About this episode

Markus interviews cheese sommelier Frederik van Tricht about the art of cheese and beer pairings.

Markus explores the world of cheese with Belgian affineur Frederik van Tricht. As a cheese sommelier himself, Markus is especially curious about how beer-and-cheese pairings work when both products are treated as equals. Frederik explains what affinage really means: not producing cheese, but guiding it to peak flavor through time, temperature, humidity, turning, brushing, and—when it fits—washing rinds with liquids like beer, whisky, sake, or wine. Belgium may not be famous as a “cheese country,” Frederik says, but its makers are highly creative, influenced by France and the Netherlands, and able to produce a surprisingly wide range of styles beyond the single Belgian AOP cheese, Herve. When it comes to pairing, Frederik starts with the beer first and then searches his “cheese flavor library” for the right match. He describes two main approaches: complementary pairings (like Oude Geuze with goat cheese, acidity meeting acidity) and high-contrast “fireworks” pairings (like Oude Kriek with blue cheese, fruit-sour against salty-bitter). The key is balance—neither beer nor cheese should dominate in the finish. They also touch on fun details like smoked blue cheese, why beer-soaked…

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