Looking for the ultimate festive activity this Christmas? Say hello to a beer and cheese pairing night. It’s indulgent, cosy, and basically a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Because when a pairing works? Oh mate. It's like sensory magic. 

We’ve hosted loads of beer and cheese nights at the brewery, and they’re always a hit. Plus, they're fun and easy to plan, and run smoother than a tub of mascarpone. 

Now, if you’ve never hosted an event like this before, you might be thinking: 

“I don’t know enough about beer and cheese…”
“I’ve never paired them before…” 

Relax. This isn’t MasterChef! If it tastes good together, it is good together. Trust your palate. Job done. 

But if you fancy a bit more structure (and fewer rogue combos), here’s how we do it at Triple Point. 

PREPPING YOUR BEER & CHEESE NIGHT 

Before you crack open any cans, sort the basics: 

• Theme - local? UK-only? World tour? 

• Budget - how fancy are we getting? 

• Location - home, taproom, pub? 

• Date & time - obvious, but an important starting point. 

• Marketing - selling tickets? Design My Night or Eventbrite are great choices. 

• Beer & cheese selection - involves tasting (the best bit). 

• Presentation - chalk slates, ramekins, fruit… make it look drool-worthy. Maybe add a palate cleanser too!

CHOOSING YOUR PAIRINGS 

Now for the fun part: tasting everything!! 

We usually test 10–12 beers with 8–10 cheeses, spend a couple of hours tasting, sipping, and taking notes. 

The trick here is choosing a variety of beers and cheeses: 

Beer: pale ales, lagers, sours, dark beers, NEIPAs
Cheese: hard to soft, mild to wild 

Top tip: make a grid: note beers down the side, cheeses across the top. Then print it out, grab a pen and tick what works. Very scientific, we know. 

Once you’ve nailed it, knock up a menu with tasting notes and boom – let's go!  

FLAVOUR BASICS 

A little knowledge goes a long way, so here’s a few flavour tips from our Head Brewer, Alex Barlow! 

Flavour is multisensory - taste, smell, texture, appearance… even sound. 

The Three C’s: 

• Compliment – flavours match 

• Cut – acidity or fizz slices through richness 

• Contrast – opposites attract 

The Five Tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami.
Fun fact: babies have ~36,000 taste buds. Adults? Around 7,000.  

PAIRINGS WE SWEAR BY 

WENSLEYDALE + FRUIT SOUR 

Crumbly, slightly sweet, a Yorkshire classic. 

Pair it with a fruit sour or gose - the acidity cuts right through the richness. That said, at this time of year, some breweries like us have sold out of sours! So, we’d also recommend a citrusy hazy pale works beautifully too. 

Our pairing recommendations: Yorkshire Wensleydale and Catharina Fruit Sour (during spring/summer) or Cryo Hazy Pale Ale any time of the year. All options are on our shop! 

BRIE + LAGER (OR IPA) 

Soft, creamy, buttery goodness. Made using cows or goats milk.  

A light lager is perfect here — crisp, refreshing, and balances the fat like a dream. But if you want to taste a few options, try it with a golden ale – they also do the trick. 

Our pairing recommendation: Delice de Bourgogne – a double cream brie from the Burgundy region of France. Paired with our Helles: 4.1% Session Lager. Its light, crisp, and refreshing qualities help to cut through the fatty, creaminess of the brie - a dream combo! 

BLUE CHEESE + STOUT / PORTER 

Blue cheeses love the dark side. 

Think roasty stouts, rich porters, or imperial beasts. The deeper the cheese, the darker the beer. Point, face, proven. 

Our pairing recommendation: Shepherds Purse' incredible Harrogate Blue - A buttery, sometimes slightly crumbly golden blue cheese. Creamy with a mid-strength blue flavour that becomes almost peppery on the finish.  

Paired with our Astral: 4.1% Nitro Stout. It’s rich mouthfeel and gentle coffee and chocolatey notes works wonders. 

GOAT’S CHEESE + NEIPA 

Sharp cheese meets juicy, hoppy New England IPA. It's a love story. 

The goat’s cheese cuts through the fruitiness of the beer in the best way.  

Our pairing recommendation: Try Ribblesdale Goats Cheese - an award-winning cheese from Ribblesdale Dairy that’s semi-firm and incredibly light on the goat’s cheese flavour. We always have a few rotational NEIPA varieties on our shop. Check out our shop for some tasters.  

CHEDDAR +… LOADS OF BEER 

Cheddar plays well with almost everything. 

Mild or strong, crumbly or smooth - brown ales and stouts are especially good mates here, though. 

Our pairing recommendation: It’s hard to choose a stand-out favourite, as they’re all so unique! But Fountains Gold Cheddar is especially delicious – and handcrafted in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales! Pair it with a few beers – see what you think works best here.