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Brussels in the glass

Cheese & beer

In Belgium, beer belongs on a cheese board as much as wine, sometimes more. Its bubbles, bitterness and malty notes go with cheeses that wine struggles to keep up with.

Order a platterWhat about wine?
Gueuze and cheese board

Why it works

1

Bubbles cleanse

Carbonation clears the palate between bites, as champagne would.

2

Bitterness balances

Hops answer salt and fat: an IPA stands up to an old Comté or a cheddar.

3

Acidity lifts

Tart lambics and gueuzes work wonders with creamy cheeses and goat’s cheese.

Pairing by cheese family

Goat’s and fresh cheeses

Sainte-Maure, Valençay, fresh cheese

Gueuze, wheat beerGueuze’s acidity and wheat beer’s citrus answer the freshness of goat’s cheese.

Bloomy-rind soft cheeses

Brie, Camembert

Gueuze, saisonThe fine, dry fizz cuts through the creaminess.

Washed-rind soft cheeses

Herve, Maroilles, Munster, Remoudou

Tripel, brown abbey ale, kriekOur local classic: the roundness of abbey ale and the fruit of kriek match the character of washed rinds.

Pressed and abbey cheeses

Comté, Gruyère, Chimay, Maredsous

Characterful blonde, IPAMalty notes meet the cheese’s; bitterness balances the salt.

Blue cheeses

Roquefort, Fourme d’Ambert, Stilton

Kriek or raspberry, stout, quadrupelFruit or roasted malt softens the bite of blue.

Anderlecht · 1900

Cantillon, the gueuze of Brussels

Brewed in Anderlecht since 1900, a few kilometres from our shops, Cantillon is a spontaneously fermented lambic: wild yeasts from the Brussels air do the work, then the beer matures for years in oak barrels. The result is dry, tart, winey, with no added sugar, and one of cheese’s best allies.

✦ We stock several Cantillon cuvées at the counter of our shops, depending on availability. Ask us which one to serve with your platter.

Gueuze

A blend of one-, two- and three-year-old lambics. Dry and tart: with goat’s cheese, bloomy rinds, young Comté.

Kriek

Lambic macerated with whole cherries. Tart and fruity: with washed rinds and blues.

Fruit cuvées

Raspberry, grape or apricot depending on the year: more surprising pairings, with fresh cheeses or to finish the board.

And the other Brussels breweries

Brasserie de la Senne

Dry, hoppy blondes (Taras Boulba, Zinnebir), perfect with pressed cheeses.

Brussels Beer Project

IPAs and creative beers to try with an old Comté or a cheddar.

En Stoemelings

A small brewery in the Marolles: characterful beers for cheeses with character.

What about wine?

Goat’s cheese and sauvignon, Comté and Jura wine, blue and sweet wine: discover our cheese and wine pairings too.

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Cheese platters

Order a platter ›

Frequently asked questions

Which beer with a cheese platter?

Gueuze is the most versatile: dry, tart and sparkling, it goes with most cheeses. For two bottles, add a kriek for the stronger cheeses.

Which beer with Herve cheese?

A tripel or brown abbey ale, or a kriek: their roundness and fruit answer Herve’s powerful character.

Do you sell Cantillon?

Yes, several cuvées are available at the counter of our Saint-Josse and Uccle shops, depending on availability.

Can you make a beer fondue?

Yes: a gueuze or a blonde replaces the white wine. Our fondue ideas are on the Fondue & Mont d’Or page.