Delightful Drink & Cheese Pairings: The Summer of '21

This summer, we’ve worked with a sommelier to put together beverage pairings for each of our cheeses. Two different options are available on each cheese’s page, but we’ve selected a few of our favorite pairings to share below.

Banneker

Banneker’s summer sweetness is balanced by a full creaminess on the tongue, like a taste of vanilla custard. It lends itself to Bulleit Rye with rich oaky aromas and hints of vanilla. The whiskey’s russet colors look beautiful next to a hunk of cheese, and its taste is exceptionally smooth, with hints of honey and spice. The finish is crisp and clean, with long, lingering flavors. We suggest pairing Banneker with this particular rye whiskey – straight up if you can take it. Available at MV Wine & Spirits.

Bon Anniversaire

The fresh-picked apricots, sweet cream, and roasted root vegetable notes in our Bon Anniversaire lean in the direction of a Flemish Sour, particularly “Duchesse de Bourgogne,” Brouwerij Verhaeghe, from Flanders. This classic Belgian sour works much like the sour fruit compotes that pair exceptionally with semi-soft cheeses. Available at Our Market, Oak Bluffs.

Eidolon

This time of year, Eidolon’s bright, grassy, and tangy-smooth flavors are best complemented by a sharp, off-dry Riesling, like “Kung Fu Girl,” Charles Smith, Columbia Valley, WA – particularly the 2019 vintage. Eidolon’s rich tang and creaminess, which only grow in prominence as the cheese ages, ties beautifully with the wine’s sharp finish. Available at Our Market, Oak Bluffs.

Prufrock

In Europe, traditional Trappist cheeses – styles first developed in monasteries – are washed in the ales, wines, or ciders that those monasteries would have kept for just that purpose. The unique Belgian Farmhouse Ale, Saison Dupont, 750 mL, is of the same style that was once used to wash the finest cheeses in Belgium. It pairs wonderfully, Prufrock, whose aromatic washed-rind and funky, nutty flavor, is reminiscent of some of the finest Trappist cheese.

Bluebird

The salty, piquant flavor crystals that carry a creamy, lactic flavor through Bluebird pair gorgeously with rich, sweet flavors, like chocolate, dates, or a fortified wine. While port is the traditional pairing for blue, the Sauternes from Chateau Laribotte, Bordeaux, 2015, available at Rosewater Wine & Spirits, carries sweet, fruity notes that have earned it the nickname “King of Desert Wines.” Its flavors work to mellow and enrich the cheese.

Bluebird Reserve

With a full-bodied flavor carrying sweet notes of butterscotch and rock candy, we suggest a rather unconventional pairing for the Bluebird Reserve: Cidré Brut, Etienne Dupont, Normandy, 750 mL, available at Our Market in Oak Bluffs. Hailing from the heartland of European cider, this particular style is made with three different apple varieties to give it a crisp, tart flavor that, when paired with the Bluebird, provides the perfect fruity to fill in the natural blue flavor.

Or….

Feel free to drink with whatever you like. Let’s be honest, it’s the cheese that matters not the beverage.