I promised the attendees of the third “Tasting Synergies and Dispelling Myths” class hosted by Sprecher Brewery and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board that I would post the pairings we sampled online. Many thanks to Tammy Hays, Anne Sprecher and Sara Hill of the WMMB for all their work in setting up the tasting! Here are the class favorites:

A slice of very young, fresh Limburger, made by the Chalet Cheese Co-op, served on a slice of light rye bread smeared with coarse seed mustard, alongside the Black Bavarian, made a classic Wisco tavern pairing…

With the Abbey Triple, we sampled an oozy wedge of Crave Bros. Petit  Frère, modeled after a traditional French brie with a gorgeous, apricot-hued rind. The beer smoothed away the funk of the b.linens rind wash. Then we had a real treat: raw milk Edelweiss Emmenthaler made by Bruce Workman, melted on baguette with sliced ham, and a smidgen of the sweet Sprecher root beer mustard.

Alongside the roasty flavors of the dry Irish-style stout, the mixed milks in Carr Valley’s Gran Canaria sparkled on the palate…

The new gold medal winning “best of show” at the U.S. Champion Cheese Contest is the SarVecchio Parmesan, presented with the pale-hued yet robust Mai Bock, a sturdy seasonal favorite….

The NASFT best new cheese, Rasperry Bellavitano, rind-washed with New Glarus Brewing Co.’s Raspberry Tart ale, was paired with the limited release Sprecher Generation Porter, a rich, chocolatey ale tinctured with fresh raspberry puree. The match brought up all the rich malt flavors in the beer without overwhelming the raspberry-rind flavors of the cow’s milk cheese…

Concluding on a strong note, we sampled the Czar Stout, Randy’s version of an Imperial, with the buttery Affine Bleu cheese from Roth Kase – quite an incredible sequence of cheeses and brews.

I got a question from a reader, asking if I was employed by Sprecher because I do so many events there – in fact, my time is donated and with each class, Randy and Anne Sprecher make a donation to a charity of my choice.  This time, it’s going to a benefit at the Newberry Library on April 14, from 5:30-7:30 PM – a fundraiser for a friend diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer and without any medical insurance….a predicament too many people are finding themselves facing alone…you can read about Michael here.

The estimable 21st Amendment, based in San Francisco, is building community one tweet at a time, with the release of the first “Twitter-brewed” beer. It’s a nod to their SoMa neighbors, Twitter, the privately held company which is celebrating its third anniversary this month, as well as an experiment in social marketing of craft beer. Brewer Shaun O’Sullivan was profiled by the SFGate writer Jon Bonne, and expect a launch party for Spring Tweet on April 6, 2009.

I’m going to miss Spring Tweet, but did get to enjoy a glass of Watermelon Wheat (shown with the fresh wedge of fruit) last fall…

Jeffrey Glazer of Madison Beer Review is cooking his way through the Best of American Beer & Food – today’s fave is the Chicken with Artichoke Hearts Braised in Anchor Steam recipe from Diane Alexander of DC’s Brickskeller – the results are both tasty and budget friendly! Read the review (with step by step photos)  here.

Good news: fans of legendary beer writer Michael Jackson will gather in Chicago to toast the anniversary of his birth, on March 27, and celebrate the launch of a new book of essays entitled BEER HUNTER, WHISKY CHASER. The party begins at Delilah’s, 2771 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, at 4 PM, and the toast to Michael Jackson will be at 7 PM CST. The event is *free* and includes pairings of artisan cheeses from Wisconsin, based on the chapter devoted to beer and cheese pairings in The Best of American Beer and Food – as well as a few brew surprises TBA. Julie Johnson, editor of ALL ABOUT BEER, is also one of the contributors and will be there. We’ll sign the books,  sold by Jennifer Faulk of the Beerables Co. Proceeds from the sale of the book go to Parkinson’s disease research – a worthy cause. Hope to see you there – and you can read the full press release from Louis Glunz here and from Ian Buxton of Classic Expressions, and Neil Wilson of NWP, the UK publishers of BEER HUNTER, WHISKY CHASER here.

Late on February 8, Bill Brand, the Oakland Tribunes’ beer writer for decades, a celebrant of craft beer and cuisine, and all-around good guy, was hit by a MUNI train on his way home, and on Feb. 20, died of the injuries sustained in the crash. It is such a loss, for people who loved craft beer could find a friendly, humorous yet authoritative resource in Bill Brand, and his many columns, blogs, and tasting notes. He’d just begun work on a book about his cherished California breweries, with time freed by a partial retirement from newspaper journalism. Bill was such a kind person, a kindness that came out of truly loving life and understanding the human condition, especially after losses such as the early death of his daughter, Audrey.

From a personal perspective, Bill was a wonderful friend and mentor. He and wife Daryl taste-tested samples of my beer cuisine, shared sources and introduced me to friends such as Sheana Davis, and he was a savvy guide to California’s best beer and food destinations. Did I mention that he was kind? Here’s an example: when I was late in delivering the manuscript for this book, written during the last months of my father’s life as he waned away from cancer, Bill helped me work through the writer’s block of grief.  He gave several interviews for the chapter about Pacific breweries, called often to offer a joke or word of encouragement – and when the book was published, we celebrated at GABF. Thank you, Bill!

Shaun O’Sullivan gave a great tribute to Bill which will be posted to the 21st Amendment blog. Bill Brand was generous with time and friends, devoted to his family, and a champion of better beer – especially the Belgian styles he so enjoyed. You can read more about his life online at legacy.com and also enjoy his past blogs and columns at What’s On Tap.