Days of Cheese and Beer Redux

Well the Dairyland Cheese and Beer festival was a qualified success. Qualified in that it did not meet all the expectations, however everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Turn out was not as high as the festival coordinator was hoping. This was not necessarily a bad thing. The crowd was energetic and large enough to provide a positive vibe. It was not so large that you felt crowded or packed. I believe that this can be a good thing for a first year event. It usually means that those in attendance will have a great experience, not having to stand in too many long lines.

The cheeses that were available were very nice, especially those from Carr Valley and Edelweiss Creamery. I really would have enjoyed a larger selection, however the cheesemakers didn't seem to jump on the band wagon. I believe they really missed out on promoting their products to a market segment that appreciates good flavorful products. I hope that the cheesemakers and the Wisconsin Dairy Producers will embrace this festival in the future and will introduce the attendees to the many world class cheeses being made in Wisconsin. I hear about a lot of wonderful cheese events through out other parts of the state, I can only hope that next year Kenosha will be included in that list.

The Days of Beer and Cheese

I am looking forward to the new beer and cheese festival scheduled for Kenosha this weekend. I think it is a natual combination. When the Kenosha Bidal Society has its beer dinners, we always try to include a cheese course, often trying to highlight local award winning Wisconsin cheeses. Beer and cheese; both have many varieties, ensurning numerous tasty combinations. I recently purchased Lucy Saunder's new book "The Best of American Beer and Food". After reading he first chapter of this book, which is devoted to the pairing of beer and cheese, I am excited by the possibilites.