Day 897 : Fall into Beer Pairing Number 4 : Sweet Action and Moonlight Chaource

Happy New Year to all of my Jewish readers out there! Here's to a wonderful year full of good times and good laughs, success and happiness, and everything you hope for. Today we will be continuing with our Fall for Beer series featuring another Sixpoint Brew -- Sweet Action.

Sweet Action is Sixpoint’s most popular brew and is the most fabulous mash-up of cream ale, wheat beer, hefeweizen, and pale ale notes. On certain days you might taste more cream ale flavors, other days more wheat forward notes or maybe the sweet floral nuances of a hefeweizen or the finish of a satisfying slug of pale ale. The best part about Sweet Action is that it is always different – the mark of tried and true homebrew. Sweet malty vanilla notes meet their match with the orange-y, floral, citrus hoppiness and overall crisp, refreshing finish in a somewhat light to medium bodied beer.

So what to pair with it?

Think light to medium bodied cheeses with a bright milky roundness. Bloomy rinded cheeses that are creamy and decadent with the most fabulous coat your mouth sort of flavor are a nice counterpart to Sweet Action. I strongly recommend The Amazing Real Live's Moonlight Chaource. Modeled on the classic Loire Valley goat, St Maure, this bloomy rinded aged goat’s milk log is chalky, tangy, grassy, citrusy and fabulously milky. The tangy goaty-ness of the cheese will find its perfect counterpart in the creamy sweetness of the beer -- a perfect bright pairing!

Day 782 : Final Stop - The Amazing Real Live Food Company

Driving further into the Hudson Valley, we arrived at our final stop in Pine Plains, the Amazing Real Live Food Company which I covered on the blog on Day 770 but I had never been to visit their awesome operation so I thought why not.

A small operation that is really the passion project of Rory and his partner, it was so exciting to see a creamery that was still in the developing and expanding phases. They sell their cheeses primarily at Farmer's Markets in and around the Hudson Valley. For those of us in NYC, you can find them on FreshDirect and they are working at getting placement in other retail operations here.

They craft probiotic fresh farmer's cheeses and queso blancos along with a tomme style cheese, a chaource style (an ash ripened goat's milk cheese), and finally their signature camembert.

Each cheese has an honest raw quality to it -- the love and care and time that has gone into making the cheeses shines through. I loved how the probiotic farmer's cheese infused with basil and garlic is so light and airy yet creamy and flavorful! But the Moonlight Chaource is probably my favorite -- creamy and bright with a chalky milky finish, this is a perfect springtime cheese!

Day 770 : The Amazing Real Live Food Company

This is regional dairy produce that sets itself apart from the crowd! Hailing from Pine Plains in the Hudson Valley, is the Amazing Real Live Food Company whose goal is to produce as they say "restorative food and drink"...and..."to make vital products that honor our body as a living organism and promote its good health."All of their products are produced utilizing probiotics and key digestive enzymes to not only nourish but also stimulate and enliven the body. These are cheeses and foods that are meant to make you feel good about eating them and about yourself!

This evening we had their Moonlight Chaource modeled on classic Loire Valley aged goat's milk cheeses like Saint Maure but completely unique and terroir specific to the Hudson Valley. Boasting a bloomy rind with an ashen exterior and a fantastic cream line separating the dense chalky milky bright interior. Light yet flavorful, creamy yet not too rich, rustic and earthy yet citrusy, grassy and alive. This cheese is great with a glass of Millbrook Tocai Friulano.

Harder than other regional cheeses to find, I first discovered The Amazing Real Live Food Company at a food tasting last year and recently rediscovered it through Fresh Direct's local produce section. Found at many farmer's markets in the Hudson Valley, it does not have the same distribution in the city so it's worth grabbing some from Fresh Direct, I guarantee you won't be disappointed!