Sure the Panthers and Broncos may be the ones playing in the Big Game this weekend, but as far as we know, no one is (yet) milking either animal for cheese … at least not that’s commercially available. Though I would like to see someone attempt to milk a bronco…. Fortunately for those of us who use America’s biggest television holiday as an excuse to, well, eat even more cheese, both teams do hail from states with a thriving craft cheese scene.
North Carolina cheesemakers created an NC Cheese Trail in 2014, while cheesemakers and retailers in Colorado have recently launched a Rocky Mountain Cheese Guild. We’ve featured several cheesemakers from both states here, but two jumped out at us as the perfect duo to face off over our Game Day cheeseboard: Goat Lady Dairy of Climax, NC and Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy of Longmont, CO. The Year of the Goat may be winding down, but why not take one last caprine adventure while we can?
Beer may not be the conventional choice for pairing with goat cheese, but we’re hardly going to advise showing up to your party with a bottle of sauvignon blanc. Similar pairing principles apply, though: look for something bright, citrusy and effervescent, like a pilsner, wheat beer or IPA. As luck would have it, both Colorado and North Carolina have something of a craft beer scene as well, so the only challenge is picking just two bottles to join our CheeseBowl face off.
With no further ado, our game day matchup:
Colorado: Haystack Mountain Snowdrop, a lactic, creamy bloomy-rind goat cheese is paired with New Belgium Brewing Snapshot, a tart wheat beer.
Carolina: Goat Lady Dairy Snow Camp, a decadent, buttery bloomy-rind goat and cow-milk cheese is paired with Foothills Brewing Torch Pilsner.
Join us on Facebook to sound off on which team you’re rooting for this #CheeseBowl, or share your own cheese match-ups!
If you’re feeling blue that your team isn’t in the game, why not make this Blueberry Chive Blue Cheeseball?
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