Discover how to elevate the humble cheeseboard into something very special with these matches made in dairy heaven...
BRIE & FRENCH 75
Firstly, to France, with the lemon juice in the French 75 (combining gin and the decadence of Champagne) making sure to highlight the zesty notes at the edges of this mild brie. Oozy, soft and unctuous brie gets its lively opposite in the bubbles of the Champagne. Gin gives the French 75 its strength – peppery, herbaceous and botanical, the spirit offers a robust backdrop to the mild, spring-onion-like qualities of a young brie.
GORGONZOLA & NEGRONI
Negroni is an intensely bitter and alcoholic aperitivo, made with equal parts Campari, gin and sweet vermouth. The bitterness is just what this Gorgonzola needs to bring out its biting quality, cutting through the creaminess of the paste. The fiery alcohol of the Negroni is restrained by the milky mouthfeel of this mild Gorgonzola. The Negroni’s citrussy aroma, thanks to the traditional orange-peel garnish and the oils it imparts, provides roundedness. The sweet-sour notes balance the bitterness in the other elements of the cocktail and the earthy, savoury notes in the aroma of the cheese.
CHEDDAR & WHISKEY SOUR
A good strong Cheddar (Lincolnshire Poacher is used in the picture on the following page, although strictly it isn’t a Cheddar but it has all the qualities of a phenomenal one) has exactly the acidity and tanginess that this cocktail needs to complement its sour flavours – in the whiskey and the lemon juice. Hold a piece of strong Cheddar on your tongue and as it melts you’ll find an underlying nutty sweetness in its aroma that lingers in the finish. The Whiskey Sour lives up to its name, so take a sip after that finish and enjoy the contrast. Not only does egg white bring the drink its characteristic froth, its creamy, meringue-like flavour tempers all that sourness. The soft froth itself balances out the harsh intensity of the alcohol.
BUFFALO MOZZARELLA & APEROL SPRITZ
Breathe in from the top of the Aperol bottle and you’ll be hit by the intense bitter sweetness of orange. Buffalo mozzarella has a very slight acidity that the Aperol Spritz helps to bring through.
The texture of the bubbles – in a glorious pop-popping of fizz on your tongue – is a great foil for the creamy softne
