Cheese cocktails

Even though the Italians make the world’s best cheeses, the French are also very proud of their gastronomic heritage in the field. With more than 1,200 varieties, cheese is difficult to ignore when you encounter French cuisine, no matter where you are in the world. Its textures, flavours and colours are inspiring more and more great chefs, who integrate cheese into their dishes or create sophisticated tasting ceremonies for them. Foodies rave about pairing cheese with a sweet note to perfect its roundness. There are as many ways to eat cheese as there are cultures. But have you ever tasted a cheese cocktail? Let’s find out more about this new trend for 2023.

Rum, cheese and smiles

This new fad involves serving hot chocolate topped with grated cheese, often mozzarella. While this might be a step too far for some people on social media, it is actually inspired by an ancestral Colombian recipe known as chocolate completo or chocolate santafereño, which children devour at snack time.

But sweet delights are not just for children. Adults can share in the joy too, in the form of cheese cocktails. Imagine a glass of blue cheese. We’ll be honest, the smell might be off-putting. But now imagine a sweet and tangy pineapple taste to counterbalance the salt in the blue cheese. Add a little rum and you’re on the way to a taste sensation. Be bold. Serve something extraordinary.

The ultra-trendy aperitif phenomenon

Design fruity-flavoured cocktails, with or without alcohol, that will pair beautifully with cheeses that often can have a very strong taste. It’s a great way to enhance your dining experience.

Here are some flavour combinations that might inspire you to get creative:

· Brie: chestnut; apple; quince; lime

· Camembert: apple; hopped drinks; ginger

· Sheep’s milk cheeses: chili pepper; black cherry; watermelon

· Munster: carrot; cumin; lychee

· Comté, Beaufort and Cantal: pineapple; red berries; mango, almond

· Goat’s milk cheeses: tomato; honey; pepper; apricot; herbal gin

· Cheddar: tomato; onion; curry; Tabasco; gin; lemon

· Gouda: apple; peach; pear; cumin; caraway; clove

· Parmesan: dry white wine; champagne; apricot; fig; grape; prune

Try one of our cheese cocktail/mocktail recipes for yourself if you’re still not convinced:

Parmigiano sour