Cider and Cheese Pairing Booklet Print

Cider and cheese go together, naturally. They both thrivein coastal areas, where rolling grassy green hills andabundant orchards are fed by the same coastal rain. Manyof the world’s finest cheeses come from traditional ciderregions: Cheddar from Somerset; Camembert andLivarot from Normandy; Cabrales from Asturias in Spain.Cider and cheese flourish together in North America too,in regions like the Great Lakes, New England, and thePacific Northwest.Once at the table, they pair brilliantly. Matching flavorintensity is the first rule of pairing—the glass should notoverwhelm the dish. Ripe apple and a touch of barnyardfunk on the nose invite you into the glass, complementingthe farmy taste of the cheese. The natural tartness ofproper farmhouse cider is a perfect foil for the richnessof cheese.Dry to semi-dry ciders are versatile, pairing with Cheddars,Gruyère, and other semi-hard varieties. Honey ciders workgreat with soft, fresh cheese including goat cheese—evena blue cheese matches well. Funky farmhouse ciders singwith bloomy rind cheese like Brie or Camembert. If yourcider’s barrel-aged, try it with a Gouda. Most importantly,remember that pairing proper farmhouse cider andartisanal cheese should be a fun, authentic taste of theCider Coast. -Gregory Hall, Virtue Cider Founder

LAPINETTE WASHED-RIND CHEESES Why It Works: We matched funk with funk for these pairings. Lapinette’s tart flavors from the Brettanomyces-aged cider that’s blended in cuts through the richness in these as wellFRENCH CIDRE BRUTABV: 6.7%This Norman-style cidre brut is fermented with French yeast and patiently aged formonths in French oak. Lapinette offers a complex nose of both farm and barrel,with a refreshingly dry, mineral finish.SUGGESTED CHEESE PAIRINGS:• Quadrello di Bufala (water buffalo’s milk) – Quattro Portoni (Bergamo, Italy)• Backsteiner (cow’s milk) – Sennerei Gunzesried (Blaichach, Germany)• Good Thunder (cow’s milk) – Alemar Cheese Company (Mankato, MN) PERCHERON ALPINE CHEESES Why It Works: Higher salt content in these cheeses gives them big flavor, which complements the apple-forward flavors of Percheron. It’s a great salty and sweet pairing.FRENCH CIDRE FERMIERABV: 5.5%This Norman-style blend of last season’s high-acid Michigan apples is aged inFrench oak and refermented with wild yeast. We finish Percheron with freshpressed apple juice for a touch of sweetness.SUGGESTED CHEESE PAIRINGS:• Rupert (cow’s milk) – Consider Bardwell Farm (West Pawlet, VT)• Tête de Moine (cow’s milk) – Fromage de Bellelay (Berne, Switzerland)• Pleasant Ridge Reserve (cow’s milk) – Pleasant Ridge (Dodgeville, WI)• Gutensberg (cow’s milk) – Kaserei Butschwil (St. Gallen, Switzerland)• Reading Raclette (raw cow’s milk) – Spring Brook Farm (Reading, VT)

MICHIGAN APPLE CHEDDARS Why It Works: The process of cheddaring involves lots of salt additions to each layer of curd, which results in the density and “snap” of aged cheddars. The fresh apple juice pairs well with the high salt content ofcheddars, similar to why the Alpine cheeses work well with Percheron.SEMI-DRY CIDERABV: 5.5%Our semi-dry cider is made from heirloom Michigan apples aged in French oakbarrels, then blended with hand-pressed juice from this year’s harvest. The finalcider offers the scent of ripe apples, a hint of oak, and a touch of sweetness.SUGGESTED CHEESE PAIRINGS:• Haus Select (cow’s milk) – Roelli Cheese Haus (Wisconsin)• Appletree Smoked Cheddar (cow’s milk) – COWS Creamery (Charlottetown, PEI)• Widmer's Aged Brick Spread – Widmer's Cheese Cellars (Theresa, WI)• Cabot Clothbound (cow’s milk) – Cabot Creamery (Cabot, VT) MICHIGAN BRUT S O F T- RIPE NED C H E E SE Why It Works: Soft-ripened cheeses are often paired with Champagnes, and Michigan Brut’s dry and crisp taste pairs well with these. (We included a bonus butter pairing, too!)DRY CIDERABV: 6.7%Our dry Brut is a blend of hand-pressed heirloom Michigan apples aged inFrench oak barrels that feature the scent of fresh apples, a touch of oak, andfinishes crisp and tart.SUGGESTED CHEESE PAIRINGS:• Idyll Gris (goat’s milk) – Idyll Farms (Northport, MI)• Beurre de Baratte (cow’s milk) – Rodolphe le Meunier (Normandy, France)• Valençay – (Berry, France)• Harbison (cow’s milk) – Jasper Hill Farm (Greensboro Bend, VT)

