We in the North Country live in a place of abundance. But rather than milk and honey, we have an abundance of cheese and beer.

Here in Minnesota we've lagged behind our easterly neighbor of Wisconsin, but we're catching up. We now have more than 30 breweries -- with many more on the way -- and our cheesemakers are winning international awards. Wisconsin, on the other hand, is home to the nation's best artisan cheesemakers. With almost 80 breweries, the state can boast a bounty of brews, as well.

Beer and cheese are perfect partners. Their flavors and textures provide tantalizing complements and contrasts. With such an excess of regional riches, you don't have to look far to find fantastic pairings.

Pleasant Ridge Reserve of Uplands Cheese Co. in Dodgeville, Wis., is one of the world's great cheeses. It has taken top honors at the American Cheese Society three times, a record. It pairs brilliantly with Surly Bender, the Brooklyn Center brewery's deliciously drinkable brown ale. Nutty notes in the cheese speak to the nutty and roasty flavors in the beer. Grassiness from the grass-fed cow's milk complements the hops, while Bender's light caramel picks up the cheese's buttery sweet cream.

Summit's Horizon Red Ale is a perfect match for St. Pete's Select cave-aged blue cheese from the Caves of Faribault. Both complement and contrast are at work, with the earthy, peppery hop flavors blending spectacularly with the earthy/spicy bite of the blue cheese mold. The moldy tang is softened by sweet caramel and biscuit malt. Buttery sweetness in the cheese interacts with the malt like butter on crackers.

Matacabras from Dave's BrewFarm in tiny Wilson, Wis., is a style-bending beer that blends characteristics of dark Belgian ales with those of English barleywines. It makes a mind-bending combo with Meadowlark, a cloth-bound, cave-aged Cheddar from PastureLand in Goodhue, Minn. This is one unusual Cheddar. The cave aging lends it loads of mushroomy funk that isn't normally associated with Cheddar. It melds seamlessly with the fruity and spicy nature of Belgian yeast. Matacabras leans to the sweet side and drips with caramel and dark fruit that offers a wondrous counterbalance to the deep, umami flavors of the cheese.

For something lighter, try Brun Uusto from Brunkow Cheese of Darlington, Wis. This munch-worthy American twist on the Finnish Juustoleipa-style cheese is buttery, salty, mild and a bit oily. It's typically warmed in a skillet or in the oven before serving. Light caramelized flavors make it a great match for Proper, a caramel-malt-forward English Bitter from Furthermore Beer in Spring Green, Wis. The beer's bracing hops cleanse away the oil and leave your palate fresh.

  • Michael Agnew is a certified cicerone (beer-world version of sommelier) and owner of A Perfect Pint. He conducts private and corporate beer tasting events in the Twin Cities, and can be reached at michael@aperfectpint.net.