The cheese and coffee pairing is a surprising idea. We think cheese and wine. Cheese and bread. Cheese and jam. Not cheese and espresso. And yet, both share something essential: aging, whether in the wood of a cellar or in a roasted bean, produces aromas that a thoughtful pairing reveals.

At Carrera Café, we offer carefully selected cheeses from Quebec. Here are our favorite pairings, the ones we recommend to our most curious customers.

Oka and ristretto espresso

Classic Oka, this semi-firm cheese aged by the Trappists since 1893, has a mild, slightly buttery flavor, with a washed rind that develops complex tertiary aromas as it ages. Counterintuitive: it pairs very well with a short, concentrated ristretto espresso.

The sweetness of the cheese absorbs the intensity of the ristretto. The cheese becomes creamier. The espresso becomes smoother. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Comtomme from Charlevoix and latte

Comtomme is a semi-firm washed-curd cheese produced in Saint-Fidèle in Charlevoix. Its flavor is straightforward, slightly tangy, with notes of cellar and undergrowth. With a latte, the hot milk creates a bridge between the creaminess of the cheese and the intensity of the espresso. A pairing we discovered by chance one October morning.

Fresh Charlevoix goat cheese and iced coffee

A fresh, slightly tangy goat cheese with an iced oat milk coffee: that’s the summer pairing. The acidity of the goat cheese matches the natural acidity of specialty coffee. Oat milk adds a plant-based sweetness that smooths the edges. A must-try on our summer terrace.

The general rule

Soft and lightly aged cheeses pair well with light coffees. Aged and intense cheeses go with short, concentrated espressos. Washed rind cheeses develop surprising pairings with naturally processed coffees that have fruity or fermented notes.

The rule is not set in stone. It’s a starting point to explore. Come to the counter and ask us for our current suggestion: it changes with the season and arrivals.