The Joy of Cheese January Events

January 17 at 7:30 at Kupersmith, 49 Clinton St. (bet Stanton and Rivington): Kind of Blue

It's a Joy of Cheese January tradition, the blue tasting. There will be firm crumbly blues and oozy, creamy blues. There will be easygoing blues and mouth-numbing blues. We'll cover all bases with seven blues and two non blues for some semblance of balance. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages separately. Tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/218884

January 25 at 7 pm the 92nd St. Y Uptown (92nd & Lexington): A Cheese and Wine Class

I love the 92Y's droll titles. Here's the deal: 8 awesome cheeses paired with 8 amazing wines. I'll discuss the cheeses and Beau Rapier of Uva Wines and Spirits will talk about the wine. Fun will ensue. Tickets are $50 and available via the 92nd St. Y, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Wine-And-Cheese-Pairing.aspx

For more details, try me on thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

The Joy of Cheese November Events

Tuesday November 8 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. The Swiss Cheese Conspiracy

It’s time for fondue (I know for some it’s never not time for fondue, but I digress), and that’s a good time to explore the nutty wonders of alpine cheeses, some from alpine regions and some not. In addition there’s a lot more to the Swiss cheese and firm cheeses that melt well; we’ll explore some of the best soft cheeses from this tradition as well. Overall, we’ll explore eight or nine cheeses. Tickets are $25 (you pay for your drinks separately) and available via Brown Paper Tickets,http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/209707.

Wednesday November 9 at Premier Cru, 1169 Madison Avenue (85th St.): The Six Best Cheeses for Holiday Entertaining.

Yes, it’s that time again too. Please join us at Premier Cru, one of the Upper East Side’s most gracious wine boutiques, for a stellar tasting of six cheeses that will pair nicely with holiday beverages. Each of these six cheeses will be paired with a wine chosen by Premier Cru owner Michael Eigen. The fun begins at 7. Tickets are $45 and available via Premier Cru, 212-534-6709.

Also on November 17 at 7:00, Maggie Fuller and I will lead a Beer and Cheese class at the 92nd St. Y. We will pair eight small producer Belgian and Scandinavian beers with eight exceptional cheeses and sample and discuss each. Tickets are $40 and available via this link, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/BetterThanWine-Beer-CheesePair-1.aspx

February at The Joy of Cheese

In three February events The Joy of Cheese will celebrate the best hard cheeses in New York City. Cheddars, aged goudas, alpine cheeses, pecorinos and other fine examples of expertly aged cheeses paired with superb wine or craft-brewed beers. Here are the details.

February 1 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn 113 North 7th St, The Joy of Cheese Presents Crunchy! Fine Hard Cheese & Great Beers to Match

The very best firm cheeses have distinct tangy flavors and pleasantly salty finishes; they are almost perfectly suited to pair with a variety of beers. At this event, I’ll present seven cheeses and Ray Deter, owner of d.b.a and host of Beer Sessions on Heritage Radio Network will present seven beers chosen to specifically the cheese. Good times will ensue. Tickets are $25 ($20 if you enter the password Serious when buying online) at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/onsite/event/145253

February 8 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. The Joy of Cheese & The Classics at Clerkenwell Present Red, Red Wine.

Yes, actually, you can pair red wines with cheese. It is harder to pair cheese with red wine than white ones due to the richness and complexity of flavors in most reds, but it can be done. Please join us February 8 at 7:30 at Clerkenwell as we explore eight cornerstone hard cheeses that pair well with red wines. I’ll discuss each cheese in terms of its geography, flavor profile, production style and of course why it pairs well with red wine. Tickets are $25 ($20 if you buy online and enter the password Serious) and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/onsite/event/154010.

February 24 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St., The Joy of Cheese Presents Red, White and Beer.

Alpine cheeses and pecorinos are especially versatile cheeses and in this edition of The Joy of Cheese Red White and Beer comparison series, we will take six (maybe more) fantastic cheeses, including some amazing sheep cheese from northern Italy and dense nutty cheeses both from Switzerland and the United States (and maybe France) and compare them to see what pairs best with what. It all gets going Thursday February 24 at 7:30 Tickets are $30 ($24 if you buy online at and enter the password Serious) and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/onsite/event/154017.

You can buy tickets with cash at the door (there is no “Serious” discount) just alert me of your plans at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

I hope to see you over some cheese.

-Martin

Blue: The Joy of Cheese January Events

Every January The Joy of Cheese rings in the new year with a monthlong celebration of those most peppery and earthy cheeses—the blues. As winter wonderland slips into winter doldrums, we fight back, offering the finest Roqueforts, Stiltons, and Gorgonzolas (say nothing of Rogue River Blues, Fourme D’Amberts, and Sticheltons). It’s a good time for big beers and sweet wines, and these are the cheeses to match them. We will hold three tastings devoted to this theme.

Here are the details.

January 4 at 7:30 at d.b.a Bklyn, 113 North 7^th St. (between Berry and Wythe): The New Blues and Brews to Match.

Hey Blue, what’s new? At this event we will sample and discuss seven phenomenal blue cheeses that are relatively new to the New York City market. In addition we’ll pair those seven new blues with seven superb beers. I’ll discuss the cheeses, and Ray Deter will discourse on the beer. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142602

Attendees can pay cash at the door, I just ask that they alert me of their intention at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

January 18 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Rivington): Classic Blues.

There is a canon of cheese and for the next few months at The Clerkenwell we will explore it. Our investigation begins with the finest Roqueforts, Gorgonzolas, Stiltons, et al. At this event we will sample and discuss eight phenomenal blue cheeses and why these particular varieties are superior to others in the marketplace. Tickets are $25 (attendees pay for their drinks separately) and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142611

Attendees can pay cash at the door; I just ask that they alert me of their intention at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

January 20 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Houston): Old World vs. Our World

In what will surely be our bluest tasting yet, we will sample ten different blue cheeses, five from the northeast and five from Europe. We will discuss them thoroughly and beyond parsing them, we will vote on where the better blues come from on that evening. In other words, it will be earthy, peppery fun. Tickets are $25 (attendees pay for their drinks separately) and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142614

Attendees can pay cash at the door; I just ask that they alert me of their intention at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

Questions? I’m at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.