Three Beer and Cheese Matches to Try

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No one would look down on you for automatically choosing a glass of wine to go with your cheese board. But reaching straight for a Riesling means you're ignoring a whole other world of food matching — a world of cheese and beer.

Mainland have partnered with Monteiths to introduce us all to this whole new underrated world, by partnering with five bars across Auckland participating in 'Find Your Match'. Until March 19, you can head into Basalt, Bluestone Room, Moreton's, Postman's Leg and Crew Club and ask for a beer and cheese board, and they'll give you three beers and three cheeses to try. We went to Bluestone Room and investigated — here are the matches you'll be sampling.

TRY SOME VINTAGE CHEDDAR WITH A RED IPA

Good to know: strong cheese pairs well with strong beer. The grapefruit and floral hops in Monteith's Red IPA give it a bold flavour with hints of chocolate and spices. Drink your IPA with the sharp, strong personality of cheddar cheese and notice as the flavours in both come forward.

SAMPLE SOME BRIE WITH A PALE ALE

Brie is so elegant, smooth and classic you might think it doesn't even need an accompaniment, but rest assured, it does. Follow Mainland's Double Cream Brie with a Pale Ale and new flavours will appear in your favourite creamy cheese. You need not clutter your cheese board with pears or apricots, because the tropical fruit notes in this drop provides the fruit for you.

TASTE SOME CREAMY HARVARTI WITH AN APPLE CIDER

Finally, for those who want neither wine or beer, cider is brilliant accompanied by a creamy harvarti cheese. Thankfully there is no complex equation involved in matching this creamy style of cheese and cider, the combination is generally faultless. The smooth and creamy style of cheese is a natural match for the crisp, fruity notes found in Monteith's sweet apple cider.

Find Your Match with Mainland and Monteith's at Basalt, Bluestone Room, Moreton's, Postman's Leg, and Crew Club until March 19. Once you've found your match, enter to win a getaway for four to New Zealand's stunning heartland worth $5k.