The pairing cheeses, clockwise from 9 o'clock: Banon de Chalais, Ossau Iraty Pardou Arriou, Los Beyos, Prattigauer, Gouda and Bleu d'Auvergne. (Photo: Michael Anstendig)

For those who maintain that wine is the only proper pairing for a wedge of cheese, then this event, which mated fromage with brawny, intoxicating  gin, is the equivalent of  of a wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance—the stuff of a Jane Austen parody. But the folks behind the brow-raising mash-up—the extraordinairy cheesemongers of Artisanal and Bombay Sapphire Gin—know their stuff, so we left our patrician leanings behind and gave the odd couple a whirl—and what a whirl is was.

We were relieved to learn that the pairings didn’t learn on straight gin, but rather gin cocktails from Bombay mixologist James Moreland—the mixing helped defray the forceful aromatics of this mischievous spirit.

Artisanal’s maitre d’fromagerie, Waldemar Albrecht, rustled up a range of cheeses, from the mild to the wild, and the pairings began. The Banon de Chalais brought out the juniper in a martini, and the Ossau Iraty highlighted its citrus notes. The chalky Los Beyos melted into buttery smoothness, a terrific foil for the gin’s distinct botanicals. The Prattigauer’s salty-sweet elements were amplified by a Tom Collins simple-syrup component, which also moderated the saltiness of the Bleu d’Auvergne. Lastly, the Gouda’s hints of butterscotch played well with the Grand Marnier in the Savoy cocktail.

Voilà: When thoughtfully chosen, the flavor of gin can enhance your cheese experience…but we don’t think wine has anything to worry about.—Michael Anstendig