What makes a perfect cheese pairing? According to FireFly Farms co-owner, Pablo Solanet, an ideal cheese pairing is made up of flavors that play on one other. “When you have a good pairing the two flavors compliment each other and they blend, they enhance each other. And that’s when you know you have a perfect pairing.”
FireFly Farms makes high-quality goat and cow’s milk cheeses in Accident, Maryland. When creating pairings, FireFly Farms looks to local flavors and makers to draw inspiration. Which is where the idea for pairing the award-winning Cabra LaMancha with local beer and honey came from.
Cabra LaMancha is a goat’s milk washed-rind cheese inspired by cheeses produced in the Pyrenees mountains of northern Spain’s Basque region. Over its 90 day aging period, Cabra LaMancha is hand washed, dry brushed and flipped countless times by the team of dedicated cheesemakers.
The result is a silky, semi-soft cheese that’s packed with flavor. It has subtle grassy notes, and as it ages it develops a funky and robust flavor profile. The strong savory notes make it ideal to pair with sweet and fruity flavors…like honey!
Over at FireFly Farms, they like to enjoy Cabra LaMancha with a drizzle of local Bearded Bee Co. Honey and a cool glass of Flying Dog Super Hook imperial fruit punch sour. The sweetness of the honey compliments the funkiness of the cheese, while the fruity and tropical notes in the beer bring out the nuttiness of the cheese.
FireFly Farms
FireFly Farms' cheeses are produced using sustainably-produced, locally‐sourced fresh goat’s and cow’s milk and time‐honored, traditional methods of cheese making. Their cheeses have received national and international recognition for taste and quality since their opening in 2002.
