12 Month Comté & Au Baron Cuvée de Jonquilles

Brown butter and nutty notes in the ranging country cheese from the French Jura offer a sweetness that balances the bright lactic jab. Grass and wildflower play their part, lending an earthiness that cuts the richness, but at 12 months, the cheese still holds on to youthful irrereverence and energy that will later tame and dry with age. Au Baron’s Cuvée de Jonquilles provides a light bière de garde malty sweetness that rides in the same lane, while peppercorn spice, light stone fruit, honey, and wildflower notes in the beer capture a complementary French countryside vibe. —Jamie Bogner

Washed with lees (yeast and fermentation sediment) from Vermont’s Shacksbury Cider, Hartwell has distinct umamiearthy notes that play against the fruity tang and a bit of barnyard-style funk. It will hold up to your mixed-fermentation farmhouse ale, and then some.