I’ll admit, the first time Colin told me he likes stinky cheese and coffee first thing in the morning, I took him for a freak. I’m here to officially bite my tongue. A bite of Epoisses smeared on a piece of gingerbread, next to a shot of Counter Culture Honduran espresso and I am converted.
We paired up with Counter Culture to host our first coffee and cheese tasting. The lineup featured domestic and European cheeses next to African, Central and South American coffees. The pairings explored the regionality of each coffee, corresponding to the terroir expressed by each cheese.
When tasted together, the two bring out a whole new array of flavor notes, enhancing each other’s characteristics in a fantastic manner. Ethiopian coffee and aged goat cheese, so bright and floral together. Guatemalan coffee and manchego, ever more citrusy alongside one another. Colombian coffee, notes of cacao and dark cherry that much richer next to alpine cheeses with a buttery piquant sweetness.
We are so excited to do it again! Thanks to all who participated and made for such an interesting event. We’ve got Counter Culture coffee in stock at the shop so come by and let’s rap about cheese pairings!