Gin and Cheese: A Gin Lover’s Cheese Board

Spirits aren’t always appropriate for food pairing, but that notion gets a big asterisk where cheese is concerned. (See our Alcohol Professor piece on Yes, You Can Pair Spirits with Cheese.) High proof beverages can sometimes dull the palate and flatten more delicate foodstuffs, but full fat and big flavor cheeses are more than up for the challenge, and there’s no reason not to serve a cheese plate alongside your favorite full-proof libation, especially if that cheese plate is specifically curated to the spirit in question.

You can’t spell “begin” without “gin,” so to kick off a series of “Spirit Lovers’ Cheese Plates,” here we present a selection of cheeses and accompaniments designed for lovers of gin. (It’s me! I’m a lover of gin!) Whether you take your gin as a martini, G&T, French 75, or simply on the rocks, a board consisting of these gin-friendly components is a fresh approach to cheese plate assembly.

Why is Gin a Great Pairing for Cheese?

Gin brings two distinct angles to the pairing equation with cheese. As a (usually) unaged spirit, its finish is typically clean and bright, offering the sort of palate cleanse that zippy white or sparkling wines can accomplish for palate-coating cheeses. For gin lovers, however, gin is much more than just its refreshment. The botanical components of gin, beginning with juniper, allow for much experimentation and discovery where pairings are concerned. Juniper gives gin its peppery or piney bite, but gin also includes a multitude of elements that are highly companionable to cheese; mineral and citrus notes, florals, fruits, and herbs all mingle among gin’s myriad flavors. In the presence of cheese and its fat content, which works as a flavor amplifier, you’ll notice all of the nuances of the gin you’re sipping at even higher decibels. Echoing these flavors in both cheese and accompaniments is the key to assembling an especially gin-worthy cheese plate.

Not all gins are created equally. When pairing gin and cheese, keep in mind the different styles of gin. American gins like Aviation American Gin are known for being less juniper forward. Old Tom gins such as Purity Distillery Old Tom Organic Gin are characterized by softness and a touch of sweetness. London Dry gins such as Wild Roots London Dry Gin are the opposite of Old Tom, with no sweetness and a stronger herbal quality because they are double distilled with a maceration of natural botanicals in a 96% ABV neutral spirit.

Cheese Pairings for Gin

Goat Cheeses

Not only is gin often somewhat citrusy unto itself, depending on its botanical profile, but in order to highlight that particular tone within the spirit, one of gin’s primary garnish companions is citrus. Goat cheese, especially young goat cheese, is effectively the citrus of cheeses, with its notable tang that is often likened to lemon. Ash-ripened goat cheeses take that a step even further, offering both tangy and mineral notes to harmonize with gin’s vibe. A simple chevre such as Vermont Creamery’s Goat Cheese is an effective blank slate for gin, or try Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog to introduce just a hint of mineral ash. For the full ash experience, and a dramatic presentation, go for ash-coated Selles-sur-Cher.

“Botanical” Cheeses

Once upon a time, Jasper Hill offered a gin-washed Harbison in partnership with Bar Hill for Whole Foods’ 12 Days of Cheese. Until the blessed day when that might make a reappearance, you can still take cues from gin’s botanicals, and offer cheese plate real estate to cheeses that also feature, or nod to similar botanicals. Beecher’s Handmade Marco Polo is studded with black and green peppercorns for a spicy flavor to echo juniper. Alp Blossom is especially poised to pair gins with a high floral component, and try an herb-crusted cheese such as Cabra Romero to draw out herbaceous notes such as rosemary.

Blue Cheeses

Not a pairing for the faint of heart, both the high proof of gin and its juniper kick are going to emphasize the peppery bite of any blue cheese you choose to pair it with. For the intersection of gin lovers with blue cheese lovers, though, this may very well be the point. (Shout out to those who seek blue-cheese stuffed olives for their martinis, more on that score below.) Point Reyes Bay Blue often gets a nod to pepper in its tasting descriptions, or don’t be afraid to go full bad boy with Roquefort. (But please don’t pair it with a French Martini.) While we await the second coming of gin-washed cheese, Deer Creek Farm at least gives us a juniper-infused one with The Blue Jay. To soften the edge of this high octane pairing, try a gin with a honeyed tone — speaking of Barr Hill. A little tonic wouldn’t hurt to offset the spice, either.

Accompaniments for a Gin Lover’s Cheese Plate

On a Theme of Garnish

An easy place to start while filling out the accompaniments on your gin lovers’ cheese board is with the sort of garnishes that typically accompany gin. Easy, no? While Spain’s ongoing “gintonic ” craze has made all things possible where gin garnish is concerned, classics like cucumber, olives, and perhaps a few herb sprigs for decoration will suit your gin-themed cheese board nicely. For extra spirit pedigree, try an upgraded cocktail olive, such as Filthy’s Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives.

Complementary Flavors

As with the cheeses themselves, you can also seek out flavors in products such as charcuterie, pickles, jam, and crackers that echo gin’s botanicals. And we’re in luck! New Hampshire’s Short Creek Farm makes a White Mountain Gin Salami in partnership with Tamworth Distilling, utilizing the floral and funky gin’s botanicals to spike the spice blend. A citrus marmalade wouldn’t be out of place here, or Barnacle Foods Alaskan Spruce Tip Jelly even nods to both pine and citrus notes. Finally, an herbed or pepper-studded cracker provides some salt, savory, and crunch — I’m loving Hungry Bird Eats Fennel and Onion Nordic Crisps for this — begs to be washed down with something bold and cold of the gin persuasion.