The food lovers guide to cheese in Atlanta

How to pair cheese and Georgia beer

No offense to wine and cheese, but we’re ready for something new. We enlisted Hop City Craft Beer & Wine founder Kraig Torres and his second-in-command, Mina Holliday, to suggest eight local beers to match with common cheeses. “You can get an infinite range of flavor in beer,” says Torres, who lays out what plays well together—and what to avoid.

The cheeses
Cheddar
Pair with sharp, aggressive, and tangy notes (but avoid big citrus).

Gouda
Pair with roasty, smoky, or briny beers.

Gruyère
Pair with malts and other sharp brews, like red ale.

Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pair with simple brews, like wheats or pilsners.

Roquefort/Blue
Pair with dark, dry flavors that can hold their own.

Goat
Pair with an equally tangy and funky Belgian-style wit or saison.

Triple-Cream
Pair with intense brews to offset the rich, buttery flavor.

Truffle Cheese
Pair with simple Belgians or single-malts to counter its zestiness.

The pairings
Orpheus Atalanta
Tart plum saison
Excellent
• Gruyère Light-body beers keep the Gruyère refreshing and upbeat.
• Goat A funky, slightly sour beer blends well with the already funky cheese.
Acceptable
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Roquefort/Blue A surprising pairing, even though saisons are most flexible for cheese.
Avoid
• Truffle cheese

Monks Mead
Honey-based, high-alcohol
Excellent
• Triple-Cream The alcoholic equivalent of drizzling sweet honey over cheese.
Acceptable
• Goat
Avoid
• Cheddar
• Gouda
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Roquefort/Blue
• Truffle cheese  An unbearably sweet duo.

Wild Heaven Eschaton
Spicy, warm Belgian-style quad
Excellent
• Triple-Cream Eschaton’s oaky spice lends a meaty savoriness to a sweet cheese.
Acceptable
• Truffle cheese
Avoid
• Cheddar
• Gouda
• Gruyère Gruyère turns this slightly sweet pour into the world’s worst maple syrup.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Roquefort/Blue

Service Brewing Co.
Lincoln’s Gift Oyster stout
Excellent
• Gouda A rich Gouda will soften this dry, roasty stout.
• Roquefort/Blue
Acceptable
• Parmigiano-Reggiano Works in a pinch. Expect a darker, more roasted stout.
Avoid
• Goat
• Truffle cheese

Three Taverns Brewery Single Intent
Belgian-single blonde ale
Excellent
• Gruyère
• Roquefort/Blue This crisp, golden pour will tame the cheese’s intense whiff.
• Truffle cheese
Acceptable
• Cheddar Sharp beer + sharp cheese = a surprisingly mellow finish.
• Goat An herbaceous pairing that is full-on mellow.
Avoid
• Parmigiano-Reggiano

Red Brick Brewing Hoplanta
Hop-heavy American IPA
Excellent
• Cheddar Big hops bring out cheddar’s grassiness.
• Gouda The smokier the Gouda, the maltier the IPA will taste.
Avoid
• Gruyère
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Goat
• Triple-Cream

Southbound Brewing Co. Scattered Sun
Classic Belgian wit
Excellent
• Roquefort/Blue
• Truffle Cheese Earthy truffles up the beer’s spice factor.
Acceptable
• Gruyère
• Parmigiano-Reggiano Parm dampens the beer’s spiciness, while highlighting the citrus

Second Self Beer Company Red Hop Rye
Red rye IPA
Excellent
• Cheddar Works well, except with sharp cheddars, which flatten out the beer.
• Gruyère Brown butter notes from the Gruyère sweeten up this IPA.
Avoid
• Triple-Cream

This article originally appeared in our April 2016 issue.