by DRINK

Belgian Ale

There are so many different types of Belgian ales, but what unites them all is their moderate to high-alcohol content and tendency to be on the sweeter, often fruity side.

Aged Cheddar

There’s a lot of flavor and texture going on with aged cheddar, so you want a drink that stands up to that but doesn’t overpower it. We like off-dry, mature beverages that have just a touch of sweetness like saison ale, cider, bock and Belgian ales. For wine, we recommend riesling, chardonnay and champagne (whites) and syrah, pinot noir and chianti (reds). Bourbon and single malt scotch are always sure bets too.

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Aged Cheddar

Alpine-Style

Mountain cheeses like a robust drink with a slight sweetness, so we recommend Belgian-style ales, ambers, brown ales, bocks and stouts. For wine, any fruit-forward red or white such as cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, beaujolais, riesling or grüner veltliner will do. Want more punch? Port, madeira, scotch and rye whiskey all love our alpine cheeses.

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Alpine-Style

Asiago

Whether young or aged, asiago is a versatile cheese. Put-in-a-pint drinks that we favor with it include hard ciders and fruit beers, pilsners, pale ales and lighter Belgian ales. If wine sounds fine, then we recommend riesling, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, cabernet sauvignon and syrah. If liquor is more your speed, then both scotch and rye whiskey pair well. A nutty and assertive sake loves asiago too.

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Asiago

Blue

Big, bold blues as well as milder wedges go surprisingly well with all sorts of drinks. In Wisconsin, we normally pair our blues with cider or beer -- everything from fruit beers, stout, weiss beer, porter and Belgian ales get along famously with blue. In the world of wine, we recommend cabernet sauvignon, chianti, pinot noir, zinfandel, riesling, syrah/shiraz, ice wines and malbec. For higher-proof hankerings, reach for the port, madeira, tequila reposado or tequila añejo.

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Blue

Brick

Wisconsin brick likes to share the loveseat with solid, salt-of-the-earth brews and wines. If you''re thinking beer, we recommend bock, stout, pale ale, weiss beer, porter or brown ale. If you prefer wine: chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot, champagne, riesling, sauvignon blanc, beaujolais, pinot gris and gruner veltliner are all wise choices.

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Brick

Gorgonzola

Nothing but big flavor all-around for heavyweight gorgonzola. For beer, pair it with stout, porter and Belgian ales. Wines that match gorgonzola’s boldness include cab sauv, chianti, pinot noir, merlot, red zinfandel, riesling and malbec. If you want a sipper with your gorgonzola, we recommend port, madeira, scotch, tequila reposado, tequila anejo and definitely mescal.

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Gorgonzola

Gouda

Depending on whether your gouda is young, aged, smoked or flavor infused, we tend to enjoy it with slightly sweet beverages that complement its nutty, slightly fruity flavor. Drinks that fit that bill include bock, brown ale, farmhouse hard cider, gewürztraminer, müller-thurgau, riesling, champagne or cava and all different young to long-in-the-tooth sherries.

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Gouda

Muenster

Beers and wines are our go-to for Wisconsin muenster. Stouts, pilsners, pale ales, porters, brown ales, lagers and Belgian ales are all really tasty with it. If you’d rather sip on wine, we suggest chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot, red zinfandel, riesling, sauvignon blanc, beaujolais, pinot gris or gruner veltliner.

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Muenster

Parmesan

Serious cheese deserves serious drinks, so we like to pair parmesan with chianti, pinot noir, malbec, syrah, champagne, prosecco and riesling. We also like the strong stuff with it including grappa, nocino, sherry and madeira.

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Parmesan

Find Your Next Pairing

by Cheese or by Drink

Belgian Ale

Aged Cheddar

Alpine-Style

Asiago

Blue

Brick

Gorgonzola

Gouda

Muenster

Parmesan

Find Your Next Pairing

Wisconsin Cheese Newsletter