MICHIGAN HONEY BLUE CHEESES Why It Works: This is another great “salty and sweet” pairing, and blue cheeses can have some great fruity flavors that match well with Michigan Honey. Blue cheeses can be intense, and the subtle sweetness from the cider’s wildflower honey blended in helps to temper those strong flavors.CIDER WITH HONEYABV: 5%Our honey cider is a blend of hand-pressed heirloom Michigan apples andwildflower honey. The final cider is floral with the scent of honeysuckle and apple.SUGGESTED CHEESE PAIRINGS:• Chiraboga Blue (raw cow’s milk) – Obere M’hle (Bad Obendorf, Germany)• Shakerag Blue (raw cow’s milk) – Sequatchie Cove Farm (Sequatchie, TN)• Bleu de Bocage (goat’s milk) – (Vendée, France) MICHIGAN CHERRY SHEEP’S MILK CHEESES Why It Works: Sheep’s milk is nutty and fruit, which matches well with the fresh tart cherry juice that is blended into Michigan Cherry. These cheeses also are nice and mild that make them great “intro” cheeses for people who aren’t used to pairing cider and cheese.CIDER WITH CHERRIESABV: 5%Our cherry cider is a blend of hand-pressed heirloom Michigan apples and localcherries aged in French oak barrels. The final cider is tart and rich with a touchof sweetness.SUGGESTED CHEESE PAIRINGS:• Podda (cow’s and sheep’s milk blend) – (Sardinia, Italy)• Fleur de Maquis (sheep’s milk) – (Ghisonaccia, Corsica, France)• Manchego 4-Month (sheep’s milk) – (La Mancha, Spain)

THE MITTEN GOUDAS Why It Works: The Mitten has some big shoulders and these goudas do too. The starter cultures for goudas have a sweeter profile, and The Mitten’s vanilla notes from the bourbon barrels It is aged in show themselves nicely against these cheeses.BOURBON BARREL-AGED CIDERABV: 6.8%The Mitten is a blend of last season’s pressed apples, aged in bourbon barrelsfor up to one year, then back sweetened with this year’s fresh pressed applejuice. The Mitten has notes of vanilla, caramel, and charred oak.SUGGESTED CHEESE PAIRINGS:• L'Amuse Signature Gouda (cow’s milk) – Essex Street Cheese (Santpoort-Noord, Netherlands)• Wilde Weide (raw cow’s milk) – Jan and Roos van Schie (Zwanburgenpolder, Netherlands)• L’Amuse Brabander Goat Gouda (goat’s milk) – Essex Street Cheese (Santpoort, Netherlands)• Marieke Cumin Gouda (raw cow’s milk) – Holland’s Family Cheese (Thorp, WI) T HAT ’S JUST WHAT WE SU G G E ST. PAIR CIDER & CHEESE, FIND OUT WHAT YOU LIKE, AND LET US KNOW! @VIRTUECIDER VIRTUECIDER.COM Illustrated by Ryan Duggan

CIDER & CHEESE PAIRING SCORE CARD CIDER NAME CIDER STYLE CHEESE NAME CHEESE STYLE 1-10