Volume 3: Non-Alcoholic Pairings

In our final installment of this series, we explore an exciting lineup of non-alcoholic beverage options to pair with your favorite cheese. 

Cherubic Heavenly Young Gouda & Apple Soda: Apple soda is really its own fun mix of apple cider (steer clear of the spiced variety, though!) and club soda.   This refreshing, bubbly, and fruity combination works well with Cherubic because the carbonation “cuts the fat” of the cheese while the apple flavor brings a hint of sweetness. 

St. Mary's Grass-fed Gouda & Unsweetened Sencha Green Tea: This rich, fatty cheese needs a strong partner, and the grassiness in the Sencha green tea pulls out the herbaceous grassy flavors of the cheese.  For a fun twist, add a lemon wedge to add some acidity which helps balance the fat in the cheese.  This tea is best served on the rocks.

Jeffs’ Select Gouda & Root Beer: Root beer is sweet with rich flavors of caramel, vanilla, anise, molasses and black cherry. This flavor-packed profile brings out the sweet, caramel notes in the cheese while the carbonation will act as a palate cleanser.  We recommend using root beer made with natural cane sugar versus the super sweet high fructose corn syrup based root beers.

Fini Sharp Cheddar & Hops: From teas to club sodas, hops-based non-alcoholic drinks are on the rise.  Traditionally, aged Cheddar pairs well with a hoppy beer because the Cheddar can stand up to the bitterness.  In a symbiotic way, the bold, sharp flavor from the Fini tames the bitterness of the hops while the bitterness of the hops tones down the malty, sweet flavor in the Cheddar.

AmaBlu Blue Cheese & Cranberry or Pomegranate Kombucha: The tart, sweet, slightly vinegary profile of the Kombucha plays nicely with the sweetness characteristic in AmaBlu.  Plus, Blue cheese loves bubbles.  This combo is sure to pack a punch of flavor.

AmaGorg Gorgonzola & Mexican Drinking Chocolates: Another winning combo is chocolate and Gorgonzola. Mexican chocolate, in particular, is made from ground roasted cocoa nibs, sugar and cinnamon and has a gritty, more granular texture, similar to the grittiness of AmaGorg’s blue veining.  These two complimentary textures create a wonderful mouthfeel and the sweetness in the cheese picks up in the sugar in the chocolate, balancing out the bitterness in the roasted cocoa nibs.  If you really want to jazz it up, use a chili-infused chocolate to add a little heat to the pairing!

St. Pete's Select Blue Cheese & Earl Grey Tea: Earl Grey tea is a black tea that has been blended with bergamot oil. Bergamot is a type of citrus fruit similar to a Meyer lemon. This adds a citrus note to the tea with hints of lemon, orange, grapefruit and delicate floral notes. Earl Grey plays on the sweetness in St. Pete's and the tannins in the black tea are able to stand up to the sharp, strong flavor of the cheese.  You can take this pairing one step further using Lavender Earl Grey tea because it helps heighten those floral notes.

Felix Blue Cheese & Cafe Latte: When pairing with Felix, the deep chocolate notes and toasty flavors in espresso balanced by the rich, lactic flavor of warmed half and half are a lovely addition to the sweet, earthy blue cheese. Contrary to ice tea, this hot coffee coupling creates a warm and flavorful pairing that really sticks to every corner of your mouth.