5 Ways to Pair Hard Cider & Cheese, According to Marissa Mullen

Wine might be the first drink to come to mind when thinking about the perfect cheese pairing. The two have been enjoyed together for hundreds of years—the fruity, tannins from wine cut through the fatty, salty elements of cheese. But that’s not always the case. If you were to pair a big, bold red with a delicate fresh goat cheese, the flavors of the cheese will be overpowered by the intensity of the wine. This is when we turn to fall’s signature beverage—hard apple cider. It comes in a wide variety of styles and flavors, which are made using different varieties of apples and fermentation techniques. When pairing hard cider and cheese, we have to consider a few key factors. What style is the cider—is it dry or sweet? What kind of apples are used to make it? What kind of cheese are we snacking on? All of these contribute to the nuances in flavor, which impact how you pair the two together. For the perfect autumn happy hour, I paired five of my favorite cheeses with different varieties of hard cider. VIETRI Santorini Hand-Painted Blue & White Cheese Board Berti White-Handled Italian Cheese Knives (Set of 3) $489 Ultimate Marble & Wood Serving Board $220 Bloomy Rind Cheese & Dry Cider The bloomy rind cheese family consists of some of the greats—brie, camembert, soft-ripened goat cheese, and triple crème cheeses. Many of these cheeses have a buttery, rich texture and a milky, delicate taste. A cheese like Camembert will boast earthier notes of mushrooms and crème fraîche, while a soft-ripened goat cheese has a citrusy bite amongst the creamy paste. These fatty cheeses work wonderfully with a crisp, dry cider. Dry cider is typically made using a blend of tart and ripe apples, creating a beverage that is bittersweet and bubbly like champagne. The bubbles in this cider act as a palate cleanser for the buttery elements from the cheese, and it’s not sweet enough to overpower the cheese’s aroma and flavor.