We can’t live on liquor alone, but we can have the best of both worlds by pairing it with food—and the most glorious pairing? Spirits and cheese, of course. It can make for some surprising and mind blowing combinations.

The goal when pairing spirits and cheese isn’t to be stringent about complementary flavors. Rather, take a chance by pairing less likely options. For example, the tart, tangy and mild character of a good American goat cheese perfectly pairs with an unaged American whiskey. The alcohol content of a whiskey slices through the rich, dry texture of the goat cheese, enhancing its citrus favors. Similarly, a powerful, smoky and peaty single malt from Islay may give the impression that it would dominate in flavor, yet when paired with a sweet-style Blue cheese, it leaves a savory finish that seems to last for hours. A paprika washed rind cheese from Spain can easily highlight some of the softer notes of a briny, salty, single malt from the Islands of Scotland.

When traveling the dessert route, match up a brittle, crystallized chunk of aged Gouda with rich Bourbon. The butterscotch, caramel and other sweet notes of the Bourbon will infuse your palate with the flavors of a delicious bread pudding.

While pairing spirits with cheese may appear a daunting task, you’ll never learn unless you practise. Invite friends over, put out a cheese plate and open some bottles of spirits. If the pairings really don’t work, try again. You can never have enough spirits or cheese.

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