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Celebrate National American Cheese Month with a Wisconsin Cheese & Beverage Pairing Experience

September 26, 2011

MADISON, Wis. – Join the party and celebrate the first national American Cheese Month by pairing craft beers and small batch gin and vodka cocktails with a variety of distinctive artisan Wisconsin Cheeses at an afternoon tasting Oct. 16 at Kendall College, 900 N. Branch St., Chicago.

The Wisconsin Cheese and Beverage Pairing Experience is a fundraiser for the American Cheese Education Foundation (ACEF), administered by American Cheese Society (ACS), a not-for-profit group of professionals and cheese enthusiasts. ACS is a leader in promoting and supporting American cheeses as a resource for education, networking and legislation. The group organizes North America's foremost annual educational conference and world-renowned cheese judging and competition, which this year drew more than 1,600 specialty and artisan cheeses. Events to promote national cheese month are being held throughout the country during the month of October.

Hosting the Chicago event are Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Madison, Wis.; Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine, Chicago; and Marion Street Cheese Market, Oak Park, Ill.

Sara Hill, WMMB’s culinary manager, Cheese Education, will share the pairings discussion with Suzanne Wolcott, education coordinator for Goose Island Beer Co. and John Kinder, national sales manager, Death’s Door Spirits. Beers will include Matilda, Honker’s Ale, Harvest Ale, Pere Jacques and Big John. Death’s Door will sample creative cocktails such as a Blond Manhattan and Poor Man’s Gueze. Some featured Wisconsin cheeses will be Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Bleu Mont Dairy Bandaged Cheddar, Carr Valley Casa Bolo Mellage, Roelli Cheese Dunbarton Blue and Hook’s Cheese Tilston Point Blue. Pastoral shops and Marion Street Cheese Market are featuring the event cheeses at retail throughout October.

Information about tickets for the 3:00 p.m. Oct. 16 event, which are $20 each, is available at both Pastoral shops and Marion Street Cheese Market, as well as online at www.Pastoralartisan.com.

For more information contact Marilyn Wilkinson, mwilkinson@wmmb.org or (608) 203-7262.

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The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, a nonprofit organization funded by the state's dairy farmers, promotes the consumption of Wisconsin Cheese and other dairy products.

Contact Info:

Marilyn Wilkinson
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
8418 Excelsior Dr.
Madison, WI 53717
608-203-7262
mwilkinson@wmmb.org