Recipes & Pairings

Herds 'n' Hops: Cabot Cheddar & Microbrews

Whoever thought roasted garlic and herbs would combine delectably with cheddar or flavor a specialty beer?


Our suggested pairings promise to whet the appetite and bring out the best in your favorite microbrews. Explore the magical worlds of microbrews and Cabot cheese!


The Beer Facts

The American Home Brewers Association recognizes 70 styles of beer. All beers have the same four basic ingredients. It's simply a matter of innovation and passion for making the finest beers that separates one brewer from the next.


  • Barley Malt Malt is to beer as milk is to cheese and grapes are to wine. It's the essential, predominant ingredient in beer. Barley, or any cereal grain, gives beer its fullness, color, sweetness, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and alcoholic content.
  • Hops A small plant that is a member of the nettle family, hops determine the degree of bitterness and provides aroma. Often specialty brewers will mix many different types of hops to define the flavor. Many brewmasters also use a variety of spices and herbs, in the tradition of the earliest home brewers.
  • Yeast This microscopic, single cell, organism converts malt's natural sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. There are top and bottom fermenting yeasts and some brewers closely guard the secret of what type they use.
  • Water is paramount in brewing, contributing to the beer's flavor, color, clarity and ability to hold a "head."

Explore the World of Regional Microbeers & Cabot Cheese

Much like aging a premium cheese, or producing a fine wine, brewing a quality beer with a distinct personality is a craft unto itself. Today, there is no excuse for enduring bland, processed cheese or drinking mass-produced, watered-down beer.


From rich dark stouts to refreshing pale ales, from spicy to fruity, smoky to herbal, somewhere out there is a brew for every taste and every occasion. To enhance the experience, Cabot offers a wide selection of tasty, all-natural cheeses to complement the new breed of American ales and lagers.


With over 20 varieties, awardwinning Cabot prides itself on both its traditional, handcrafted, aged cheddars and its imaginative, groundbreaking flavored cheeses.


The delightfully complex Five Peppercorn (winner of the World's Best Flavored Cheese) highlights the nuances of a European Pilsner. An India Pale Ale, the pride of American microbrewers, cools the fiery Habanero. Private Stock, sharp and tangy, matches the complex nutty character of a Barley Wine.


All of the pairings promise to whet the appetite and bring out the best in microbrews and Cabot.

The Right Beer Glasses

Basic Pint Glass
Basic Pint

Tumblers or shaker pint glasses are often used at brewpubs for many styles of beer, which is to say they are generic in nature but a good alternative to a bottle. They are sturdy, stackable and inexpensive.

British-style Pint Glass
British-style Pint

With a slight bulge near the rim, this is the glass for pale ales, bitters, stouts and porters. The shape draws in distinctive aromas, like the roasted malt flavors of stout.

Pilsner Glass
Pilsner

Tall and stately, the pilsner glass sports an inverted cone shape that helps heighten the hop aroma. Great for a robust head and spirited carbonation.

Snifters, Tulips Glass
Snifters/Tulips

While snifters are often associated with brandy, these beer varieties are ideal for pungent beers. With a smaller opening and taller cup, the snifter suits Belgian ales and barley wines. A brandy snifter or wine glass is a fine substitute. The tulip glass is considered the best all around glass for beer.


What do Cabot Cheeses & Specialty Beers have in common?
  • Unsurpassed quality
  • Award-winning taste
  • Hand crafted products
  • Traditional recipes
  • Innovative new flavors
  • Regional, all-natural fresh ingredients
  • Attention to Detail
  • Nutrition. Beer and cheese are full of vitamins and minerals!
  • Variety - the spice of life
  • Passionate, loyal fans with discerning taste
  • A belief that small is beautiful - and delicious