It’s nice having trailing birthday presents that you get to enjoy weeks after the event itself. To wit: Lindsay booked tickets for us to attend a tasting at Rorschach Brewing with beer + cheese pairings. They do it in conjunction with The Art Of Cheese, and apparently pretty often.

The pairings:

• Thunder Oak Gouda / “Reminiscence” Mexican lager
• Beemster XO / “Reverse Psychology” double dry-hopped IPA
• Oak Grove Truffle / “Synchronicity” Tea Lime saison
• St Albray Camembert / “Memory Trace” table sour
• Pied de Vent / “Memory Trace” table sour
• Raspberry Fudge (!) cheese / “Malevolent Benevolence: Turtles” imperial stout

The Gouda, Beemster, Pied de Vent, and even the truffle cheese (I don’t like truffles) were all excellent, and their pairings really worked. As did the final pairing, even though I’d never eaten anything like that raspberry fudge cheese in my life. The St Albray was…rough. Like, I’ve had Camembert before, but sheezus. Cheezus, even.

Unexpected bonus of the night: Nils from The Rural Alberta Advantage was sitting at our table. I introduced myself after and told him I was a big fan, and we chatted for a bit. Extra-special birthday!