After our last episode, talking beer and cheese pairings with Anne Becerra, we needed more cheese. As one does. And there are so many parallels between beer and cheese, both in the production and storytelling possibilities. 

This week we welcome to the show, Megan Vaughan, cheese expert and owner of Vaughan Cheese in North Beach, Maryland to discuss beer-washed cheese. Megan breaks down the cheese-making and aging process that involves washing cheese with beer and how that impacts the cheese during the aging as well as the final product. 

She also answers Sarah Jane’s burning cheese questions: 

– What is the cheddering process? 

– Is there cheese terroir? 

– Can you wash goat cheese? 

– Should you always eat the cheese rind? 

Magan also shares why it is so important to support American Artisan Cheesemakers, for many of the same reasons we support American Craft Brewers. 

Shoutouts: 

The Culinary Institute of America, Eleven Madison Park, Jasper Hill Farms, Virtue Hard Cider, Chapel’s Country Creamery, 16 Mile Brewing Company, Firefly Farm

Sarah Jane Curran
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Sarah Jane (SJ) Curran kicked off her love of beer while studying at The Culinary Institute of America. She continued her education with a Masters from NYU, where she focused her research on beer history and education. She was the beer director at Eleven Madison Park in NYC and General Manager at Churchkey in DC. She taught beer classes for Cornell University and AGMU systems. Currently, she is the Sr. Beverage Manager for Global, US, and Canada for Marriott International. Beer Me! makes her very happy, almost as happy as she is drinking rauchbier.