Cheesecake and Beer

When I mention pairing dessert and beer to people, I get some very weird looks. Once I explain that dark beers – porters and stouts – have a flavour profile that is very much like coffee, the same people become curious and willing to try something new.

A truly outstanding pairing is cheesecake and a good porter or stout. Fuller’s London Porter has a subtle but unmistakable coffee taste. Rogue’s Shakespeare Stout is dark, intense, and works well with rich fruity cheesecakes.

A good surprise pairing is strawberry cheesecake and summer seasonal beers, like Blue Moon Honeymoon. This pairing is light and delicate and will appeal to a palate that does not appreciate the intensity of dark beer!

Guinness, despite being the name everyone recognises, is a bit lacking in flavour and so I would only suggest it as a pairing with a delicate tasting cheesecake. I generally advise people to avoid Guinness because of its weak taste – there are many better options to choose from, most of them from right here in the USA.

Introducing your friends and family to dark beer and cheesecake should open their minds to why you like craft beer. It may also win some of them over from pairing wine and food which can only be a good thing: wine and food simply do not offer the same level of complexity and precision that you can get from pairing beer – good craft beer – and food.

Tags: cheesecake, Fuller's London Porter, Rogue Shakespeare Stout