We love a classic dirty martini (or Shaftinis, as we call them here). But what about for those of us who aren’t martini fans? You are in luck! We have a fun list of cocktails* that pair with blue so that you can enter a whole new world of flavor. Get ready to have your taste buds explode…

1. The Jungle Bird 🍍

• 1 1/2 ounces blackstrap rum
• 3/4 ounce Campari
• 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce demerara syrup
• Garnish: pineapple wedge

Add the rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, and demerara syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

This tropical cocktail is a wild card that plays surprisingly well with Shaft’s Blue. The sweetness from the pineapple cuts through the salt and funk, while Campari’s bitterness mirrors the complexity of aged blue.

Pair With: Shaft’s 1-Year Blue + grilled pineapple skewers, or a funky twist on a tropical fruit salad.

2. The Boulevardier 🧊

• 1 1/4 ounces bourbon (or rye)
• 1 ounce Campari
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• Garnish: orange twist

Add bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with an orange twist.

This bourbon-based cousin of the Negroni is bitter, rich, and smooth—perfect for matching the complexity of aged blue.

Pair With: TooGood Blue + dark chocolate bark, or a fig + Ellie’s Vintage 2-Year Blue Cheese tartlet.

3. French 75 🍋

• 1 ounce gin
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 3 ounces Champagne (or other sparkling wine)
• Garnish: lemon twist

Add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
Strain into a Champagne flute.
Top with the Champagne or sparkling wine of choice.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

Bubbly Champagne, tart lemon, and floral gin bring bright contrast to the dense richness of blue.

Pair With: Use 1 or 2 Year blue cheese + pear flatbread or a chilled summer salad with Shaft’s crumbles.

4. Paloma 🍊

• 2 ounces tequila
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 4 ounces Grapefruit soda, chilled, to top
• Pinch of salt
• Garnish: lime wheel

Add the tequila, lime juice, and pinch of salt to the glass, and fill with ice.
Top with grapefruit soda, and stir briefly and gently to combine.
Garnish with a lime wheel.

Zesty grapefruit and lime lighten up blue cheese’s depth while tequila adds a bit of earthiness.

Pair With: Grilled peaches topped with Ellie’s Vintage 2-Year, or blue on a arugula salad with seasonal fruit 🤌

5. Sazerac 🥃

• Absinthe, to rinse
• 1 sugar cube
• 1/2 teaspoon cold water
• 4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
• 2 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
• Garnish: lemon peel

Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe, discarding any excess, and set aside.
In a mixing glass, muddle the sugar cube, water and the Peychaud’s bitters.
Add the rye whiskey, fill the mixing glass with ice and stir 15­–20 seconds, until well-chilled.
Strain into the prepared glass.
Twist the lemon peel over the drink’s surface to express the peel’s oils, then garnish with the peel.

This bold New Orleans classic with rye whiskey and an absinthe rinse matches the intensity of Shaft’s Blue in the best way.

Pair With: A rye cracker with Shaft’s 1-Year Blue and a slice of apple or pancetta.

6. Bee’s Knees 🍯

• 2 ounces gin
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce honey syrup
• Garnish: lemon twist

Add the gin, lemon juice and honey syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

Gin, lemon, and honey = sweet, floral, and citrusy relief from blue’s salty tang.

Pair With: Blue cheese crostini with hot honey or roasted almonds and Shaft’s TooGood Blue!

7. Classic Manhattan 🍒

• 2 ounces rye whiskey
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Garnish: brandied cherry (or lemon twist, if preferred)

Add the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or coupe glass.
Garnish with a brandied cherry (or a lemon twist, if preferred).

Boozy, bittersweet, and smooth, a Manhattan complements the creamy funk of blue cheese without overwhelming it.

Pair With: Ellie’s Vintage 2-Year Blue + candied pecans or a blue cheese-stuffed date.

8. Aperol Spritz 🧡

• 3 ounces prosecco
• 2 ounces Aperol
• 1 ounce club soda
• Garnish: orange slice

Add the prosecco, Aperol and club soda to a wine glass filled with ice and stir.
Garnish with an orange slice.

Effervescent and bittersweet, this easy sipper is a great foil for the richness of aged blue.

Pair With: A summer board of Shaft’s Blue, Serendipity, prosciutto, citrus wedges, and salty nuts.

9. Smoky Mezcal Margarita ( aka Mayahuel) 🌶️

• 1 1/2 ounces espadin mezcal
• 3/4 ounce triple sec
• 3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 ounce raw agave nectar
• Garnish: sal de gusano

Rim a coupe glass with sal de gusano and set aside.
Add all the other ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
Strain into the prepared coupe glass.

Mezcal’s smoky depth + blue cheese’s umami funk? Yes, please. Add lime and spice and you’ve got magic.

Pair With: Blue cheese + grilled corn or chili-dusted Ellie’s 2-Year bites.

10. White Negroni (Negroni Bianco) 🌿

• 1 1/2 ounces gin
• 1 ounce Lillet blanc
• 1/2 ounce Suze gentian liqueur
• Garnish: lemon twist

Add the gin, Lillet blanc and Suze into a mixing glass with ice and stir for 15 to 20 seconds until well-chilled.
Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

Gin, bitter liqueur, and Lillet Blanc make this a fresh, herbal pairing for cheese with edge.

Pair With: Shaft’s TooGood Blue + lemon zest on toasted sourdough or a crisp radicchio salad.

Final Thoughts

From smoky to sparkling, classic to creative, there’s a cocktail for every kind of blue cheese lover. Better yet, there’s a Shaft’s Blue for every kind of cocktail. Shaft’s plays well with bold flavors, and these drinks bring out its best. So next time you mix your favorite drink, consider adding a bit of blue to add some boldness and funk!

*All recipes and cocktail photos from Liquor.com*