Good Beer goes down on Thursday, July 20 at 28 Liberty. In addition to all the brews, you can expect food from restaurants such as Harlem Shake, L&W Oyster Co., Jimmy’s No. 43, and many more. To get a better sense of what we can expect from some of the tables, we’re talking to a few of the vendors ahead of the event. Here, what cheese and beer shop Malt & Mold‘s Kevin Heald and Caitlin Nish will be serving up and what they can’t wait to drink.
Edible Manhattan: What can people expect to find at your table during Good Beer?
Malt & Mold: Beer, cheese and good cheer. (Perhaps a kilt as well.) We will be serving a beer cheese dip, featuring a blend of Jasper Hill Farm cheeses from Vermont and beer brewed locally by Kings County Brewers Collective.
EM: How did you get into pairing cheese and beer?
M&M: They’re a natural combo. As American microbreweries have expanded our definition of beer beyond mass-produced lowest-common-denominator styles, we’re finding that beer really works well with cheese. For all the styles of cheese that exist, someone somewhere has a beer style that goes with it.
Among the many benefits of U.S. craft brewers co-opting other region’s styles and provincial specialties, the choices of which beer to drink with your cheese, and indeed all foods, is now unending. We certainly couldn’t have predicted the sheer plethora of styles that are readily available today, but when we opened Malt & Mold, there were already enough doing something different than just a traditional pairing with wine. We love the flexibility we have with beer to find a perfect cheese and beer match.
EM: What are the most important things to keep in mind when pairing beer and cheese?
M&M: Strong flavors want to hang out together; mild flavors want something subtle to highlight their nuance. Try a washed-rind stinky cheese with an acidic sour, or a big bold cheddar with a nice pronounced hoppy IPA. One of our favorite cheeses is Chebris—a French goat and sheep’s milk blend—that is on the milder side but with a depth to it, and we love pairing it with a saison or a wit beer.
EM: Is there beer you’re particularly excited to try or drink at the event?
M&M: One of our favorite styles right now is a gose. The combination of salty and slightly tart is really refreshing in this hot summer weather.
