Beer and... cheese?

Beer in a cheese magazine. What?

At first, it sounded unnatural; beer goes with pizza, and wine goes with cheese. That's how food works. But a conversation between a lover of craft beer from Cheese Connoisseur magazine and wine expert Ron Kapon prove otherwise.

The article "Beer lovers arise!" explores the growing craft beer trend as it relates to cheese and wine. Positioned second to last in the magazine, the article is almost an abrupt turn for readers. Previous lengthier stories cover a toddler's cheese journey, a cheese master and a dairy farm in Vermont. Obviously the magazine sticks to its title. So when I stumbled upon a beer article, I was intrigued. I learned about craft beer from a wine expert. I learned that you can pair cheese with beer, and the flavors will either complement or contrast with one another. Who knew?

Apparently someone at Cheese Connoisseur magazine. The mid-length article is a simple Q&A. Most of the questions are open-ended. Kapon is asked who is buying the beer, which is followed by "is it just me or is it happening around the country?" The second question makes Kapon's answer specific to the United States where the craft brew trend is happening. Other than that, the questions include words like how, what and when, which lead to a lengthy, more informed response. The closed second question is necessary in this context because the magazine covers cheese from all over the world. So while the craft beer trend is here, consumers can pair with international cheese if they choose. 

The photos were provided by Brooklyn Brewery, who assisted in the article's preparation. Whoever took the photos is awesome. The story's headline is placed over a photo of barrels. It is strong compositionally; the angle is interesting, and the barrels are in focus. The second photo of barrels is my favorite. The photographer gives the illusion of spying on what looks like a tour of the brewery. The action of the photo is blurred as the two barrels framing the shot on either side are in focus. It combines fine art and photojournalism just as the article combines beer and cheese: pleasantly and in good taste.