FEATURE/Beer & Cheese Pairings a ''Touchdown'' for Superbowl Parties.

Lifestyle Editors/Feature Editors

FEATURE...

CABOT, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 2003

EDITOR NOTE: Photos, a History of Beer & Cheese, Pairing Suggestions, Beer & Cheese Serving Basics, and Trivia are available to download at www.cabotcheese.com/beerPress/beer.html

Last year, over 131 million Americans tuned in to the Superbowl and, regardless of which team they rooted for, they ate and drank to their way to that final field goal. Enjoying the Superbowl with friends, food and cold beer is almost as American as apple pie. This year, instead of tossing out a bag of chips, kick off the biggest game of the year (and impress your guests) with the latest trend: beer and food pairings.

Cheese is a fantastic complement to many beers. After all, cheese and beer arrived on America's shores hand in hand when the so-called puritans (both inveterate brewers and accomplished cheese makers) brought their craft to our shores.

"Long the domain of fine wines, beer is entering the epicurean stage with sophisticated tastes and flavors that pair up perfectly with a variety of cheeses," states Roberta MacDonald, Vice President of Cabot Creamery. Cabot, makers of a broad variety of award winning cheddar cheeses, has produced a beer & cheese-pairing guide for its customers and offers pairing tips on their web site (www.cabotcheese.com). "Here in Vermont where Cabot cheese is made, we have numerous micro brews. The idea of pairing beer with our cheeses was a natural. We're just passing along what we've learned and hoping everyone enjoys!"

Beer and cheese pairings eschew hard and fast rules; so let your palate be your guide. To give you a hand, MacDonald offers the following guidelines to help ensure optimal flavor in pairing beer with food:

1. The same rules that dictate wine and food pairing are true for beer. Rich, fruity ales match up well with stronger tastes, such as red meat and extra sharp cheddars. Lighter lagers, on the other hand, pair better with poultry, fish and mild cheeses, such as Cabot mild cheddar or Monterey jack.

2. In general, think of ale as red wine and lager as white wine.

3. Hoppiness in Beer = Acidity in Wine. Spicy foods, such as Cabot Habanero cheddar, for example pair well with beers that have significant hoppiness or bitterness, such as India Pale Ales.

4. Complement Tastes. Pair like with like--mild beers with mild foods, robust beers with robust dishes. Assertive Scottish and Belgian ales stand up well next to wild game. Fish and chicken match up with conservatively hopped pilsners and brown ales. A full-bodied porter with big roasted flavor matches up deliciously with the strong flavors of Cabot Roasted Garlic Cheddar served with spicy summer sausage and crisp cracker bread.

5. Cut Flavors. To quell the burning sensation of spicy hot foods like Cabot Habanero Cheddar or Southwestern dishes with chili peppers, a malty beer with high alcohol content like a rich German dopplebock is best suited for the job. The component of a hot pepper that is responsible for the 3-alarm fire in your mouth is soluble in alcohol but not in water. Thus, the alcohol will rinse the fiery heat from your tongue more quickly than water or other beverages while the maltiness cools and refreshes.

6. Pair international beer styles with foods from the same region or country. In most cases, it's no coincidence that the foods and beers of a given region pair well.

7. When designing your gastronomic pairings keep in mind the nature of the occasion. You'll want to select a beer or a style best suited to the occasion. A nice cold six-pack can be perfect for a summer picnic, but an elegant homebrew might be better for that romantic dinner. For the Superbowl try:

-- English Pale Ale and an Extra Sharp Cheddar: English Pale Ale has a pleasant bitterness and a beautiful bronze color. Commonly referred to as a "bitter" abroad, English Pale Ales pair wonderfully with Cabot's Extra Sharp Aged Cheddar. Try adding wedges of potatoes roasted with olive oil, rosemary and coarse salt, along with a cluster of grape tomatoes.

-- Pale Ales and Habanero Cheddar: The I.P.A. is the pride of American microbrewers--clean, refreshing and substantial. The citrus flavors pair perfectly with Cabot's spicy Habanero Cheddar. Top a platter of blue corn tortilla chips with shredded Habanero Cheddar, pop it under the broiler, add fresh squeezed limejuice and enjoy!

Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919 and makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter. Cabot dairy products have won every major award for taste. Over the past five years alone Cabot has held the titles of "Best Cheddar" and "Best Flavored Cheese" from the World Championship Cheese Contest, "Best Cow's Milk Cheddar" from the American Cheese Society, "Most Outstanding Cheese" from the National Milk Producers Federation and "Best Cheddar" and "Best Aged Cheddar" from the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, among others. Cabot is owned by the dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast's premier dairy cooperative. "Ski" our web site in Vermont at www.cabotcheese.com for additional information on Cabot Creamery, numerous recipes and other helpful tips such as Wine & Cheese pairing guidelines.