Cheese Conference: Beer, cheese, and too much heat

[gordonzola]

Two of the people I like working with best in the cheese world are Sheana Davis and Lucy Saunders. I’ve worked with them on events before so when I was asked to help work on a beer and cheese party they were organizing I immediately agreed.

Unfortunately, even though Sheana had asked months ago about open time slots during the conference because she didn’t want the non-official party to compete with the official events, and even though she sent out invites far in advance, at the last minute the conference shifted the awards ceremony to the exact same time as the party. This meant that pretty much no cheesemakers would show up. At official events, cheesemakers are the backbone of a successful non-pretentious party. Dee Harley showed up briefly but that was it. It’s like asking actors to attend a competing party during the Academy Awards. Bummer.

Then the air conditioning at the Ecotrust Building stopped working about a half hour before the event. Ouch. This was during the week of Portland hitting 100 degrees every day. The cheese started to sweat. Our ice melted in minutes. Luckily, award-winning y/a novelist Sara Ryan and cartoonist Steve Lieber fielded my emergency phone call and brought 8 more bags of ice, saving the day.

Because of the timing it became less of a schmooze fest and more a party for friends and people I like in the cheese business. It actually made for a nice break from the more serious business chatter. Cheese in attendance: Teleme, Great Hill Blue, Carr Valley, Pure Luck, Sierra Nevada, Bellwether, Marin French Harley Farms, Widmer, Vella
Ljers who made appearances: chloesha, reddawn, netphemera, arispurr, and magpiesf. I didn’t catch all the beers but the Rogue Morimoto Soba is a new favorite and the Russian River Brewery beers continue to amaze me. They might be the best in the country.

After clean up the elevator broke so we couldn’t load anything out. Portland really can’t handle the heat. I have to admit that this was a mixed blessing because this way I missed my chance to carry another bunch of beer cases around. It might have become a theme for the trip. I did manage to get a copy of Living on the Wedge from the film maker before she left the building.

Eventually I ended up at the Rogue Ale House where all the Pure Luck Dairy folks and other assorted Texans were. Because they were Texans they insisted it was "nice" outside and prevented attempts to move inside to find air conditioning. After a couple of beers and a salad for dinner I walked to chloesha’s house where we ate popsicles, lay next to the window in a failed attempt to catch a breeze, then drove around trying to find a fountain that was still pumping. We found none but did make it to some West Nile breeding ground art-swamp thing near the Ecotrust Building. It was stagnant, buggy and a little nasty, but I did appreciate her effort very much. She is a fabulous host. There’s just no place in Portland to go when it’s that hot.

Comments

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

heh. well, he's not making out with me at the beach. I can't even remember what I sold you.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

Pepato! that's it. I remember it all now. That's a really good cheese that doesn't sell as well as it should. tell your friends.

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

We found none but did make it to some West Nile breeding ground art-swamp thing near the Ecotrust Building.
this reminds me of when i was visiting minneapolis in the insane heat and my pal mat wanted us to go tot eh botannical gardens. he then wanted to walk down by the pond. the ensuing events resembled a ridiculous horror movie with the three of us running the 2 miles back to the open field part of the park with swarms of mosquitos swirling around our heads and our arms swelling up with bites. we then got in the damn car and toured the rest of the place in the air conditioning. to this day it is referred to as - remember when matt took us to the mosquito farm? - ah... the joys of summer.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

ha. I'm glad it wasn't that bad! The biggest problem was that it just wasn't any cooler down there.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

You know Steve Lieber?

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

Sure do. We've stayed at each other's houses, eaten meals, and made snide comments together!

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I see him at Comic Con every year, and he's one of my favorite artists. Nice guy.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

He fetched ice without complaint even though he doesn't eat cheese!

[pastels-badge.livejournal.com]

Pure Luck are from my area! I eat their stuff all the time.

I probably would have had the same reaction to the weather that they did. A few years ago I roomed with some girls from Oregon during a conference in D.C. At that point it was a little cooler in D.C. than it had been in Austin that summer so it was a refreshing change for me, but they couldn't stand the heat at all and were pretty much scared to leave the hotel before the sun went down. So I guess the weather there must be pretty wonderful compared to here. Of course it's all just what you're used to.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

They're great folks. The Mom had bought a farm out here and was gonna move part of the operation. Unfortunately, she got sick and died of cancer and it never happened. Very quick and very sad. They're some of my favorite folks in the business.

[beer-retard.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll have to make a trip north to Santa Rosa to RRBC when I come down to SF in a few weeks. The only Russian River beer I've had is Pliny the Elder at Toronado and that was serious. An 8.0% double IPA. Do any bars in SF regularly carry one or more of their beers? Have you been to City Beer on Folsom? slipkid and I are thinking of paying that guy a visit when I'm there.

[walktheplank.livejournal.com]

Just a quick heads up: Season 3 of 'No Reservations' has Anthony Bourdain visiting "rogue cheesemakers" in the Pacific Northwest.