The Joy of Cheese Summer Events

No grand themes, just some fun times over cheeses and beverages.

June 29 at 7pm at the 92nd St. Y, 92nd and Lexington

8 Cheeses and 8 Wines. I've chosen eight fantastic cheeses and Keith Beavers of Alphabet City Wines will pair them with eight superb wines. We'll present and discuss our choices, and solicit your views on the pairings. Tickets are $50 and available via the 92Y website, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Summer-Wine-And-Cheese-Pairing.aspx

July 12 at 7:30 at The Clerekenwell, 49 Clinton St. on the Lower East Side

Since it's 48 hours before Bastille Day, let's do 9 French cheeses in some theme or another. I'll present the nine best that are available in NYC and we'll discuss. Attendees pay for their beverages separately. For advance tickets, please visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/185153

July 14 at 7 at The 92nd St. Y, Cheeses and Hard Ciders

Come celebrate Bastille Day with us at the 92nd St. Y. I'll present eight either French or French-inspired cheeses and Kat Kelly will pair them with eight exceptional ciders including some from Normandy and some from the Basque regions in France. If we're lucky, we may have some locally made cider too. Tickets are $40 and available via the92Y website, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Hard-Cider-And-Cheese-Pairing.aspx

August 2 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn: Summer cheeses and Beers

It's simple shortly before this event, I'm going to buy the eight best cheeses I can find and pair them with four amazing beers and we're going to do a tasting. Join us, it's fun. Tickets are $25 and available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/185911

Questions? drop me a line at the name of this blog at gmail.

No Event tonight but the rest of June is On!

Sadly, there will be no event tonight at Culturefix. But classes at the 92nd St. Y for Thursday and next Wednesday are on!

Fromage Americain: The Joy of Cheese June Events

Fromage Americain: The Joy of Cheese JuneEvents

It's old news that American hand crafted cheeses can stand alongside any in the world, but are there really two dozen of them that could be sold in any French Fromagerie without condescension or caveat. I think there are, and I'm going to present my choices during three Joy of Cheese events in June.

June 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. Fromage Americain

Please join us Tuesday April 5 at 7:30 for a tasting of seven exceptional American cheeses with a slight emphasis on firm cheeses and seven beers chosen specifically to match them. I'll present the cheese; Ray Deter will present the beers. We'll both talk about why we think the combination works. Tickets are $25. For more information, visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/177507

June 14th at Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. Fromage Americain Part Deux

Same deal, nine superb American cheeses, this time with a slight emphasis on softer cheeses. I'll present the cheese and attendees can buy the beverages of their choice separate. Tickets are $25; for more information visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/178626.

June 22^nd at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St. Fromage Americain Part Trois

La meme chose, nine superb American cheeses, this time with a slight emphasis on newer cheeses. I'll present the cheese and attendees can buy the beverages of their choice separate. Tickets are $25; for more information visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/17863

By all means attendees are welcome to attend these events without advance purchase, I just that they e-mail me to alert me of their intentions at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

And in addition these?

June 23 Cheese and Beer at the 92Y and June 29^th Cheese and Wine at the 92^nd St. Y.

In July, our theme will involve French cheeses; I don't know how yet.

Funkee!! The Joy of Cheese May Events

Funkee!! The Joy of Cheese May Events

Note the two e's and more importantly the two exclamation marks.

May is not a month for shy, subtle and gentle cheese. It's the month when the sun becomes a regular part of our lives again. It's when the coats become optional apparel during the day. It's the time when outdoors is the place to be. Yes, in May the funky days are here again.

And so is the cheese. We'll do what we do in three separate events.

May 3rd at 7:30 at d.b.a Bklyn, 113 N. 7th St. (between Wythe and Berry), Funkee!!

Seven aggressive cheeses, seven delicious beers. Commentary from yers truly on the cheese and special guest beer geek AJ Eckstein on the brews. The event last from 7:30-8:45, but the good times go on and on and on... Tickets are $25.

For tickets visit, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/172724

May 17th (note, new date) at 7:30 at Clerkenwell 49 Clinton St. Classic Funk

Where did all this funky cheese begin, where is it going. I'm a big believer in core curricula and here we'll apply to the cheese. Please join us for a survey of eight cornerstone washed rind cheeses. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages separately. For more info, visit

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/172777

May 18th at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St. American Funk

Insert your own George Clinton joke here. It took a while for the new American cheesemakers to embrace the European tradition of washed rind cheeses, but over the last few years, we're showing we can get down with the best of the aromatic fromages from abroad. Please join us Wednesday May 18th at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St, for a sampling and discussion of the very best funky American cheeses. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages separately. For more information visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/172784

As always, attendees are welcome to pay at the door, just notify me of your intentions at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com and I'll reserve space for you.

May at The Joy of Cheese

The theme for May is Funkee!!

Yes, two e's and two exclamation points. Fans of strong smelly stuff, this is the moment you've been waiting for.

