CALIFORNIA CHEESE AND CRAFT BEER: AN ECLECTIC COMBINATION!

 

          I have to admit, I was never really a big fan of Beer. However cheese on the other hand.. I have had a life long relationship with.  I know that Cheese and Wine are usually partnered together, but Cheese and beer? For me, that was a first. So when I was invited to be part of an online event that would feature a pairing of several California Cheeses with different local craft beers, I was immediately intrigued. And considering the invitation was from Real California Milk Philippines, I was totally stoked! 

I was already excited when I found out it was from Real California Milk Philippines was the driving force behind this event because as you can see above, i'm a huge fan of their products! Whether it's for grilled cheese sandwiches, ommelettes, Burger toppings.. You name it, I can always count on some kind of California Cheese to take my food to yet another level. 

 When I was told that we would be trying a whole slew of premium California Cheeses, I was so excited. But never in my wildest dreams did I expect a haul as amazing as what was sent to me in my Cheese and Beer Kit!

First off, the cheeses were absolutely spectacular. We had names such as Nicasio Valley Foggy Morning Cheese, Gina Marie Cream Cheese,  Marin French Cheese Brie Triple Creme, CA Craft Beer Cheddar, Sierra Jack Smokehouse Cheese, Sierra Jack Habanero Cheese, Fiscalini Bandage Wrapped Cheddar, Point Reyes Toma Cheese, Bellwether Farms Carmody Cheese, and Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese.

The line up of Philippine Craft beers from Brew Masters such as Engkanto, Elias, Joe's Brew and Philippine Ale were a diverse bunch, boasting several flavor profiles to go with your varying selection of cheeses. 

     Two things (not counting the beer and cheese, of course) made this event very memorable for me. The first was, my Cheese and Beer experience was guided by no less than renowned cheese expert Joe Baird, who joined us on Zoom all the way from California. Joe's knowledge of California Cheese and its origins were so impressive, and from the way he talks about cheese, you could tell he is incredibly passionate about it. The second factor that made this evening one to remember, was that I was joined in this Cheese and Beer session by some fellow foodie friends of mine, namely Michelle Aventajado, Rowena Lei, JJ Yulo, and Masarap Ba? (who was represented by Chef Christine Roque of Half Saints). When I agreed to be part of the event, I had no clue who other foodies were participating. When I found out the line up of friendly faces were involved, It made the drinking and tasting session so much more fun! Things I learned from that evening, was cheese has an incredibly diverse flavor and texture range. It can go from creamy to pungent, from crumbly to rock hard, depending on how it is processed, Which is fantastic for people who like to experiment with their food and drinks. I have to admit that my favorite pairing of the evening was the Gina Marie Cream Cheese, paired with Elias' Astig Mango Cider. The creamy notes of the cheese simply melded in your mouth with the gentle sweetness of the cider, leaving your tastebuds looking for more.

More than just an incredibly fun evening of pairing, Real California Milk had some prizes for some of our followers, where they won some Cheese and Beer kits for themselves. Not only that, a week after the event, I had another giveaway where yet another five of my readers won Cheese and Beer kits! This event just showed that if you have the right food and drinks, coupled with the right company, no quarantine in the world can stop happiness from happening in the comforts of your own home! Thank you again, Real California Milk for letting me be a part of this fun #CheeseMisan Session! Looking forward for more events to come! Click here to Check out Real California Cheese on Facebook