The Blue Jay by Deer Creek Cheese

Loves of fine food and beverages in the Chippewa Valley know that The Coffee Grounds (4212 Southtowne Drive,  Eau Claire) is far more than a coffee shop and café. At the Coffee Grounds, you’ll also find a broad selection of specialty cheeses and microbrewed beer – including some made in-house by K Point Brewing. We asked Candice White, Coffee Grounds’ beer buyer, and Megan Kremer, the cheese buyer, for some primo pairings of Wisconsin-made beer and cheese.

Match #1

The Cheese: The Blue Jay by Deer Creek Cheese – quadruple cream blue cheese with juniper(Sheboygan)
The Beer: Three Sheeps Brewing First Kiss Imperial IPA (Sheboygan)

Opening notes of rich, creamy butter are followed up with a dose of sharp pine in the juniper, which matches beautifully with the malt notes and final floral bittering of the IPA.

Match #2

The Cheese: Bleu Mont Dairy Bandaged Cave-Aged Cheddar (Blue Mounds)
The Beer: Modicum Brewing Strawboss (Altoona)

The intensity of this mossy-flavored cheddar shines through the delicate cleansing effect offered by Strawboss, a farmhouse-style ale.

Match #3

The Cheese: Marieke 9-12 Month Aged Gouda (Thorp)
The Beer: K Point Brewing In-House Coffee Stout (Eau Claire)

The flavor profiles of the cheese and beer mirror each other perfectly; creamy and earthy, with a touch of acidity.

Match #4

The Cheese: Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative Pecorino (Bruce)
The Beer: Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine (Amherst)

The sweet, decadent richness of the Pecorino strengthens and smoothes the boozy heat and maltiness of the barleywine.

Match #5

The Cheese: Bifrost Farms Herbs de Provence Goat Cheese (Boyceville)
The Beer: The Brewing Projekt Stolen Mile (lemon basil shandy) (Eau Claire)

The herbal undertones and sweet lemon are cut by the tang of the goat cheese and accentuated by the Herbs de Provence.