Fermental will host its first Cheese and Beer Tasting Saturday at 6 p.m. The free pairing of domestic and imported cheeses and craft beer can be enjoyed throughout the evening along with live bluegrass and folk music from Craig Thompson.

The cheeses selected for pairing were based on flavor, weight and texture in union with the beers, according to Fermental owner Steve Gibbs.

“When pairing beer with cheese you have to think about the combined flavors of both. You don’t want to overpower the beer with the cheese and vice versa,” Gibbs said. “You want to pull flavors from both sides and need the subtle sweetness of the malts to meld into the savory saltiness of the cheese.”

In addition to beer and wine, Fermental has sold cheese and other small batch items such as olives, pickles, dolmas, tapenades, cured meats and mustards since opening in 2013.

All of the cheeses and beers sampled at the tasting will be available for purchase. Here’s a preview of what will be offered:

Bitburger Pils [Germany] with Allgau Emmental [Germany]; Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit [North Carolina, USA] with Leonora [Spain]; Ballast Point Sculpin IPA [California, USA] with Mull of Kintyre Scottish Cheddar [Scotland]; Saison DuPont [Belgium] with Marieke Aged Raw Milk Gouda [Holland]; Left Hand Milk Stout [Colorado, USA] with Bleu de Gex [France]; Allagash Curieux [Maine, USA] with Classic American Cheesecake with Bourbon-Infused Topping [North Carolina, USA].

Gibbs says the event will also focus on the spice and additives within certain beer styles and how they play against the aging process of certain cheeses.

“It's all about flavor and aroma and what you can do to combine two very different consumables into a meld of edible characteristics,” Gibbs said.

Fermental is located at 7250-B Market St.

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