At one point in our history, beer was considered safer to drink than water! "Beer Here" explores the past of New York brewing, including its stint as the country leader of hop production, British and German influence, and of course, Prohibition. The exhibit ends in a local beer hall, where brews can be purchased and sampled.

Beer, we learn, under the firm guidance of the show’s curators, Debra Schmidt Bach and Nina Nazionale, is one of those small things through which large forces can be discerned. And its history in New York is as unexpected as the variations in taste produced during today’s micro-brewing renaissance.

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Photo by Jenny Downing

Planning a visit to the twin cities, or are you a native of Minnesotan? Either way, be sure to check out these five wine and cheese bars in the area, named best by Amber Ranzau.

Bin Wine Bar has been voted Best Wine Bar by Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine, so the secret must be out that it’s one of the new great places to go for wine. The bar offers up a full menu and wine flights if you can’t decide which wine you fancy. Bin Wine Bar just turned two at the beginning of the year, so stop in for a glass of wine and a plate of cheese and cheers to Bin.

Read the full list here
Photo by Casey Fox

Sue Riedl gives us a list of her favorite cheeses for burgers, recommending spice for the traditional beef burger, herbal for a turkey or veggie burger, and a tropical, coconuty Gouda for a curried burger. Time to fire up that grill!

I recommend going easy on the other toppings: Just let your burger and cheese do the talking. And be bold: Give stronger cheeses a chance – you may not like cumin Gouda on its own, but once melted it mellows and melds beautifully into the flavours of the burger.

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Photo by Thomas W

After Italy's devastating earthquakes, the Parmesan industry is attempting to recoup some of it's losses by selling the damaged cheese.

Thousands of wheels of parmesan cheese crashed to the floor of Dante Caretti's factory in San Giovanni di Persiceto when the first earthquake struck northern Italy in the early morning of May 20. Italian trade association Coldiretti has launched a solidarity initiative to speed up the sale of the damaged cheese.

Watch the video here
Photo by Joi Ito

The summer 2012 class schedule is here! Join The Cheese School of San Francisco for one or more of their many classes being offered this summer, ranging from pairings, cheesemaking, regional cheeses and much more. Sign up today; classes fill quickly:

The summer schedule is here and it is guarenteed to make you salivate. We'll whet your palate in July with a taste of Lombardy, then quench your thirst with some ciders and suds. Our first road trip will take you to Sonoma, to Brack Mountain Wine Co. for a private tour and cheese pairing.

See the full schedule
Photo by Lori C.

Artisanal, the son of Artisan, husband of Organic, father of Natural and Green and cousin of Hipster, passed away this Memorial Day of unknown causes. Perhaps it was the recent attribution of his name to absolutely anything, from Dominos Pizza to Dunkin Donuts.

He was a mercurial character; vain at best, snobbish and cruel at worst. Yet he was charismatic, drawing nouns to him like moths to a handcrafted soy candle's flame. Everyone wanted a piece of him. And despite his flaws, he was generous, willing to give of himself as well.

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We were deeply saddened to hear of the second earthquake earlier this week in Northern Italy, just over a week after the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that shook the region on May 20th. Our thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones, as well as with the injured and homeless, and we hope for a safe rebuilding period for the region.

The Parmigiano Reggiano industry sustained serious damage from the first earthquake, as we know, and we received this report from the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano this morning.

Information supplied by Nancy Radke, Director, U.S. Information Office Consorzio Del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano and webmaster of www.Parmesan.com

The Consorzio thanks all for helping during this disaster and demonstrating concern for the affected cheese houses. These are a few responses to questions being asked.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee is a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Events across the country are occurring in her honor, including the creation of these commemorative beers.

Landlords expect to sell an extra 80 million pints of beer over the extended weekend – almost double the usual amount - as brewers offer a range of nostalgic ales with titles such as Royal Wave, Jubilation and Queen’s Tipple.
The tradition of British brewers producing special beers to mark royal events stretches back decades.

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Photo by Michael Fajardo

The artisanal, the small-batch, the limited edition: this is what's hot in the food world right now. The most recent generation of foodies are scarfing up anything improvised in a market, at a festival or on a truck, and consider it art.

“The food vendors are like artists,” Mr. Demby said. “You’re eating, but also meeting the people who are making these things and creating the culture. The people themselves are quite cool: they often live in your neighborhood; they quit some job or want to quit some job. You’re not talking to a celebrity.”

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Photo by Ricardo Diaz

Take a tour of Kirkham's Dairy without leaving your seat! Whole Foods interviews Graham Kirkham on his cheesemaking process, specifically his traditional Lancashire Cheese, and how he came to be a cheesemaker.

This clothbound cheese is rubbed with butter prior to being placed in the maturation room. It's crumbly with citrus notes and a pleasant finish. We like to call it the "Proper English Cheese" and always look forward to its arrival in the US.

Watch on YouTube