by Joe Kastner
Here at the Cheese Shop of France 44, we sell cheeses made in all sorts of exciting locales- from the towering, picturesque mountains of Switzerland; to sweeping Welsh grasslands; to coastal Spanish islands. But some of my favorites come right from our backyard. The cheeses we sell that are made closest to home (barring our house-made mozzarella, of course) come to us from Alemar Cheese, and they’re made right here in Minneapolis!
Alemar has been around the cheese scene for a little while now, having opened in 2008 with their original operation based out of Mankato. The company was founded by Keith Adams, a California native, who named it after his two daughters, Alexandra and Mariel. The first cheese they started making then was the Bent River Camembert-style, an earthy, tangy, spreadable nod to the classic French standby. Just a couple years after opening, Bent River was already winning awards with the American Cheese Society, a feat that did not go unnoticed.
We’re happy to sell Bent River at our shop, as well as a couple other offerings from the local makers. Blue Earth is their larger-format Brie-style cheese; another soft, spreadable one that tastes like a delicious mushroom butter. This is one that we cut-to-order at the counter, in case you just need a little snack for the road. Another option we carry is Good Thunder, a washed-rind soft cheese that’s actually treated with Surly Bender beer during its aging process, putting a fun MN twist on this traditional Reblochon-style. This pungent little square is for all you strong-cheese lovers, with a bigger kick than its siblings and a bready, sometimes fruity flavor.
Keith and the team at Alemar have always attributed a lot of their success to the great milk that they get from local Minnesotan farms. They moved up from Mankato to the Food Building in Minneapolis in 2019, but still get their milk from the same trusted local farmers. Starting with delicious cow’s milk from trusted dairy partners is a great way to help ensure only the finest end product is being produced. Keith and his team, including Head Cheesemaker Charlotte Serino, are some of the more prolific Minnesota artisan cheesemakers in recent history, and we are super excited to try whatever they come up with next!