Portland Beer and Cheese Fest Nacho average cheese pairings

Cheese and beer have a longstanding relationship, although the former is really more into selling heroin. The delicious milk-based food products, on the other hand, have always been associated with wine, at least until the arrival of the first-ever Portland Beer and Cheese Fest this Sunday.

Cheese Bar owner and reigning Cheesemonger Invitational world champ Steve Jones will play matchmaker for 10 local brewers and complementary curds, and firmly believes beer is a better mate for cheese than wine since the suds have hundreds of distinct flavor profiles (vs. about three for wine), plus, beer is grain-based and cheese comes from grain-fed animals... and now, you finally have an excuse to drink beer!! Some of the pairings:

• Tumalo Farm's Pondhopper semi-hard (!) goat cheese is matched with Double Mountain's Das Boot, which is named after the ritual beer chug, which is named after the movie Das Boot, which is named after a boat, and not a boot. So congratulations on learning stuff.
• Festival host The Commons is bringing Flemish Kiss pale ale to go with creamy Samish Bay Aged Ladysmith (BYO Black Mambazo).
• Oregon superbrewers Widmer and Rogue will come together for an Avengers-style team-up of the former's Pitch Black IPA and the latter's Creamery Smokey Blue, a pairing for which you should give them some Props, Joe.