There’s a lot of flavor and texture going on with aged cheddar, so you want a drink that stands up to that but doesn’t overpower it. We like off-dry, mature beverages that have just a touch of sweetness like saison ale, cider, bock and Belgian ales. For wine, we recommend riesling, chardonnay and champagne (whites) and syrah, pinot noir and chianti (reds). Bourbon and single malt scotch are always sure bets too.
Big, bold blues as well as milder wedges go surprisingly well with all sorts of drinks. In Wisconsin, we normally pair our blues with cider or beer -- everything from fruit beers, stout, weiss beer, porter and Belgian ales get along famously with blue. In the world of wine, we recommend cabernet sauvignon, chianti, pinot noir, zinfandel, riesling, syrah/shiraz, ice wines and malbec. For higher-proof hankerings, reach for the port, madeira, tequila reposado or tequila añejo.
Beers and wines are our go-to for Wisconsin muenster. Stouts, pilsners, pale ales, porters, brown ales, lagers and Belgian ales are all really tasty with it. If you’d rather sip on wine, we suggest chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot, red zinfandel, riesling, sauvignon blanc, beaujolais, pinot gris or gruner veltliner.
Depending on whether your gouda is young, aged, smoked or flavor infused, we tend to enjoy it with slightly sweet beverages that complement its nutty, slightly fruity flavor. Drinks that fit that bill include bock, brown ale, farmhouse hard cider, gewürztraminer, müller-thurgau, riesling, champagne or cava and all different young to long-in-the-tooth sherries.
We’re happiest tossing back a frosty light pilsner, lager, pale ale (or two!) with a serving of salty, fresh Wisconsin cheese curds. You might as well go ahead and order a pitcher.