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Cocktails and Cheese: A Vikre Showcase Event
- Kerry Jerred
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Cocktails and cheese. Need we say more?
There's something special about the way a perfectly crafted cocktail and an artisan cheese can play off one another — bright botanicals cutting through creamy richness, smoky spirits mingling with funky blues, citrus notes lifting up a salty bite. That's exactly the experience brought to life with our Cocktails and Cheese Showcase, an evening dedicated to the art of pairing.
The Artisan Cheese Tapas Menu
Alpinage Classic Raclette Grilled Zucchini and Mushroom, Portabella and Thyme Olive Oil and Black Garlic Salt from Love That Olive
with
Spruce Gin Sour Herbal Liqueur, Thyme Syrup, Lemon
This raclette comes from Alpinage Cheese, a small Wisconsin creamery built on a love story between cultures. Founder Orphée Paillotin moved to Milwaukee from France in 2015 and quickly missed one of his favorite cheeses from home — raclette — which was nearly impossible to find in the U.S. He met Paula Heimerl, whose family had run Saxon Creamery for generations, and the two began experimenting with raw-milk raclette recipes in her parents' basement, using a small 50-gallon vat. Orphée trained at the renowned Maison Mons affinage academy in France and earned his Wisconsin cheesemaker license, while Paula brought six generations of her family's dairy expertise to the partnership. The name Alpinage blends "Alpine," for raclette's mountain origins, and "affinage," the art of aging cheese — and aging is exactly where this team shines, hand-tending each wheel in their cave for months until it develops its signature smear-ripened character. On the plate, the cheese's nutty, melty richness is grounded by earthy grilled zucchini, mushroom, and portabella in thyme olive oil, with a pinch of black garlic salt adding a deep, savory finish.
Deer Creek The Carawaybou Miso Mayo, Celery
with
A Celery and Cherry Sling Juniper Gin, Ovrevann Aquavit, Herbal Liqueur, Celery, Cherry Syrup, Lemon
Deer Creek Cheese's Chris Gentine describes himself with a wink as a "cheese hotrodder". It is a family-run Wisconsin operation that loves to take a classic and ask, "what if?" The Carawaybou resurrects an old-fashioned cheese recipe from 1914, crafted as a classic handmade Wisconsin Original Colby (actually invented in Colby, WI) and speckled with caraway seeds for both a striking look and an Old World, anise-like aroma. It's part of Deer Creek's whimsical "animal series" inspired by Chris's favorite children's book, The Golden Story Book of River Bend by Patricia Scarry. Many of the characters were brought to life through label art designed by the founders' daughter and developed alongside some of Wisconsin's most decorated Master Cheesemakers. The buttery, curdy Colby base and gentle caraway crunch pair beautifully here with a savory, umami-rich miso mayo, while crisp celery brings a clean, refreshing snap to balance the richness.
Roelli Red Rock Dill Mustard, Frito®
with
Øvrevann Aquavit Martini
Roelli Cheese Haus is a true Wisconsin family dynasty. The creamery in Shullsburg has been home to four generations of the Roelli family, starting with Adolph Roelli, who emigrated from Switzerland in the 1920s. After the original factory closed in 1991, fourth-generation cheesemaker Chris Roelli reopened it in 2006, financed in part by his father and a local bank loan, in the very same building his great-grandfather once worked. Rather than compete on volume, Chris — now a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker certified in cheddar, blue, and alpine styles — decided to chase originality, and Red Rock was one of the results. It gets its name from the local stone surrounding its aging room, and is made by cutting pressed cheddar blocks into smaller pieces, spiking them, and aging them to allow natural veins of blue mold to develop throughout the rich, annatto-tinted orange cheddar. The result is a cheese that's mostly mellow, tangy cheddar with surprising pops of peppery blue. To play up its bold personality, we're pairing it with tangy dill mustard and the salty, crunchy surprise of Frito® corn chips — proof that great cheese doesn't always have to take itself too seriously.
