A Pairing Fit for Father's Day

Sunday is Father's Day and we've got a pairing perfect for all the dads and beer lovers out there.

The cheese is Coolea. The current cheesemaker is Dicky Willems whose parents, originally from Holland moved to Coolea, Ireland back in the 1970's and started making a fantastic cheese that highlights the best of two cultures. The flavor of the Irish countryside, lush grass and sweet milk in a cheese made in the style of a Dutch Gouda. The resulting cheese is a complex one with the aroma of caramel and brown butter and a flavor of butterscotch and hazelnuts. This is one of our most beloved cheeses in the case. If you love the two and five year Goudas we carry you will adore this aged beauty.

Our beer buyer, Xian suggests our craft beer four pack as the perfect compliment to this complex cheese. The first is the Anchor Summer from Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. This was the very first American-style wheat beer, paving the way for beers like Three Floyds Gumballhead. Crisp and refreshing this beer with the Coolea gives you the flavor of orange blossoms.

Second beer is the seasonally made Golden Cap Saison from New Holland Brewing Company out of Michigan. Brewed with spelt, this beer has a wonderful spiciness and is the most complex beer in the four-pack. When this beer is paired with the Coolea it's an umami effect and adds depth to the Coolea.

Next up is the Allagash White from Allagash Brewing Company in Maine. This is the best and most well-known wit beer brewed int he country. Wits are Belgian or Belgian-style beers that have a hazy white appearance due tot he unfiltered wheat. Gently spiced, typically with coriander. This beer adds a bit of a funky earthiness to the Coolea.

Last but not least is Two Brothers Ebel's Weiss from Two Brothers Brewery in the Chicago suburbs. This German-style wheat is a smooth drinker with notes of clove and bananas. When paired with the Coolea this combination was like brown butter and buttered popcorn. Rich, smooth and delicious.

New Gifting Catalog and New Pairing

After a lot of thought and tasting, a lot of going back and forth with proofing and photo editing we are proud to announce a new Pastoral gifting catalog! We have new collections featuring cheeses and products exclusive to Pastoral, cheeses of the Midwest, fantastic cheesemakers who are making a difference, and an Italian collection filled with some of the great finds Cesar discovered while in Italy this past Spring! Check out all the new gifts on our website.


In other news, we have a new pairing for the week featuring Coolea and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Forth Family Vineyards.


Coolea is a cow's milk cheese made in the small village of Coolea in Ireland (handpicked for us by the Neal's Yard Dairy folks) made by the Willems family. Handmade wheels aged for at least two years and made in the tradition of Dutch Goudas this cheese has a sweet mellow flavor with nuttiness and caramel overtones that we deeply appreciate in an aged cheese. If you enjoy the two and five year Goudas in our cheese case, you will absolutely adore the Coolea.


From Mendocino, California we have a fairly new wine to our shelves. The "Histoire" 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Forth Family Vineyards is quickly becoming a staff and customer favorite. You'll find this wine in the full-bodied section of our wine wall. Big dark fruity flavors and aromas with a big rich flavor, this wine is a perfect accompaniment to the impending cooler weather.