| Beer and cheese is a match made in heaven, especially when the cheese is paired up against beers from Belgium; a country which takes its beers very seriously indeed. Almost akin to the Italians and their delicious wines, these beers are often (or so it seems) intrinsically brewed to work with food. |  |
Cheeses often provide the perfect foil for the flavoursome and diverse styles that are brewed across the lowland country; some fatty, rich and creamy, whilst others are high on funk, some carry a woodier mushroom type taste and others can be driven by acidic, tart flavours.
Carbonation is a key element in Belgian beer; a stark contrast to British cask which itself holds a much lower carbonation and really is designed to tick other boxes for the drinker. This carbonation provides a fresh acidity, good for cleansing the palate and for bringing out or complimenting the flavours in the food the beer is paired with.
On this occasion, two of the Ladies that Beer, Julie O’Grady and Fiona Hood were presenting a crowd, gathered at the Head of Steam in Liverpool, pairings to showcase the versatility of Belgian styles. As a frequent visitor to Belgium, Fiona brought a lot of knowledge on each of the carefully selected beers whilst Julie selected some cheeses to match from local favourites, the Liverpool Cheese Company. The breadth of the beers selected took in sour Gueze, fresh and lively saison, heady and malty Tripel and an aceticly sharp Flanders Red ale, as detailed below:
Pairing one – Brasserie de la Senne - Taras Boulba / Gorwydd Caerphilly
Pairing two – Oud Beersel - Oud Gueze / Vacherin Mont Dor
Pairing three – Saison Du Pont / Monte Enebro
Pairing four – Westmalle Tripel / Comte St Antoine
Pairing five – Rochefort 10 / Munster
Pairing six – Duchesse Du Bourgogne / Forme D’Ambert
Carbonation is a key element in Belgian beer; a stark contrast to British cask which itself holds a much lower carbonation and really is designed to tick other boxes for the drinker. This carbonation provides a fresh acidity, good for cleansing the palate and for bringing out or complimenting the flavours in the food the beer is paired with.
On this occasion, two of the Ladies that Beer, Julie O’Grady and Fiona Hood were presenting a crowd, gathered at the Head of Steam in Liverpool, pairings to showcase the versatility of Belgian styles. As a frequent visitor to Belgium, Fiona brought a lot of knowledge on each of the carefully selected beers whilst Julie selected some cheeses to match from local favourites, the Liverpool Cheese Company. The breadth of the beers selected took in sour Gueze, fresh and lively saison, heady and malty Tripel and an aceticly sharp Flanders Red ale, as detailed below:
Pairing one – Brasserie de la Senne - Taras Boulba / Gorwydd Caerphilly
Pairing two – Oud Beersel - Oud Gueze / Vacherin Mont Dor
Pairing three – Saison Du Pont / Monte Enebro
Pairing four – Westmalle Tripel / Comte St Antoine
Pairing five – Rochefort 10 / Munster
Pairing six – Duchesse Du Bourgogne / Forme D’Ambert
A great evening with some excellent pairings, where obviously everyone has their favourite – but something to consider is that some beers (indeed other drinks too) and food really do bring the best out in each other. Occasionally you’ll try something together where one element is not something you regularly enjoy – the pairing can really make it sing! Head of Steam once again stepped up to the plate too, providing a smoothly run beer event with minimal fuss and a great vibe.
Another similar event is planned for some time in the New Year, so stay tuned to the Ladies that Beer social media feeds or this site for tickets and event information.
Pedro & Angela.
Another similar event is planned for some time in the New Year, so stay tuned to the Ladies that Beer social media feeds or this site for tickets and event information.
Pedro & Angela.
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