Carolyn Bender is one of 6 semi-finalists competing for sponsorship to the 2014 Cheesemonger Invitational. Read her blog post below and don’t forget to vote for your favorite monger!
You already know about pairing wine or beer with cheese but what happens when you put the wine on the cheese?
I recently had a conversation about putting together a wine and cheese event for a woman who wanted a “grown up” bachelorette dinner instead of a crazy night out. This immediately led to my favorite suggestions for slate of alcohol washed cheeses. It still has a range of milks, textures, and flavors like a traditional cheese board – just a bit more pungent…
- Good Thunder from Alemar Cheese Company in Minnesota – Cow’s milk cheese washed in Surly Bender Beer. Buttery and savory with a yeasty aroma.
- Miranda from Vulto Creamery in New York – Cow’s milk cheese washed in absinthe. Rich and complex flavor with an herbal finish.
- O’Banon from Capriole Farms in Indiana – Fresh goat’s milk cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves soaked in bourbon. Light and creamy cheese with that hint of sweet Woodford Reserve whiskey.
- Nickajack from Sequatchie Cove Creamery in Tennessee – Cow’s milk cheese washed in hard cider. Grassy and buttery with pungent sweetness in the flavor and the aroma.
Now this list does not include any of the traditional Swiss wine washed cheese like Challerhocker, Appenzeller, or Hoch Ybrig. It also does not have the Belgian beer washed Chimay or apple brandy funk of the Camembert au Calvados… instead it sticks to some great American treats!
Like this post? Be sure to vote for Carolyn!
Carolyn Bender
It took Carolyn a little while to work up the courage to follow the career path in cheese that she wanted, but for the past two years, she has been answering her calling as a cheesemonger. Pretty different from her previous career in advertising! Carolyn’s love of cheese started with Slow Food. The fact that cheesemongers know where the artisan cheeses they sell come from and the care and effort that goes into making each wheel appealed to her sensibilities. Carolyn has never had the opportunity to attend the Cheesemonger Invitational and looks forward to competing for the first time.
