Who said you had to be Hannah Montana to experience two great things simultaneously? While many associate meats and cheeses with wine consumption, many fantastic pairings exist when the two worlds of beer and cheese are brought together.
Eataly Toronto's latest venture, the Beer and Cheese Fest, aims to create a beautiful marriage of flavours and textures by pairing artisanal Italian cheeses with local craft beer. The event will take place on Nov. 20 from 5 p.m. at Birroteca by Indie Alehouse, Eataly Toronto's very own brewpub. Tickets are available for purchase here.
The beer and cheese experts present at Eataly will guide the attendees through a tasting journey of a carefully-curated selection of birre and five formaggi as they discover the various flavour profiles getting to know each other on their palates.
As with most things Eataly, this event serves an educational purpose as well, as patrons will not only master how to perfectly pair beers and cheeses but also learn about the stories behind the products and the local production methods and traditions.
Birroteca by Indie Alehouse constantly works to bring new and exciting beers to the Toronto community, all the while creating a series of flavourful brews exclusive to Eataly. Since opening, it has created a diverse roster of beers that everyone can appreciate, including hard-to-find ales with unique and long-lasting flavours. With a sense of adventure and a fervor for fermentation, the brewmasters go beyond traditional brewing rules — sharing with Eataly a passion for high-quality ingredients.
With such a commendable resume and a peer-reviewed skillset, it is safe to say that all attendees of the Beer and Cheese Fest will be in good hands. Birroteca's resident expert will be your beer shaman, guiding you on the vibrant journey through specially-selected brews.
Still unsure of pairing beers with cheese? Let us give you a quick rundown to help you understand why they work so well together.
As with any other food and drink pairing, or even a food and food pairing, the key is always to strike a harmonious balance. Balance of flavours and also a balance of textures. One component should never be overpowering the other, so finding the right intensities is very important.
Once the intensities have been matched, the next step is to find beer flavours that are either complementary to the cheese or contrasting. This aspect is usually dependent on individual cases, where sometimes complementary is the way to go while other times it's the contrast that makes things pop.
For example, a stout with its sweet profile goes well with a pungent and salty blue cheese, whereas on the other hand, lighter beers like wheats or pale lagers go well with lighter cheeses like chevre.
Usually, a stronger and more complex beer can pair well with funkier and more pungent cheeses, while light beers partner up with lighter and fresher cheeses beautifully. The key always comes down to balance and similar intensities.
This was, of course, only a snippet of what you can expect from Eataly Toronto's Beer and Cheese Fest. To forward your journey into the world of food pairings, consider attending the event and learning from the experts.
The Beer and Cheese Fest will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 20 at Birroteca by Indie Alehouse located at 55 Bloor St. W. Tickets are available to be purchased here. For more information, visit Eataly Toronto's website.
