Cheese 201: The Science of Flavor - Wed 8/12
After our first Cheese 201 tasting in July, we received SO MANY notes that y’all loved it and you loved our co-host, food scientist Pat Polowsky. Here’s just one of those:
“Pat is indeed awesome. And charming, engaging, funny, and packed with knowledge… Thank y’all for arranging this! We’ve already signed up for August 12.” - Matthew Ryan
“My favorite part was pretty much anything coming out of Pat’s mouth. Educational and a riot.” - @surf3rcalavera

I am personally beyond excited about our next topic in this Cheese 201 deep dive series - FLAVOR COMPOUNDS! That’s right; get ready to deep dive into the science of flavor. Like, did you know that pyrazine compounds give both wine and cheese an “earthy” or “bell pepper” aroma? When we say a cheese has a pineapple note, folks often ask if that means it has pineapple in it. Nope! Tune in to find out how flavor is created and principle compounds found in cheese - while we taste through examples. Get tickets here.

The Birth of a Cheese
Be still my heart! If you’ve followed us for a while, you know one of my personal favorite styles of cheese are soft-ripened goat milk cheeses. And I think Amelia Sweethardt of Pure Luck Farm & Dairy is one of the best makers of this style of cheese out there. And yes, she’s a local bad*ss. Imagine my delight when I heard a new experimental cheese is now ready for market. Woohoo! Please help us welcome Enchanted Rock, a beautiful mound dusted in paprika before allowing the geo mold to bloom on it (yes, eat the rind, it’s delish and contributes to the flavor!). We’re thrilled to welcome it alongside the return of their Ste.Maure, on the Top 3 List of Fave Cheeses for my kiddos (which is why it often isn’t in the case, because my kids are eating us out of house…. haha!).

A perfect pairing for Enchanted Rock? I’d put money on Grafter Blanc from Texas Keeper Cider, a dry cider made with Texas-grown Muscat Blanc grapes that has notes of candied pear and nectarine with a soft acidity. Then again, all of these locally-made ciders make exceptional cheese pairings. Want to find out? Get tix to our collab Virtual Cheese & Cider Pairing on Sat 8/15. We'll be talking and tasting 3 different bottles/varietals of their ciders, each paired with 2 cheeses (for a total of 6 cheeses). Plus, we love fun flavor combinations and will throw in some other food pairing bites like jams and fruits. One $110 ticket is intended for two people and comes with two cheese plates and 3 bottles of cider. Get tickets here.



Do Good. Eat Good.
Plans this Saturday from 7-8pm? Join John and me as we host the virtual event, Thinkery’s Food for Thought, to benefit The Thinkery kids’ museum. We believe all kids deserve access to fun learning experiences. And this is a perfect chance for the big kids in the room (ahem) to learn about the science behind some of your fave foods - like Aaron Franklin’s barbecue, Daniela Martinez’ cocktail shrubs, and Tavel Bristol’s magazine cover desserts (to name just a few!). All proceeds from the event will benefit Thinkery's STEAM Power Fund, which lets the museum continue to support the community with enriching STEAM experiences during Thinkery’s closure and will help reopen the museum’s doors when it is safe to do so. If this mission speaks to you and you have the resources to help out, we hope you’ll join us and John and I report live from The Thinkery. (Send us good vibes to not mess up - too much!) #DoGoodEatGood

(Virtual) Tasting Classes Coming Up - AUGUST SCHEDULE!
August is American Dairy Goat Month, so we’re bringing back our customer fave “For the Love of Goats” class. Anything in red below is a one-time or special event we don’t do often. So get tix while they’re hot! And note that we've heard some of you wanting evening classes; you'll see at least one offering per week with an 8pm start time. All are virtual with curbside pickups of cheese plates (or option for local delivery). Plus, as we all know, it’s freaking hot right now. So for the first time ever, we’re offering a Spicy Cheese class! Deadline to purchase tickets is midnight the night before an event. Click on the calendar date here to get more info or tix:

