This weekend I sojourned into the Swiss Alps with a group of cheese enthusiasts, headed by Rolf Beeler, champion of Schweizer Käse. About an hour and a half outside of Zurich in the Muothatal region is Alp Dräckloch. From this, the Föhn family derived the name for their cheese, which they have been making for the past 16 summers in the most traditional fashion and setting. We started at 7 a.m. at Klöntal lake, which was the most vibrant shade of cyan I have ever seen. From there we were retrieved by an antiquated jeep that we piled into the back of - like in an old army movie! - that took us up the base of the mountain, though a two hour hike still awaited us. We were rewarded with a visit with the cheesemakers at the top. When we arrived they were warming the morning milk in a copper cauldron over a fire - which made for some very atmospheric pictures! - and were preparing the mules to fetch the afternoon milk from their herd of around 40 Braunvieh cows. We watched them prepare a batch of Dräckloch, and then enjoyed a classic Raclette lunch, which was accompanied by some accordion music played by one of the dairy maids. Then it was back down the mountain! I couldn't have asked for a more unique or breathtaking experience :)