The sked breaks out like this:

May 3rd: Funk and Beer at d.b.a Brooklyn

May 17th Funk Classics at Clerkenwell

May 18th American Funk at Culturefix

Aside from the funky classes, there will be a One Night Stand (date tba) where we will bring the 8 best cheeses at that moment.

And I'll be teaching cheese and beer class May 12 and cheese and wine May 25 at the 92nd St. Y.

More on all of this soon.

April at The Joy of Cheese

April 5 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. Hard Goats and Beers to Match

It might be a cheesemonger's stretch to imagine a goat singing to a cow the Irving Berlin classic Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better," but it wouldn't be inappropriate for a goat diary farmer to sing it to a farmer with a herd of cows. In the last two decades, "goat cheese" has transformed from meaning a soft squishy, fresh cheese perfect for a beet salad into a myriad of forms, flavors and textures. Please join us Tuesday April 5 at 7:30 for a tasting of seven exceptional firm goat's milk cheeses and seven beer chosen specifically to match them. I'll present the cheese; Ray Deter will present the beers. We'll both talk about why we think the combination works. Tickets are $25.

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/163427

April 12th at Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. The Best Soft Chevres in NYC

Oozy, lean and delicious and the three best adjectives to describe the best soft goat's milk cheeses available to New Yorkers. The amazing thing is that not all of them are from abroad. Many of them come from Maryland and Illinois as well as the usual domestic suspects like Vermont, California, and the Pacific Northwest. Please join us Tuesday April 12 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. for a sampling and discussion of eight of these sumptuous wonders. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages separately.

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/163619

By all means you’re welcome to attend these events without advance purchase, just e-mail me to alert me of your intentions and I’ll reserve space for you.

And in addition these?

April 7 Cheese and Wine at 92nd St. Y with a very special guest wine instructor.

Any questions, feel free to contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

What A Whole Lotta Cheese: The Joy of Cheese Mid-Winter Update

What a Whole Lotta of Cheese: The Joy of Cheese Mid-Winter Update

A few days ago I wondered about the wisdom of calling this a midwinter update. Well mother nature set the record straight about that. Cheese tastings are still one of the best reasons to venture out into the chill and there are a whole lotta tastings coming up.

Here are the details

February 23^rd at 7:30 at Boxcar Lounge, 168 Avenue B

Wednesday night at 7:30, The Joy of Cheese, Martin Johnson’s five year old series of informal cheese tastings makes its first visit to Boxcar Lounge, 168 Avenue B. Please join us as we’ll sample and discuss eight of the finest cheeses available in New York. There will be showstoppingly dense and nutty alpine cheeses, buttery, sweet pecorinos, lean, herbaceous goat’s milk cheeses. Some of the cheeses will be from Europe and some from elsewhere. I’ll discuss the cheeses in terms of their flavor profile, geography and production techniques. It will enable you to become an informed shopper for these cheeses either at a retail counter or when surveying the cheese course at a restaurant. Tickets are $25 and attendees can purchase beers, wines and other spirits of their choice from the well chosen and abundant Boxcar list. For more information and ticket sales please visit Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/154183

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.

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

March 1^st at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7^th St: The Hard Italians

The Italians have a way with formaggio. Their cheeses almost always feature distinctive flavors and melodic finishes. The firm ones are often highlighted by a clear note of salt. The Italians aren’t known for their brewing but their hard cheeses make excellent companions to ales, lagers and many more brewed delights. Please join us Tuesday March 1 at 7:30 as we pair seven wonderful hard Italian cheeses and seven amazing beers. I’ll present the cheese; Ray Deter will discuss the beer. You will show up and we will all be very happy by evening’s end. Tickets are $25 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/158973

March 8^th at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St.: The Soft Italians

Ooozy, goupy, luxurious and delicious. Those are the first four words that occur to me when I think of soft Italian cheeses and if they don’t occur to you at the thought of Tallegio, Brescianella, Quadrello et al, then you owe it to your taste buds to join us at 7:30 Tuesday March 8 at Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. for a tasting of eight fantastic soft Italian cheeses. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your drinks separately. For more information, please visit BPT at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/158979

March 14^th at 7:30 at Custom American Wine Bar, 644 Driggs

The second edition of One Night Stand takes place at Custom American Wine Bar. As the name implies Custom specializes in small producer American wines, beers and bourbons. Our selection of eight cheeses will focus on those from the domestic artisan producers. Custom will offer a special flight of wines designed to match the cheeses. Tickets are $25 and attendees pay for their beverages separately. For more information, please visit Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/156155.

By all means you’re welcome to attend these events without advance purchase, just e-mail me to alert me of your intentions and I’ll reserve space for you.

And beyond these?

March 16 An Italian tasting of some sort or another at Culturefix

March 17 Cheese and Beer at 92^nd St. Y with me and Ray Deter

Any questions, feel free to contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com