilton with Australian Tokay Wine.

Irish Cheeses: Cashel Irish Blue Cheese and Late Harvest Zinfandel, and Cahill's Porter Irish Cheese and Guinness Stout.

Brie de Meanx with Gruet Sparkling NV Brut and French Morbier Cheese with Saison Farmhouse Ale.

Aged Gouda Cheese and Belgian Dubbel Beer, and Fourme d’Ambert and
Côtes du Rhone Wine.

Cheeses of the Alps: Allgäuer Bergkäse with Alsatian Pinot Blanc, and Appenzeller Cheese with Bock Beer.

Cheeses of the Alps: Chiantino Cheese and Altbier Beer, and Hirtenkäse Cheese and Gewürztraminer Wine.

Spanish Wines and Cheeses.

History of Beer, Cider, and Mead: Cheese's Other Companion Beverages with two pairings.

Read more about
Mark "The Cheese Dude" Todd.

Get more information on great Alpine and specialty cheeses at Fond O' Foods.

Cheese Expert
Mark Todd

Holiday Cheese Pairings

‘Tis the season to celebrate, and this month we have a couple of real treats! In the beer pairing, we celebrate one of the oldest authentic breweries in America, the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas. I’ve paired their magnificent Shiner Bock with Irish whiskey-laced cheddar in a bold, hearty combination. These two are equally at home at the office party or the tailgate bash before the Bowl game.

The wine pairing occupies the other end of the spectrum, combining two Northern Italian favorites, mascarpone and Moscato d’ Asti, in a symphony of bubbly, fruity elegance. Prepare yourself for shivers of gustatory ecstasy—a better dessert pairing has yet to be found!

Cheese and Beer
Pairing

Cahill’s Whiskey Cheddar Cheese and
Shiner Bock Beer

Cahill’s in County Limerick, Ireland makes a number of flavored cheddars. I am not usually a big fan of flavored cheese, but their porter (written up previously) and their whiskey cheddars are an exception. Unlike the porter, the whiskey cheddar is not obviously marbled. It retains its creamy ivory color, with minimal veining. However, the Irish whiskey infusion becomes readily apparent when you open the cheese. I am not a hard liquor drinker, but the melded aromas of the whiskey and the cheese are extremely appetizing, as the alcohol gives the cheese an even more distinctly “fermented” perfume. The flavor is typically cheddar-like, with beefy notes mingling with an underlying fruitiness which is only accentuated by the addition of whiskey. Produced with vegetarian rennet from the milk of a single herd of Friesian cows, this cheese is all-natural and uses only first quality Irish whiskey. They also make an elderberry wine version that, for my tastes, leaves something to be desired. Stick with the porter and whiskey. 

Mascarpone Cheese and Moscato d’ Asti Wine

The Cheese
Mascarpone  (mahs-kar-PO-neh, not mars-ka-PONY!), the unctuous triple crème cheese from Lombardy, Italy is best known to Americans as that creamy stuff in the popular dessert, Tiramisù.  While technically a cheese, it is more of a thickened cream, like crème fraîche, Devonshire cream or clotted cream.

Mascarpone is created by adding lemon juice (citric acid) to cream to drive out moisture, creating a thick, luxurious texture. After the acid addition, the cream is poured onto fine mesh suspended over a drain and allowed to thicken naturally. As the moisture drains away, it takes along most of the sodium, but not the lactose (milk sugar). What remains is a slightly sweet cheese the texture of velvet.

Incredibly versatile, this cheese can shine as a bread topper when mixed with anchovies, mustard and herbs, or layered in a torta with gorgonzola cheese. Its mild, gentle flavor is also perfect for sweet applications, especially those involving fruity liqueurs. For this particular pairing, fold one ounce of Grand Marnier into eight ounces of mascarpone. If you like your liqueur flavor a little stronger, you can add as much as an ounce and a half, but not more—otherwise the mixture will separate.

Important note: Mascarpone has very high butterfat content – usually around 75%. Like heavy cream, it is sensitive to whipping, and can easily curdle into buttery lumps if handled too aggressively. Always fold gently when mixing mascarpone with other ingredients.

Created for Barbara Admas
Beyond Wonderful
by Cheese Expert,
Mark "The Cheese Dude" Todd.

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