Jeez, I haven’t posted in a couple weeks! Life getting in the way again. 

Anyhow, the Wisconsin Cheesemakers held the US Cheese Championship in March. This is a huge competition, but one that until a few years ago tended to feature few artisan and farmstead cheeses. Not so any more. In fact, the champion this year was a farmstead goats milk cheese from LaClare Farms/ Saxon Creamery in Wis.  Katie Hedrich’s Evalon was crowned the US champion from 1,604 cheeses entered. I believe Hedrich makes the cheese at LaClare Farms in Chilton, Wis., and Saxon, based in Cleveland, Wis., handles the affinage and marketing.

Mike Roemer Photo. Thanks to WCMA.

Cheese and Champagne did a nice post about it a week or so ago. And yes, at Chicago Beer Society’s Day of the Living Ales last month a variation on this cheese was part of the offerings from Marion Street Cheese Market. Out of a possible 100 points, Evalon scored 99.06 in the final round of judging, during which judges re-evaluated all gold-winning cheeses to determine the champion.

First runner-up in the contest, with a score of 98.97, is Parmesan, made by Sartori in Plymouth. Second runner-up is Aged Gouda, made by Holland’s Family Cheese, of Thorp, which scored 98.95.

Sponsored by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Assn., the contest is held bi-annually, alternating with the World Cheese Championship.

AVERY and CHEESE AND CHEERS @ MAP ROOM: Plan on being at the Map Room in Chicago on Wednesday,  April 20. Windy City Distributing’s Chad Wulff will showcase three beers from Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, Colo., and I have been invited to pair them with  cheeses. Details to follow. The deal kicks off at 7, and it is also Chicago Beer Society social night.  And did I mention that Map Room is my favorite beer bar in the world? Oh, yours too? See ya then!