
Quarantined Dad-hood in All Its Glory
If you’re like us, much of fathering has taken on new dimension in the past few months. Your kids may or may not have become acquainted with your coworkers on a first-name basis. Your quiet commute might be replaced by a flight of stairs to the basement, and perhaps you’ve become a surprise expert on finding the volume of geometric prisms in your fifth graders’ distance learning classes. In the midst of it all, there are other rewards – you’re able to be present and notice moments in their lives you never did before, and they’ve learned to come to you when they want attention or a hug.
Let’s be honest – it’s been a crazy mixed bag of quarantined parenting, whether you’re doing it alone or with a partner. So, we’re here to say, “Happy hour starts at 4:30 today.”
In homage to the cherished moment when we end a day of zoom calls, and reconnect with our kids, our friends, or ourselves, we give you some of our favorite end-of-day beer and cheese pairings. Hey, it’s what we love, and we hope you love it, too.
Vermont’s Dynamic Duo: Beer & Cheese
Part of the draw of this stunning state for many of us is the combination of access to great craft beers and a smattering of farms that produce some of the world’s best cheeses. We called up our friends from a few towns over, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, and chatted beer and cheese pairings over – of course – some beer and cheese.
The Basic Rules
Graham, one of the bartenders at the beautiful Lawson’s taproom, shared his overarching beer and cheese pairing philosophy: “Any beer you like will pair with any cheese you like – eat and drink what you like. But there are some flavor profiles that cooperate well.”
In general, pair like flavors and intensity for success. For example, cheese with fruity notes will pair will with beer with fruity undertones. A funky washed rind cheese will go well with a funky sour beer. Clean and crisp goes together, as does heavy and dark.
But a fun twist is to mix it up and pair odd couples. Sometimes you’ll find certain notes in a beer that complement the cheese through contrast – they bounce off one another and create an unexpected experience that’s kind of fun. Think about the richness of a Flemish red ale paired with a light brie, where they offset each other in an interesting way.
In the end, it’s all about preference. Whether you opt for like flavors or contrast, there is no right way, unless you’re not having fun with it.
A Few of our Favorites