Glam Up NYE With Cocktails + Cheese
As the holiday season winds down and 2020 quickly approaches, we are in the spirit of reducing our consumption and simplifying our entertaining efforts, mainly because, well, Christmas can be a lot. If you’re like us and still wanting to create a special New Year’s Eve celebration without too much fuss, trust us when we say there’s a way to do it!
A common misconception in the entertaining and cheese world is that you need to have a huge spread or charcuterie board to create a memorable experience for you and your guests. While we loooooveeee an epic board in its own right, there’s something to be said about picking a small amount of spectacular cheeses, adding a handful of loved accompaniments and settling in with a festive drink.
We decided to show y’all a few fun and easy ways to pair your NYE drinks with great cheese! In true BHN fashion, we encourage you to prioritize quality over quantity, and choose pairings you love and that love each other. We chose two drinks, one mocktail and one cocktail to quench any guest’s thirst, and two soft cheeses, a soft-ripened goat cheese and a creamy, crumbly blue.
Blood Orange Mule Mocktail with Tomme Chèvre Grandmere Adrienne:
We adapted this mule from Half Baked Harvest, replacing the champagne with citrus-flavored sparkling water. You could absolutely keep the recipe as is for the boozy version, either would be fantastic! This bright and bubbly drink is the perfect pair to our lovely ash-ripened goat cheese from the Loire Valley: Tomme Chèvre Grandmere Adrienne. This delicate beauty is rich and creamy, with notes of buttermilk and lemon. The citrus from the mule and the cheese compliment perfectly, while the carbonation lifts the heaviness of the cheese of the palate for a match made in heaven.
INGREDIENTS
• juice of 1/2 a medium blood orange
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 8 leaves mint
• 2 ounces chilled ginger beer
• chilled citrus sparkling water for topping
INSTRUCTIONS
In a glass, combine the blood orange juice and lime juice (add 1 oz vodka for alcoholic version). Add the ginger beer and top with the sparkling water (or champagne). Garnish with blood orange slices and fresh mint. Drink!
Chai Old Fashioned with Rogue Creamery’s Caveman Blue:
While it’s no secret and bourbon and blues are meant to be, we’re especially big fans (BIIIIGGGG FANS) of this combination of this spiced version of a classic old fashioned paired with RC’s incredible Caveman. This blue cheese, made with organic cow’s milk, is one of our all-time soul cheeses! Its deep, chocolatey notes medley perfectly with the spiced chai and smokey bourbon. Consider your NYE officially perfected.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz chai tea, (1 teabag steeped in 8oz hot water 30 min then cooled)
2 oz bourbon
4 dashes angostura bitters
1 orange twist
1 bar spoon/teaspoon honey
1 sprig rosemary
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine masala chai, bourbon, bitters and honey, and stir until honey is dissolved. Pour into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with an orange twist and a sprig of rosemary.
