A club for cheese lovers offers Californians community and education.
The third Tuesday of every month, cheese-curious enthusiasts gather at San Diego’s AleSmith Brewing Company, where the room hums with chatter and there’s a toasty scent of malt in the air. Queso Diego, San Diego’s only social cheese club, has convened for 16 years as a funky community, making cheese culture accessible to anyone who’s curious.
The club’s roots began with the late Horace Bixby, who brought a handful of adventurous homebrewers together to explore a new way to cultivate community. “Makers like to make and fermenters love to ferment,” says founding member Larry Stein. “It was natural for so many of us to be interested.”
Cheesemaking was new territory for these brewers, and resources were scarce. So founder Chris Banker created an online group to exchange tips and recipes. Within days, more than 40 people had joined. The digital buzz soon turned into real-world connection. Banker organized the first meeting, filling tables with homemade fresh cheeses, aged wheels, and everything in between. Once someone suggested the name Queso Diego, the club was born.
Queso Diego’s spirit has always been generous. Local farmers opened their homes, others funded supplies, and the group built a space where anyone could try their hand at cheesemaking.
Today, the club boasts over 100 members. They range from seasoned makers to those who simply love good cheese. “It’s art plus science. It’s creativity that keeps you coming back,” says Marci Richards, a member since 2013.
AleSmith Brewing has hosted the group for over a decade. It’s a natural fit—owner Peter Zien also runs CheeseSmith Artisan Creamery, San Diego’s only licensed creamery. He partners with the club for its annual Epic Cheese Competition, which benefits local charity Anvil of Hope.
Meetings range from tasting events and talks to hands-on classes and cheese-themed parties. The club’s goal is simple: to get people tasting weird, wonderful cheeses and to convince them to try making their own.
After all this time, Queso Diego remains a place where passion and education come together, curiosity is contagious, and there’s always room at the table.
Intrigued by Queso Diego? Visit QuesoDiego.org for more details.
Lisa Gonzalez
Lisa Gonzalez is most at home when something is bubbling, aging, or transforming into some kind of unexpected funky goodness. A San Diego native, home cheesemaker, and fermentation enthusiast, she finds joy exploring things that transform into unhinged delights: a gloriously stinky aged wheel, a creamy, dreamy hazy IPA, a tangy, spicy kimchi or a slab of dry aged beef. As president of Queso Diego, she's on a mission to convince anyone who'll listen that making cheese at home is way less intimidating than it sounds. Her butterkäse-style Anvilkäse recently took top honors at Queso Diego's Epic Cheese Competition, with proceeds supporting local nonprofit Anvil of Hope. When she's not stirring up trouble, you'll find her racing with her outrigger crew in the SoCal surf, or trackside alongside husband Shawn, national historic motorcycle racing champion, proudly owning the title of Best Tire Warmer Girl Ever.
