The gold of Green County...cheese and beer...will be showcased at a unique and festive October event of Turner Hall's Swiss Heritage Series.

Celebrating the industry and art of cheesemaking that was brought to Green County by immigrant Swiss, the event will feature the award-winning specialty cheeses of eight area cheesemakers, ranging from limburger and German brick to feta, wheel Swiss and many others. With two breweries in Green County, a natural pairing with cheese is beer, of which over eight brews will be featured. A $20 admission fee covers an evening's worth of cheese and beer samples, which also includes a free souvenir Turner Hall beer glass and a guide, provided by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, outlining pairings of particular beers and cheeses. For a $5 admission fee, a non-alcoholic option of root beer, also including the souvenir glass and pairing guide, is being offered.

The participating cheesemakers, which include Chalet Cheese Co-op, Decatur Dairy, Edelweiss Town Hall Cheese, Klondike Cheese, Maple Leaf Cheese Co-op, Roth Käse USA, Silver Lewis Cheese and Zimmerman Cheese, will also have bulk cheese available for sale at the event. Attendees will likewise have the opportunity to visit with cheesemakers and learn more about their craft. With flavorable beers of a distinct European character, the Joseph Huber Brewing Company of Monroe, the country's second oldest continually running brewery, and the New Glarus Brewery, will offer some favorite seasonal Old World brews. (At right, event coordinator Sharon Streiff and Turner Hall board president Greg Smith show off some of Green County's fine cheese and the souvenir Turner Hall/Berghoff beer glasses.)

To complement the beer and cheese tasting, the Ratskeller Restaurant of Turner Hall is preparing two types of bratwurst (Kaiser and Schublig) and German potato salad, which will be available ala carte or as a plate, ranging from $2 to $5. In addition, the evening will be filled with Old World sounds of live accordion music, and throughout the event will be "Tombola", a version of prize chance drawings popular in Switzerland. The Monroe Swiss Singers will also have their newly revised cookbook, Old World Family Recipes, 2nd edition available for sale.

As part of Turner Hall's Swiss Heritage Series, the Beer and Cheese Tasting Event as well as other programs during 2005, is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. More information on Turner Hall's Swiss Heritage Series is available here.