Caves of Faribault St. Pete's Select Blue Marinated Medjool Date, Dark Chocolate, Pecan
with
A Figgy Cobbler Cedar Gin, cream sherry, fig syrup, lemon (crushed ice)
Few cheeses carry as much American history as this one. In the 1930s, cheesemaker Felix Frederiksen discovered a series of abandoned sandstone caves in Faribault, Minnesota
— originally carved in the 1850s for a brewery — and recognized that the rare St. Peter sandstone, with its natural ability to regulate moisture and absorb ammonia, was ideal for aging cheese. Before that point, all blue cheese in the U.S. had been imported from Europe, so Frederiksen's creation marked the birth of American blue cheese. Yes, THE first blue cheese in the US was made in Minnesota! The caves fell dormant for years after the original company closed, until 2001, when former Treasure Cave cheesemaker and Faribault local Jeff Jirik founded Faribault Dairy Company and revitalized cheesemaking in the historic caves. St. Pete's Select is the crown jewel of that revival — hand-selected wheels aged over 100 days in those same sandstone caves, developing a creamy, full-flavored profile with a pronounced, piquant sharpness. Here, it's paired with marinated Medjool dates for natural sweetness, dark chocolate for bittersweet depth, and toasted pecans for a nutty crunch — a combination that beautifully echoes the cheese's own subtle pecan-like notes.
Point Reyes Quinta Pine Candle & Orange Zest Shortbread, STED Caramel Crack Chocolate
with
Orange Chocolate Old Fashioned Hay&Sunshine Whiskey, Orange Liqueur, Creme de Cacao, Saline
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company has deep roots on the Northern California coast. In August 2000, sisters Jill, Lynn, Diana, and Karen Giacomini, alongside their parents Bob and Dean, launched the company on their family's dairy along Tomales Bay, transforming a traditional dairy farm into one of the most celebrated artisan creameries in the country. Quinta, their soft-ripened, bloomy-rind cheese, was years in the making — originally planned for release in 2020 to mark the company's 20th anniversary, but delayed by the pandemic and supply chain challenges until 2022. The name carries special meaning for the family: in Portuguese, Quinta means "farmstead," honoring their mother's Ferreira family heritage, while in Spanish it means "fifth" — fitting, since this is the fifth core cheese in their lineup. Each wheel is wrapped in spruce bark steeped in a tea made from bay laurel leaves harvested right on the farm, giving the cheese a silky, custardy interior with herbaceous, mushroomy notes. At our showcase, that earthy richness is matched with a pine candle and orange zest shortbread and a touch of chocolate — a cozy, dessert-like pairing that highlights the cheese's buttery depth.
Meet the Mixologist
Every great cheese plate deserves an equally great drink, and that's where Emily comes in. Emily is Vikre's co-owner and resident "Flavor Doctor," and she took on the fun (and slightly chaotic) challenge of building a perfect cocktail pairing for every single course, all featuring Vikre's small-batch, handcrafted spirits and liqueurs. She's got a gift for spotting connections you'd never think of: the herbal note that mirrors a cheese rind, the bright citrus that slices through a rich raclette, the smoky pour that can stand toe-to-toe with a peppery blue. Find her at the bar and ask her about the "why" behind any of it. She loves that part almost as much as she loves making the drink.
Meet the Monger
I’m Kerry Jerred, a Certified Cheese Professional who specializes in consulting and teaching about Artisan Cheese through my company, Forage to Fromage LLC. I grew up in Wisconsin—a state celebrated for its cheesemongers—and I now make my home in Minnesota. I’m a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an active member of the American Cheese Society.
Recently, I earned the distinction of becoming a Certified Cheese Professional, a milestone that reflects my dedication to studying cheese production methods, history, serving techniques, and the pure enjoyment of fine Artisan Cheeses. I know that Artisan Cheese can feel intimidating, so I focus on making it approachable. I offer education, guidance, and personalized assistance in selecting and serving cheeses for any event.
—Kerry
Meet the Dairy Man
Mike Jerred, M.S.
Global Dairy Technology Manager
Cargill Animal Nutrition
Mike Jerred serves as the Global Dairy Technology Manager for Cargill Animal Nutrition, where he oversees the global application and deployment of dairy technology. With 30 years of experience at Cargill, including 15 years in his current role, Mike combines his passion for the dairy industry with his expertise in global dairy markets, dairy cattle diet formulation, and management software development. His career at Cargill has included various roles such as local dairy technology support and global brand management, affording him the opportunity to visit dairy operations in over 25 countries. Raised on a dairy farm in central Wisconsin, Mike holds both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Dairy Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, specializing in high-quality forage utilization. He also worked as a dairy nutritionist in western Wisconsin after spending two years managing his family’s dairy farm.
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