by Sophia Stern
Why we love the cheese
There’s a reason these cheese curds are called “ridiculously good”. These flavorful curds are made from fresh milk and carefully crafted by Alise Sjostrom, owner and cheesemaker of Redhead Creamery in Broten, Minnesota. Each curd is hand milled which gives the curds their distinct, pillowy shape and ideally toothsome texture.
Why we love the beer
The Time is Nigh by Modist Brewing Co is one of our beer staff’s favorite festbiers! With notes of toasted malts, dried herbs, and baking spices, this crisp beer can handle the dog days of summer and will remind you that Minnesota fall is surely on its way. This brew is made with German Barke Pilsner, Vienna and Munich malts, kettle hopped with Bravo and Hallertau Mittelfruh, then finally lagered and aged in Modist’s Oak Foeder for 4 weeks.
Why we love the pairing
Cheese curds and beer go together like butter sculptures and cookies in a bucket. Redhead Creamery’s curds have a great, cheddary flavor that goes excellently with the malty, caramelly notes in the festbiers. This is the perfect pairing for snacking at the end of a long day or sharing with friends in the backyard.
What else you should do with it
Go to the state fair! If you really want to have fun with it, The Time is Nigh is an excellent beer for beer battering. Throw Redhead Creamery’s curds into the freezer for an hour. Make a mixture of flour, milk, baking soda, salt, 2 eggs and a cup of the festbier. Coat each frozen curd in flour first, then the beer mixture, then fry a few curds at a time in 400-degree oil. Once golden, drain on a paper towel and enjoy with the rest of your festbiers.