The Cheese
This is truly an American original cheese. In fact it is an American twist on an American original. Traditional Monterey jack cheese was developed in the middle 1800’s in what was then northern Mexico, around Monterey California. David Jacks was one of the largest distributors of the cheese and his crates read “Monterey, Jacks.”

While the Vella Cheese Company in Sonoma did not originate dry jack, this style has certainly become synonymous with them and their current patriarch, Ig Vella. Dry jack was first produced, like many great cheeses, as an accident. Back during World War I, San Francisco cheese merchant D.F DeBernardi had an overstock of traditional Monterey jack cheese and before he could move it all, some had gotten dry, like an Italian grana. The resulting cheese, far from being ruined, was nutty and intensely buttery, with full aroma and flavor, but little or no sharpness. This gave Americans an alternative to Italian cheeses like parmesan and romano, hard to come by during the Great Wars. While similar to those cheeses, dry Jack is more closely akin to aged asiago or piave vecchio, as it is a whole milk cheese. This means the body of the cheese is creamier and less dense than Parmesan, a part-skim milk cheese.

By the time Ig’s father, Robert, and his partner opened the factory in 1931, dry jack had become an accepted cheese. They improved the production method by experimenting with different coatings to help with the aging process. The very best coating they could find was…..diatomaceous earth? Yup, the same stuff you use in your swimming pool filter. It was a sterile medium that absorbed lots of moisture. Worked like a charm, and according to one who knows, made the best dry jack ever produced. But it was too good to last. In the 1950’s the government said, “You’re doing WHAT?” So the cheese makers went back to their research, ultimately developing today’s blend of cocoa, pepper and vegetable oil.

As distinctive in appearance as it is in flavor, this cheese is available in traditional 7-10 month aged as well as a two-year reserve version. It has won more awards than I have room to list, and is truly one of America’s finest creations. It is one of two cheeses currently listed in the Slow Food U.S. Ark of Taste.

The Beer
One of the powerhouses on the microbrew scene is the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. They hit a home run with their first release, Fat Tire Ale. It is based on a home brewing recipe the brewer, Jeff Lebesch, hatched while riding his mountain bike (with fat tires) from brewery to brewery in Europe. When he returned, he went down into his basement and created two recipes reflecting his experiences in Belgium; a dark brown Dubbel he named Abbey and an  Amber he called Fat Tire. They went commercial in 1991, featuring creative watercolors on their labels by Lebesch’s artist neighbor, Anne Fitch.

New Belgium was the first to commercially produce Belgian style beers in the US, a niche that (thankfully) continues to expand. Fat Tire is about as easy-drinking a beer as you would want. Rich yeasty aromas with biscuity flavors in the mouth are balanced to a hair’s breadth by the perfectly restrained hop background. Dark honey in color, this beer throws a very fine head and leaves the traditional “Belgian lace” around the rim of the glass (use a goblet-shaped vessel, not an English pint glass). Another unique trait of this brewery is the fact they are completely wind-powered. Very green!

The Extras
I kept it fairly simple here. I like these two with salted pistachios, and if yours are dyed bilious red, give them to the birds (I hope that isn’t red die #5) and go get some real pistachios. Also pick up a dried fruit from China called goji berries. The ones I usually get are from Costco under the “Pacific Tropical” label, and are sweetened with pomegranate juice.  A traditional French baguette completes the scene.

Why it Works
This cheese is so buttery, you could pair almost any beer or sweeter wine product with it and be fairly safe. But the Fat Tire amber ale is as good a match as you are likely to find. The rich mouthfeel and nutty flavors in the jack are embraced by the malty middle of this beer, and the crisp finish leaves the palate wanting more. The pistachios and goji berries combine to give this combo an almost barbeque-sauced meat flavor. This one must be experienced to be fully appreciated.

Created for Barbara Admas Beyond Wonderful
by Cheese Expert, Mark "The Cheese Dude" Todd.

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