The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

What is the general consensus here on beer and food pairings? Anything stand out in your mind as particularly intriguing? I was at Flying Dog a few weeks ago and I had a sampler flight matched with a little appetizer sampler and it completely changed my perspective of Flying Dog beers. Honestly I used to think they were just strong for the sake of being strong, but now I see that in the right situation a strong beer can perform well in a pairing. The cheeses were especially interesting, apparently there is a cheesemonger/specialty cheese shop in Frederick that does good work. The Snake Dog and Truth IPAs were matched up masterfully with suitable cheese counterparts. The high ABV cuts through the fattiness of the cheese and brings the more subtle flavors to the forefront. Complexity and intriguing possibilities abounds.

I have read a fair amount about some of the more boisterous cheeses (Stilton and Gorgonzola especially) and I am intrigued by the pairing possibilities. At Belly Love out in Purcellville, I had a fruity DIPA paired with a Balsamic-drizzled Gorgonzola flatbread and found it to be sublime. English Barleywine and Stilton is next on the list. I may have to go for an American take on the style (maybe Adroit Theory Tenebris) but I would prefer an authentic English version of elevated to high ABV (ideally no more than 9.5%). As far as the cheese, I am still in the dark. I will do some research before I go out and make a purchase. The higher-end grocery stores are getting better about cheese selection (especially Harris Teeter, Wegmans, and WholeFoods) but the niche cheeses are still best had at dedicated cheese shops.

For now, I do what I can to stay sharp. (ha.)