Fri 8/7 (6:30pm) - Cheese & Crackers Pairing feat. The Sourdough Project - NEW!
Sat 8/8 (6:30pm) - An Antonelli’s Cheese Date Night
Sun 8/9 (6:30pm) - Cheese & Chocolate Pairing
Tue 8/11 (6:30pm) - Prosciutto, Salami, and Cheese...Oh My!
Wed 8/12 (6pm) - Cheese 201: The Science of FLAVOR feat. food scientist Pat Polowksy
Thu 8/13 (6:30pm) - Bubbles & Cheese
Fri 8/14 (8pm) - An Antonelli’s Cheese Date Night
Sat 8/15 (6:30pm) - Cheese & Pickles Pairing feat. local maker Sheena’s Pickles
Sat 8/15 (6:30pm) - Cider & Cheese Pairing feat. Texas Keeper Cider
Mon 8/17 (6:30pm) - For the Love of Goats! All Goat Cheese Tasting
Tue 8/18 (6:30pm) - Cheese 101: The Seven Styles of Cheese
Wed 8/19 (6pm) - Some Like It Hot: A Spicy Cheese Tasting with The Antonellis
Thu 8/20 (8pm) - Soft Cheeses: Rich, Gooey, Delicious
Fri 8/21 (6:30pm) - An Antonelli’s Cheese Date Night
Sat 8/22 (6pm) - Happy Hour Tasting celebrating Women’s Equality Day
Sun 8/23 (6:30pm) - Vive la France: A Celebration of French Cheeses
Tue 8/25 (6:30pm) - Prosciutto, Salami, and Cheese...Oh My!
Wed 8/26 (6pm) - Behind the Scenes with Point Reyes Farm (California)
Thu 8/27 (8pm) - A Cheese & Chocolate Pairing
Fri 8/28 (6:30pm) - Cheese & Wine Pairing with William Chris Winery
Sat 8/29 (6:30pm) - An Antonelli’s Cheese Date Night
Mon 8/31 (6:30pm) - Cheese 101 benefiting Lady Bird Wildflower Center


*Note: We offer classes and events in three different formats. If you’d like to know about how each different type of class is offered and the benefits of each, check it out here and scroll to bottom.
CELEBRATE! Not ready to brave restaurants? Or perhaps you don’t have the luxury of it as you seek to keep you or your immuno-compromised loved ones safe. Don’t forget we offer PRIVATE PARTIES for our Virtual Tasting Clients. Contact us for more details.

In The News
I’m honored and excited to participate in #ShareTheMicNowTX, a social media initiative that shines an important light on the need for greater support, opportunities, and amplification of black women in the Lone Star State. White and non-white women with influence are invited to use their platforms to amplify black women’s voices, tell their stories, and unite through a common bond of sisterhood through our business endeavors. Following the tumultuous events that have occurred recently, #ShareTheMicNowTX offers a unique opportunity for statewide unity and a much-needed focus on the lives, stories, and continued impact of black women in Texas. Follow us on Instagram to see what amazing woman will be taking over our account on a specific date next week (to be announced on social). And yes, it’s still cheese and #DoGoodEatGood mission related!
Thanks Robin for your #WineWednesday write-up of easy summer cheese dishes and cool wines to pair in Texas Lifestyle Magazine. Easy bites you can throw together when standing over a hot stove or grill is just too much? Plus wine pairings! Yes please! Shoutouts to CKC Farms, Bee Tree Farm and Dairy, Texas Keeper Cider, Green Dirt Farm, Calabro Cheese Corporation, and drink.well. Not mentioned but pictured is the awesome La Quercia Cured Meats!

Our Cheese Around Town
Needing a little hill country day trip? For those that are able and want to, venture out near Boerne for a visit to Cibolo Creek Brewing Company, a family-owned and operated neighborhood brewpub that offers great farm fresh food in addition to their craft beer. They’re only seating outdoors on their patio and masks are required when not at tables.



How You Can Help Us Stay In Biz

From Austin:
Place an online order or phone order with no contact curbside delivery to your trunk
Order for delivery through Favor Fleet for $12
Buy Tickets to a Virtual Cheese Tasting Class; pick up the cheese plate curbside
Order a Cheese Tray online
Schedule a Cheesemonger Live virtual appointment to look through our case for curbside pickup
Book a Private Virtual Tasting class. In these isolating times, we're looking for ways to connect and build community
From Anywhere in the United States:
To ship via UPS, order online and choose from our newly-added cheese/meat/add-on offerings
Know someone that can use a cheese-y pick me up, ship a gift box care package
Purchase a gift card for future use
Join our monthly cheese club
Take our Cheese Tasting in a Box virtual class. (not a live event; prerecorded)
Send our social distancing care kit
Schedule a virtual cheesemonger appointment to discuss what you might like best and take your order for shipment
We offer FREE SHIPPING in Texas on orders over $75.

Stay Cheese-y!
John & Kendall
And Your Awesome Cheesemonger Team