Beer and Cheese Are BFFs

by Andrea Damewood

There’s wine at Steve Jones’ eponymous cheese bars, but if you ask for a recommendation on what to pair with his vast array of curated bites, chances are he’ll reach for a beer.

Jones has been in the cheese biz for more than 20 years, and he’s been teaching beer and cheese pairing classes for almost as long.

“When you think about cheese with a beverage, you think of wine,” Jones says. “[Wine] tannins deaden your palette, but beer has effervescence and enlightens it.”

He features a strong tap and bottle list at his Cheese Bar near Mount Tabor and at Chizu downtown—and the only food available at the Commons Brewery is Jones’ Cheese Annex. Jones also runs the annual Beer and Cheese Fest, bringing heaps of sheep, goat, raw cow, and other cheeses to pair with local beer makers.

It can be daunting to just grab a few beers and some cheese without any background, but Jones says there are a few ways to go.