Whiskey & Cheese, the Perfect Combination

By Rachel D. Russell / Photography By Mary McClung | May 19, 2015

On May 14th, Edible Indy presented Whiskey and Cheese, hosted by Spoke & Steele, at the elegant Le Méridien Hotel.

Edible Indy created the Whiskey & Cheese event as a nod to the wine and cheese events often seen and attended across the country. Whiskey, bourbon and cheese are a perfect combination, but often overlooked and underappreciated. The sweetness of the spirits paired with big and bold flavored cheeses, presented an opportunity for guests to experience a different way to enjoy this Midwest collaboration.

Guests were treated to several local and regional artisan cheeses ranging from award-winning spicy Gouda to Tomme, from the following artisan cheesemakers: Capriole (Greenville), Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese (Austin, Kentucky), Schnabeltier (Rochester), Traders Point Creamery (Zionsville) and Tulip Tree Creamery (Indianapolis).

Indiana Wine and Spirits provided Kentucky spirits from Bird Dog, Calumet and Lexington, Iowa spirits from Cody Road, while Michigan’s Journeyman Distillery supplied whiskey and barrel aged gin. Indiana artisans were paired with the cheesemakers to showcase simple, yet delicious ways to pair cheeses and enhance the round flavors of the cheese followed by bourbon and whiskey.

Piazza Produce provided noshes such as peaches, pears, figs, dates and crisp crackers. Smoking Goose Meatery provided their spring sugar cured melt-in-your-mouth ham. Indiana scratch-made Pure and Good introduced their custom nut butters with flavors of bourbon, cinnanut and cacao love on crackers topped with cheese and figs. Preservation Indy provided blueberry, hibiscus and strawberry balsamic preserves, which could complement any cheese or even be muddled in a bourbon cocktail, and dessert truffles were provided by the Best Chocolate in Town. One of the most popular pairings included the new Bird Dog Chocolate Whiskey with Kenny’s Farmhouse Gouda; everyone who tried this pairing agreed it tasted like a cherry.

Local mixologist, Kendall Lockwood, of Ball and Biscuit located on Massachusetts Avenue in Indianapolis, showcased her ability to create a variety of handcrafted, bourbon-based cocktails for attendees to enjoy, including the classic Old Fashioned and a bourbon, lemon, mint and simple syrup cocktail introducing the spirit’s sweeter side to those guests worried about the burn of old fashioned whiskey. Currently, she is working directly with Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese to create a drink based on its Gouda and the Bird Dog Chocolate Whiskey.

Edible Indy would like to thank all of those in attendance and those vendors who participated and provided items. Keep an eye out for the next “Edible Indy Presents” event!

Learn more about the fine vendors and their products, including where to buy them, by finding them online.

Cheese:
Capriole
CaprioleGoatCheese.com

Kenny’s
KennysCheese.com

Schnabeltier
Schnabeltier.myshopify.com

Traders Point
TradersPointCreamery.com

Tulip Tree
TulipTreeCreamery.com

Spirits:

Bird Dog Whiskey
BirdDogWhiskey.com

Calumet Bourbon Whiskey
CalumetBourbon.com

Cody Road Bourbon Whiskey
MrDistilling.com

Lexington Bourbon Whiskey
Lexington-Bourbon.com

Journeyman
JourneyManDistillery.com