Beer and cheese make a great pair, and we can all agree that nothing pairs well with a sore head or dose of beer fear! So, following #soberinoctober we paired some alcohol free options with our plant-based cheese, for those avoiding booze this festive season - because year on year, more people set intentions beyond the 31 day challenge and cut down or cut out alcoholic drinks entirely.
That’s where @smashed_drynks come in. They brew great tasting, award-winning 0% craft dynks. No compromise on taste - just like our cheese. And with Christmas parties just around the corner, here’s our low down on which beer, cider or lager complements our cheese alternatives best. Make your fun freed from, not free from.
Ched Spread with Apple Cider
There's something quintessentially British about this classic pairing. Together, ched and cider offer complex earthy aromas and cider - often high in acidity, cuts through buttery, rich cheese. Our Ched Spread is a spreadable, mature cheddar alternative boasting a sharp and tangy taste, with a silky smooth texture. It’s great smushed on a cracker and washed back with apple cider (a step away from a hearty ploughman's but championing those familiar flavour combos!) so Smashed Drynk’s cider, which is crisp and lightly carbonated with a fresh aroma of English apples, works a treat.
Soft, rinded cheeses with Berry Cider
Styled on Camembert, our Shamembert has an authentic rind and an indulgent, creamy centre. Infused with truffle oil to create rich and earthy tones, something light and fruity is ideal for restoring a little balance. Smashed Drynk’s have brewed up something beautiful for this, the perfect balance in fact, of sweetness, sharpness and fruitiness… rolled into one glug. And as we often bake our Shamembert with tart berries in the winter - this levels up our favourite party offering too!
If cider isn’t so much your thing - try a low fermentation beer. You might not think it, but lager also matches well with soft rinded cheese. Light in the mouth, low fermentation beers work to reveal cheesy aromas that you might not expect and the carbonation often cuts through rich, heavier flavours like truffle.
Vegan Blue & Pale Ale
In their own words, Smashed Drynks have crafted a light refreshing pale ale that’s a fusion of traditional and modern. That’s much like our approach to dairy free cheese. A pale copper colour with hints of caramel and toffee, it’s finished with an American style hop for a passionfruit aroma and works wonderfully with our Vegan Blue. Our Blue is an award-winning vegan cheese. Matured over several weeks and made with real Penicillim Roqueforti, you'll see familiar veins running through it's smooth but firm almond base.
Serve a hoppy pale ale like Smashed's with it and experience the floral flavours as they unfold. The right hops draw out the distinct, creamy blue notes and the bitterness, even if subtle, cuts through the richness of a Blue.
Summary
- Ched Spread with Apple Cider
- Soft, rinded cheeses with Berry Cider
- Vegan Blue & Pale Ale
So there you have it, proof - if you were at all skeptical - that alcohol free beer pairs perfectly with plant-based cheese. A treat that’s better for you, and better for our planet too. Give both a go, and let us know what you think. Better yet, enter our competition to win the beer and cheese discussed in this article! Head here for you chance to win.