Beer Cheese Is Having a Moment

"There are conflicting stories about beer cheese's golden-orange origins. It appears to have first been served in the 1940s at a restaurant in Clark County, Ky., called Johnny Allman's (since renamed Howard's Creek). In 2006, when Kathy Gorman Archer, president of Howard's Creek Authentic Beer Cheese, decided to revive the spreadable cheese brand-to widespread acclaim-she said it initially was a sustainable effort: leftover sharp cheddar cheese was a key ingredient, as well as leftover beer."

"Allman's love of southwestern flare is probably why there's cayenne pepper, as well as garlic and other spices, in the recipe to kick it up, Archer said about the model that has defined beer cheese in the U.S. for over a century. But nowadays, paradigms are shifting, from the tangy, spicy snack to a new category forged by American farmstead cheesemakers, incorporating beer into their cheeses from the start."

Beer cheese likely began in the 1940s at Johnny Allman's in Clark County, Kentucky, later renamed Howard's Creek. Kathy Gorman Archer revived the spreadable brand in 2006, citing leftover sharp cheddar and leftover beer as foundational, sustainable ingredients. Traditional beer cheese features southwestern spices such as cayenne and garlic that create a tangy, spicy profile. Contemporary American farmstead cheesemakers are shifting practices by incorporating beer directly into cheeses rather than using it only as an accompaniment. Rogue Creamery collaborated with breweries on stout-infused cheddars and pairs organic brewery partners with organic dairy, producing savory-sweet and bitter-strong flavor profiles.

Read at CraftBeer.com