Pairing with Ales
Ales are top fermenting, meaning the yeast works in temperate climates and doesn't need to be chilled. Ales are quite common, and home brewers are able to experiment easily with making them. Ales originated in England and Belgium, and now there are thousands of ale brewers throughout the world. If you love ales, you'll swoon when you pair them with the cheeses suggested in the following sections. Then take it further with all sorts of specialty ales and yummy cheeses!
Three British Ales
Mild ales are low in hops and alcohol, making them low in bitterness and good companions to light food. Mild ales pair well with mild cheeses that are also very eatable. Try mild ales with Wensleydale, Chantal, or Bellwether Carmody.
Bitter ales vary greatly, but as named, they are known for their bitter hop tones. They can also be quite sweet, sour, and even salty, and are generally low in alcohol. Bitter-ale pairing with cheese will take some experimenting. Pay attention to low alcohol by pairing it with cheeses lower in fat. Then take into account bitter ale's sweet, bitter, and salty characteristics. Contrasts are best here, so choose cheeses low in fat, perhaps a little tangy, and with mild saltiness, something along the lines of Vella Dry Jack.
Pale ales are named to distinguish their amber-colored brew from the dark, almost black stouts and porters. They are robust in taste, with hoppy (sometimes bitter tones), yeasty, herbaceous, and savory flavors. They are dry, and therefore not too sweet, and often you'll find them listed as Burton Ale (named after the English town ale originated in), or India Pale Ale (this was the brew most frequently shipped to India). Pale ales harmonize well with sharp Cheddars. Try Cabot Cheddar, Black Diamond Cheddar, or Beecher's Flagship Cheddar with them.
American Ales
All types of ales are made in the United States, and all reflect the region where the hops are grown, the water used, and the distinct characteristics of the grains added. Your best bet is to pay attention to the type of ale (mild, bitter, or pale); then pay attention to fruit, floral, and grain tones that come through on the nose. Pair with cheeses according to harmonizing or contrasting tastes. For example, an American cherry ale, made along the lines of a mild ale, harmonizes beautifully with a goat's-milk Brie. Or if you're looking for contrast, try fruity ale with sweet mascarpone. Like bread and Swiss cheese? Pair wheat ale with Emmental.
Porters
Porters are characterized by the use of roasted or toasted malted barley. They are very dark in color, some almost black, and often possess coffee, cocoa, or roasted tones. The reaction of yeast with roasted or toasted barley adds fruit flavors. Porters have a fairly low alcohol content.
Porters pair according to their roasted, nut, and fruit tones. Antique Gruyere, which is nutty and fruity, complements Porter beautifully, as do the fruity tones of an aged Comte, or the somewhat lighter tones of a Beaufort.
Don't be surprised to hear people from other countries describe American beer in much the same terms as they describe Americans: brash, hoppy, assertive, and perhaps a bit fresh.
Stouts
Stout beer is known for its bitterness and roasted flavors and, like Porter, is almost black in color. This intense brew often brings forward flavors of chocolate, caramel, and yeast, and is thick and creamy. Look for dry stouts reminiscent of amontillado sherry, and sweet stouts with milky, fruitcake flavors. Dry stouts are mellowed a bit by a semihard cow's-milk cheese like Montgomery's Cheddar. Sweet stouts make a divine and unusual afternoon treat when paired with a creamy blue cheese.
