When you hear the words “beer cheese,” what do you think of? Probably that warmed-up dip accompanied by a twisted pretzel, typically sold at German restaurants and brewpubs. But in Central Kentucky, beer cheese takes on a different meaning.
The Allman family invented beer cheese in Winchester, Ky. in 1939. Dubbed “Snappy Cheese,” beer cheese is a cold dip or spread, made with only four ingredients: beer (of course), shredded cheddar, garlic and cayenne pepper. The ingredients are mixed in a food processor and served with crudités, crackers and/or pretzels.
In Winchester, Louisville, Lexington and surrounding areas, beer cheese can be found on restaurant menus, at breweries and in stores. But travel up north and beer cheese — as in the cold dip — is almost nonexistent. It’s a mystery as to why beer cheese hasn’t migrated more to other states and why it’s not more prominent in Kentucky itself.
Pimento cheese, a close cousin, is everywhere, but even heavily Southern-focused restaurants like Commonwealth in Covington don’t serve beer cheese.
Last year, I spent a few months traveling around Cincinnati, Central Kentucky, New York and Chicago trying different beer cheeses. I spent a day on the Beer Cheese Trail (see sidebar) and judged the annual Beer Cheese Festival, which just took place in Winchester. I wrote a 200-page book about beer cheese, The Beer Cheese Book, which is part cookbook and part culinary travelogue. I include chapters on the food’s storied past, interviews with chefs and beer cheese retailers, and I feature 20 recipes, including ones for beer cheese risotto and beer cheese cupcakes. (Chef Stephen Williams of Covington’s Bouquet Restaurant & Wine Bar created a recipe exclusively for the book.)
Even though beer cheese is basically just a few ingredients, most chefs and retailers like to keep their recipes a secret. With the explosion of craft beer and farmstead cheese coming back into fashion, the combinations are endless, especially with more gourmet ingredients — smoked jalapeños, Sriracha, bacon fat pretzels — appearing in and alongside beer cheese spreads.
In the book, I have a section on Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky beer cheese — it does exist around here, but in scarce amounts. Here are some of the best places to try cold (and even warm) beer cheese.
Christian Moerlein Malt House Taproom
Head to Moerlein’s taproom in Over-the-Rhine for a cheesy, beer-injected spread. Their Kentucky-style beer cheese comes with a spent-grain soft pretzel and a cup of thick yellow mustard for dipping. It’s not as spicy as some others on the market, and it doesn’t reek of garlic, but it will satiate cravings. At the Moerlein Lager House at The Banks, they only serve warm beer cheese, paired with a soft pretzel appetizer and on top of pork belly poutine. Christian Moerlein Malt House Taproom, 1621 Moore St., Over-the-Rhine, christianmoerlein.com; Moerlein Lager House, 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, moerleinlagerhouse.com.
Dorothy Lane Market
As far as I know, Dayton’s Dorothy Lane Market is the only grocery store in the region that makes and sells its own beer cheese. They mix it with Tabasco, sour cream, horseradish, a Wisconsin cheddar, red pepper and a low amount of German beer, and sell it in eight-ounce containers at all three of their locations. The addition of sour cream is not very Kentucky-like, but that coupled with the Tabasco adds a tang to the smooth and glossy dip. 2710 Far Hills Ave., Dayton; 740 N. Main St., Springboro; 6177 Far Hills Ave., Dayton, dorothylane.com.
Servatii
This bakery and deli sells a housemade beer cheese, which is similar in taste and texture to Moerlein’s. They provide Mecca in OTR with beer cheese and a warm soft pretzel as a snack for purchase. Mecca is the only location in OTR you’ll find Kentucky-style beer cheese, and possibly the only bar in town that has it. Nosh on the dip while drinking one of Mecca’s Cha-Chunkers (a mini liquor bottle stuck in a flavored San Pellegrino sparkling water). Mecca, 1429 Walnut St., facebook.com/meccaotr; servatii.com.
