Avoid Pairing These Non-Alcoholic Drinks With Your Cheese Plate At All Costs

When entertaining friends and family, non-alcoholic beverage options ensure that every guest can enjoy a tasty drink to complement any foods you're serving. And much like food pairings with alcohol, you must also exercise caution when pairing cheese with your mocktail selection. For insight, Daily Meal reached out to Cody Goldstein, founder of Muddling Memories, an innovative company that develops unique drink recipes for a variety of clients. This esteemed mixologist can also be found on Instagram, which features some of his intriguing creations.

According to Goldstein, doubling up on dairy is a major no-no. The mixologist explains, "Something like a latte or milkshake would just be too overwhelming on the dairy front for anyone's palate." Based on this advice, focus on light and refreshing beverages when reviewing mocktail recipes that everyone will love. For example, citrus-based mocktails might be a good selection because the bright acidity of citrus can counterbalance the heaviness of the cheese. Of course, flavor is another factor to consider when working out pairings.

Lots of non-alcoholic beverages, such as this mint julep mocktail recipe, contain some kind of sweetener. Including soda in mocktail recipes is also quite common, and Cody Goldstein offers a few words of caution when it comes to anything too treacly. Per the mixologist, it's best to avoid high-sugar sodas as they might "be overwhelming to the cheese and take away from the nuances of the flavors."

Remember that while some cheeses are quite flavorful, such as the powerfully sharp taste of blue cheese, others are comparatively mild. Chèvre is a type of goat cheese that's commonly found on cheese plates, and its mild flavor might crumble when paired with an excessively sugary soda. The same can be said for other common mild cheese selections, including Brie, Havarti, and mozzarella. Much like the specific ingredients that can ruin charcuterie boards, choosing the wrong non-alcoholic beverages can really put a damper on your party according to Goldstein.