You heard about it here first… or rather on twitter and Facebook last month when I started hinting that this would happen after a little mouse told me… Jungle Jim’s will be host to their first (and hopefully not last) beer and cheese pairings this spring at the Fairfield location.
At first mention most people think of pairing wine with their cheese…which is alright I suppose, but to many of us there is nothing that can match cheese better than beer. So this might be a great time for your opinion to be swayed over to the beer side of things. Garret Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery fame is probably the nations go-to food and beer knowledge base, having written the de-facto guide to pairing beer and food The Brewmaster’s Table. In his words:
“I’ve done a lot of competitions against sommeliers, and I always win. In fact, there are a number of wine books that actually mention that beer is easier to pair with cheese than wine is. And I think it’s undoubtedly true.”
This is a brilliant move for the Jungle… it all kicks off this weekend with the Jungle Jim’s Cheese Festival, where a vote is being taken for the first tasting which will be held in March, you can read about all three tastings below.
As for a bit more about beer and cheese, stay tuned this month where I will have a full post on some of the best pairings, and why they work, so that you might go into these tastings with a little bit of knowledge to wet your whistle!
Tasting 1 – The Cream of The Crop
At Jungle Jim’s Big Cheese Festival, attendees were asked to vote on their favorite cheeses in a variety of categories. This is your opportunity to taste all of the winners! We’ll have various styles of beer to pair with the wide range of cheeses; there will be everything from blue to cheddar. Our knowledgeable staff from the Cheese Shop and the Beer and Wine Departments will be there to guide you through the tasting, making sure you get to experience the flavors to their full extent.
When – 3/21/15 from 1-3pm in the Oscar Event Center Pub
Cost – $25
Tasting 2 – The Seasonal Treats
This tasting will focus on lighter selections and fresh cheeses. There will be a variety of cow, goat, and sheep’s milk cheeses, many of which are only around once a year! Not to mention there will be a range of beers to pair with your cheese, and our experts from the Beer Department and the Cheese Shop will be present to make sure you get to experience the best pairings. Given the limited time that these cheeses are available, this is one tasting you won’t want to miss.
When – 4/2/15 from 6-8pm in the Oscar Event Center Pub
Cost – $25
Tasting 3 – The Sweet and Savory
Chocolate. And Cheese. What could be better? Our experts will be focusing on the most unique pairings of beer cheese and chocolate. There will be a wide array of different cheeses, as well as a selection of beers to pair with them. As always, we’ll have experts from the Beer Department and the Cheese Shop at the tasting to answer all of your questions and to guide you through the pairings. This tasting will be unlike anything else you’ve ever tried!
When – 5/7/15 from 6-8pm in the Oscar Event Center Pub
Cost – $25
You can get tickets online here, or I am assuming you can buy them in store as well… this sounds like a fun group of events…be there!