Fromage and Football — Hearty Beer-Friendly Cheeses
Turn football fans into Fromage fans with this hearty selection. These cheeses pair beautifully with beer and all the trimmings of a classic Super Bowl Party.
Pair with French beer
Max’s recommended tasting order: Cap Gris Nez, Mimolette, Epoisses, Cantal.
The Cheeses
“These are beer-friendly cheeses; great for get-togethers of all kinds.”
Max McCalman, Maître Fromager
Mimolette. Produced in Flanders in the northernmost region of France, this pasteurized cow’s milk cheese is pressed, cooked and shaped like a cannonball. Mimolette hardens as it ages, its interior turning a deeper orange and acquiring a mouthwatering array of fruity, nutty flavors. Best when aged 18 months or more.
If you can’t find it, ask for: Aged Comté.
Epoisses (AOC). This cow milk, washed-rind cheese comes from Burgundy. Strong-smelling, with a soft, smooth texture and a mouth-watering flavor, washed with wine or marc spirits, giving it a distinctive aroma. The rind has an orange tinge that darkens with age.
If you can’t find it, ask for: Trou du Cru, Affidelice, Perrière, Soumaintrain, Trou du Cru.
Cantal (AOC) — Auvergne. A distinguished, semi-hard cheese from the central mountainous region of Auvergne, Cantal is a cheddar-like cow’s milk cheese cured with salt, which brings out its full flavor. Heavy and moist, young Cantal has a sweet, milk flavor; well-aged, it has a sharper flavor.
If you can’t find it, ask for: Laguiole, Salers.
Cap Gris Nez. Creamy and full of flavor, this washed-rind cheese is produced by one family in the northern coastal region known as Nord-Pas de Calais. Named for the “Grey Nosed Cape” that juts into the English Channel, Cap Gris Nez is rich, pungent and fairly intense.
If you can’t find it, ask for: Livarot.
“Kind of stinky but tastes great. You might even pour your beer over this cheese! Also nice with white Burgundies.” Max McCalman, Maître Fromager
All soft-ripened cheeses used in our Signature Fromage Plates are made from pasteurized milk, and therefore comply with FDA regulations.