With warmer days, longer evenings and fantastic fresh produce, spring is the ultimate season for good food. This week we’re talking about goat’s cheese: a seasonal favourite and one of the most versatile ingredients when it comes to goat cheese beer pairing and springtime cheese pairing beers. Why goat’s cheese & beer? Goat’s cheese is intense, powerful and creamy. It fits well with a lot of different kinds of beer, like saison, Tripel or Blond, but also with a porter, geuze or Brettanomyces beer (Orval or Rebel Strop, for instance). One of the best things about goat’s cheese is that it’s made from goat's milk, which contains less lactose than cow's milk. This means it’s easier to digest than cow cheese, and people with a lactose intolerance can often enjoy it, too. Goat’s cheese ripens very quickly; after a month it tastes like an old cheese made from cow's milk. It’s lower in fat, but certainly more intense in its taste. And, last but not least, goat’s cheese contains copper, which together with iron helps the immune system. Thanks to its bold flavour and creamy texture, goat’s cheese works beautifully in goats milk beer pairings, especially with softer, aromatic beer styles that won’t overpower its natural tang. Which beers should you drink with goat's cheese? Choosing the right beer for goat’s cheese is all about balance, and a well-thought-out goat cheese beer pairing can elevate both the food and the beer. Cheeses tend to be creamy and intense, and often leave a greasy film in the mouth and on the tongue. The carbon dioxide from the beer rinses the mouth clean after a bite, and the alcohol cuts through the cheese fat. Each sip allows you to start afresh with the next piece of cheese. Above all, goat’s cheese has a slightly sharp, tangy character, which makes it ideal for softer styles in classic cheese pairing beers such as saisons, blond ales and tripels. So when selecting an accompaniment, go for softer, sweeter or sour beers, which many spring beers naturally are. Hard and soft beer & cheese combinations In the UK, goat’s cheese is a staple of spring menus, and these UK cheese beer pairings work just as well at home as they do in pubs or beer gardens. Line up a few pieces of hard goat’s cheese and try dipping them in honey or beer syrup. This is a great coffee table snack for lounging in front of the TV. Soft, creamy goat’s cheese is a different story. It can be finely spread on a piece of toast and combined with a Saison, for example Overworks Funk X Punk from beer legends BrewDog or the icon of this style, Saison Dupont. Cheese pairing beers & party food If you're having a party, a goat’s cheese quiche is always a good option and a great opportunity to explore relaxed cheese pairing beers that work across a whole table of guests. You can make the quiche the day before, and serve Bullebak from De Eeuwige Jeugd. This is a tasty, quiet triple with a low carbon dioxide content. For a festive starter, you could also fill dates with soft goat's cheese. These taste amazing with Texels Wit. If you want to take it to the next level, you can wrap the date with bacon. Then serve St. Feuillien Grand Cru. For a real treat, serve lamb chops in oil and garlic with just a few minutes in the frying pan. Then you can serve a nice saison, such as Frankandael Tramp Stamp. This one is a low ABV Saison with lots of fruity aroma's like passion fruit. Or, maybe a fruity Blond, try Troubadour Blond. Get the recipes and their beer pairings below: Dates with soft goat’s cheese Lamb chops in garlic oil Goat’s cheese quiche Pancakes with goat's cheese