How to make the perfect Irish cheese board with Guinness Extra Stout

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Few snacks are as decadent or satisfy‐ ing as a cheese board. Whether as an appetizer shared among friends, the perfect picnic treat, or an easy indulgent meal, the perfect cheese, and beverage pairing can be a symphony of delicious‐ ness.

With so many wonderful Irish cheeses, it's easy to construct a cheese board with an Irish theme, and with its bitter‐ sweet taste, Guinness Extra Stout is an ideal accompaniment.

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Photo: Guinness US

Here are our top tips for the ultimate Irish cheese board.

The Cheeses

The number one rule for putting togeth‐ er a cheese board is variety - you want to make sure there's a range of flavors, textures, and colors. Aim for one hard cheese, such as an Irish cheddar; a strong cheese such as an Irish blue; a semi-soft cheese like a Farmhouse Cheese such as Gubbeen; and a soft cheese such as an Irish goat cheese.

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The Accompaniments

It's important to have some non-dairy items on the board to o er a palate cleanser between cheeses. Fresh fruits such as apple slices, strawberries, and grapes are a nice touch; for dried fruits go with figs, cranberries, apricots, rais‐ ins, or dates. A selection of nuts like al‐ monds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts adds a nice contrast in tex‐ ture, but avoid anything overly salted or flavored. To keep the Irish theme going, include some slices of Irish brown bread, cream crackers, or oat crackers.

To drink, Guinness Extra Stout makes an exceptional pairing. Its slightly bitter‐ sweet taste o ers a delicious counter‐ point to the creaminess of the cheeses and enhances their nutty notes.

The Presentation

Take your cheeses out of the refrigera‐ tor about one hour before serving so that they can reach room temperature. Cut relatively small slices of cheese, with the points angeled out for ease of access, with fruit and nuts dispersed in between. The bread and crackers can al‐ so go on the cheese board, or in a basket on the side if there isn't enough room. Include at least two knives, one for the hard cheeses and one for the soft cheeses.

Finally, enjoy! There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to cheese-eating, so feel free to make it up as you go. Check out the video below for more Guinness food pairing tips: Originallypublishedin2019.Updatedin April2024.