Tousey House Tavern
The only restaurant in the area that makes its own cold spread can be found in Burlington, Ky. Situated in a historic house, Tousey possesses a large bourbon selection, hosts a fried chicken night and makes a beer cheese with Sam Adams beer, roasted garlic, Tabasco, dry mustard and cayenne. It is served with pretzel bread and fruit — the only place I have seen that pairs it with fruit. 5963 N. Jefferson St., Burlington, Ky., touseyhouse.com.
Wunderbar!
This German gastropub breaks from cold Kentucky beer cheese to make a fabulous warm version. It’s so good that Cincy native and former Saveur editor Keith Pandolfi gushed his love for it in a Wall Street Journal article. (The framed article can be seen in the dining area.) It’s a secret as to what’s in there — I taste notes of black pepper and Sriracha — but it has a thick soup-like consistency. The dip is served alongside a housemade, lightly salted and somewhat sweet giant soft pretzel. 1132 Lee St., Covington, Ky., facebook.com/wunderbar.covington.3.
Retail Beer Cheese
Luckily, the region is rife with stores that vend beer cheese made by small-batch artisans. The Party Source sells cheese made by Olivia’s (one of the best), Mimi’s and Big Russ. Party Town in Florence, Ky. also sells Olivia’s, along with Kentucky Beer Cheese and Howard’s Creek (clocking in at $7 for an eight-ounce container, it’s one of the more expensive brands). Local Kroger stores, D.E.P.’s in Fort Thomas and Clifton Market sell a few varieties. If you want more options, Jungle Jim’s has the largest selection in town. For the most diverse selection, though, you will have to visit a Liquor Barn in Lexington — they have at least 10 brands at any given time.
All Hail the Beer Cheese Trail
Take a road trip this summer to Winchester in Clark County, Ky., less than two hours from Cincinnati. The city is the birthplace of beer cheese, invented by the Allman family, and home to the ginger-flavored Kentucky Ale-8-One, the only soda still manufactured in the state.
Every June since 2009, the city has hosted The Beer Cheese Festival, and in 2013, Winchester-Clark County tourism founded a trail dedicated solely to beer cheese as a means to drive people to the area.
Eight local restaurants are on the trail, and you can easily hit them up in one day (you only need to eat at five locations to get a prize). To participate, grab a Cheese Log passport from one of the restaurants or the tourism office. Order any beer cheese item from the menu, like a platter or a sandwich, and make sure the restaurant stamps the log so you can receive an “I Conquered the Beer Cheese Trail” T-shirt. (I have one; it’s nice.)
You don’t have to go in any particular order. The eateries are scattered across several miles, and each destination offers something different. Cairn Coffee House puts its spread on a pressed sandwich called the Hot Mess (bacon, Grippo’s barbecue chips, beer cheese, pepperoni and American cheese). Full Circle Market is a health-food store, not a restaurant, but owner Laura Sheehan created an award-winning gluten-free beer cheese that is sold in their cold case.
Drive down to the verdant and sometimes-flooded Kentucky River to see the actual birthplace of beer cheese and where the Allmans started their businesses. The farthest location on the trail (about nine miles from Cairn’s) is Hall’s on the River. It’s a bastion of the past — the family’s first restaurant, The Driftwood Inn, was stationed at that location in the ’40s. They serve their beer cheese as a relish platter and on a Ma Bell burger, named after Jean Bell, an employee who has worked there for 50 years and who once had to make 1,000 pounds of beer cheese a week by hand. One of the best places on the trail is JK’s at Forest Grove. JK’s beer cheese is made with Lexington, Ky.’s Country Boy beer and served with saltines and pickles. Blue Isle and the Engine House Deli and Pub are not on the official Beer Cheese Trail but are worth a visit. The latter serves locally made River Rat beer cheese on fries and as a platter, served with crackers and veggies.
Once you complete the trail, take the Cheese Log to the tourism office and exchange it for a T-shirt. Only a couple hundred people have completed the trail so far, so you can feel special knowing you accomplished something in life.
The University of Kentucky Press will publish THE BEER CHEESE BOOK on Oct. 6, 2017. For more information on the official Clark County BEER CHEESE TRAIL, visit beercheesetrail.com.
This article appears in Jun 14-21, 2017.