Recap: Will's and Roger's excellent beer and cheese pairing adventure.

First, Will "Lotsa Pasta Cheesemonger" Eaves and I met at the Public House to do the necessary research for our beer and cheese pairing, which took place earlier this week at Campbell's Gourmet Cottage in Louisville.

Having made the pairings, and now on site, Will had the tough job of prepping and arranging the nine cheeses. I had a cooler filled with beer, and a bottle opener. However, I was briefly useful and filled the baskets with crackers and bread.

Here is Will at work, as conveyed by the classroom monitors. The tasting went wonderfully, and we had a group of 16 in attendance. Owing to availability, a few changes were made, and these are reflected below.

EIGHT CHEESE AND BEER PAIRINGS

Delice de Bourgogne / rich and decadent triple cream cheese
Maredsous 10/ effervescent and deceptively strong Tripel from Belgium – Tripel, with triple cream cheese

Caciotta Dolce (goat cheese) / locally made semi-hard cheese from Sapori d'Italia, paired with peach and coriander jam
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale / made distinctively “American” by the liberal use of citrusy west coast Cascade hops

Cahill’s Farm Porter Aged Cheddar / Irish cheddar marbled with Porter beer
NABC Bob’s Old 15-B Porter / the style of dark ale that begat Irish stout, with notes of roast, chocolate and coffee

Widmer Farms Aged Brick / classic American washed rind cheese
Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen / beechwood smoked amber lager from Bavaria

Epoisses / THE stinky French masterpiece
NABC Hoptimus / double strength India Pale Ale, brewed with 4 additions of bitter Nugget hops and citrusy Cascade to finish

Grand Cru Gruyere Surchoix / Wisconsin's excellent take on the Swiss classic
Saison Dupont / hoppy, peppery farmhouse golden ale from the French-speaking Belgian province of Hainaut

Chimay Fromage Bier / Belgian monastic cheese, washed in the monastery’s own Trappist ale
Chimay Premiere (red label) / classic Belgian monastic amber ale, certified Trappist

Moody Blue / light blue cheese smoked with sweet fruit woods
Kloster Ettaler Doppelbock / sturdy Bavarian dark lager originally formulated by monks as a dietary supplement for Lent

BONUS PAIRING

Red Dragon / Welsh cheddar laden with strong English mustard … "the dragon bites you back"
Cantillon Gueuze Lambic / THE funky Belgian masterpiece, naturally fermented with wild yeast

Original posting: Will's and Roger's excellent beer and cheese pairing adventure at Campbell's Gourmet Cottage, Monday, January 11.

Weekend potpourri: NABCieged, beer education, Bonfire & Chorizo, Pungent & Funky, and pairing cheese with beer.

NABCieged is underway at the Pizzeria & Public House, with a surprise tapping last night of Thunderfoot perhaps serving as the major highlight of the evening. Thanks to Jared Williamson for burrowing into #3 for the Foot, and managing to have 24 NABC beers pouring all at once.

At my other blog, there's a timely update of "Here's to Beer," two non-credit courses from Indiana University Southeast, including registration information.

My weekend Bank Street Brewhouse recomendation: Bonfire of the Valkyries, NABC's Rauch/Schwarzbier (smoked/black), with Chef Josh's Chorizo Hash.

On the topic of food, tonight is the annual FOSSILS Pungent & Funky Appetizer Competition, held in the Prost wing of the Public Hosue at 3312 Plaza Drive in New Albany. Want to know something else? FOSSILS turns 20 this coming September. Where have all the years and liver cells gone?

Finally, a tip for Monday night: Will's and Roger's excellent beer and cheese pairing adventure at Campbell's Gourmet Cottage, Monday, January 11.

Will's and Roger's excellent beer and cheese pairing adventure at Campbell's Gourmet Cottage, Monday, January 11.

On Monday, January 11, Campbell's Gourmet Cottage is pairing the Cheesemonger with the Publican for an educational evening of cheese, beer and banter.

Louisville-area cheese guru Will Eaves will join me at 6:30 p.m. for a nourishing and instructive journey through our respective genres. The cost is $45, and for more details and on-line registration, you can visit the Campbell's web site.

Following are the bare bones, as Will and I outlined last week after a fine evening session of research at the Public House. He's working on extended cheese descriptions, and I'm doing the same for the beers. With luck, I'll have the expanded version ready tomorrow.

EIGHT CHEESE AND BEER PAIRINGS

Delice de Bourgogne
Duvel

Sapori Dolce (goat cheese)
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Cahill’s Farm Porter Aged Cheddar
NABC Bob’s Old 15-B Porter

Widmer Farms Aged Brick
Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen

Petit Frere OR Epoisses
NABC Hoptimus

Grand Cru Gruyere Surchoix
Saison Dupont

Chimay Fromage Trappiste
Chimay Premiere (red label)

Moody Blue
Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock

BONUS PAIRING

Red Dragon
Vintage Gueuze Lambic (brand to be named)

The Publican's doing a beer class at Campbell's Gourmet Cottage on April 24.

I'll be teaching a "Beer 101" class at Campbell's Gourmet Cottage on Thursday, April 24. Campbell's is located at 291 N. Hubbards Lane (Louisville, KY 40207), and the phone number is (502) 893-6700.

Here is the description from the current spring catalog:

Thursday, April 24th
Roger Baylor - The New Albanian Brewing Company
$45.00
“Beer 101”

Join Roger Baylor, our beer expert, as our beer tasting will begin with the familiar and conclude with the esoteric, with several tasty stops in between. The world of beer offers numerous flavors and textures for the enjoyment of the drinker, and we’ll sample 2 or 3 ounces each of eight very different beers from America and the world. We’ll consider an overview of the brewing process and what factors play into the different styles. It is hoped that when we’re finished, participants will have a better understanding of beer and beer styles, and feel less confusion when looking at the many choices on store shelves. (Must be 21 years or older to attend)