All About Cheese: The Taste of Guinness Cheddar

The history of Guinness is truly a tale to behold. Beginning with the birth of Arthur Guinness in 1725, who at the young age of 27, took a £100 inheritance and set up his first brewery in Leixlip, County Kildare. A few short years later, at age 34, Arthur decided to try his hand at brewing in Dublin. Even in the midst of the floundering industry, he signed a 9000-year lease on a small, disused, and ill-equipped property at St. James’s Gate. From there, the legacy of Guinness was born.

Over the next 250 years, Guinness has seen it’s fair share of ups and downs, but the brand has continued to grow and succeed in an industry chocked full of other great porters. Even winning the Queen’s Award for Technological Innovation in 1991 for their in-can widget specifically designed to keep the essence of the Guinness experience intact. There seems to be nothing they cannot master.

So Where Did Guinness Go Next?

In addition to developing their iconic flavour into other types of brews like a Nitro IPA or their Blonde Lager, they’ve branched into cheese craftsmanship. Described as bold, complex, and magnificently malty, Guinness Cheddar is a unique expression of their heritage. Hand crafted in Somerset, using locally sourced milk, it’s carefully prepared by their expert cheesemakers. It’s then matured specifically to suit the intricate flavour combinations required to produce the bold, delicious, and malty cheese.

Guinness Cheddar is made in select batches. Where every truckle is lovingly laboured over by hand with their master cheesemaker; who oversees the expert process from beginning to end. From the very first batch, to the pouring on of the distinctive black wax coating, every effort is made to ensure the final product is crafted to perfection.

The distinctively flavoured cheddar can be enjoyed on its own, with a pint and some crackers, or incorporated into your favourite recipes. The options are as endless as your imagination but here are a few suggestions to get you started:

* Replace your favourite cheddar with Guinness cheddar in biscuits or breads recipes

* Add a little to your next batch of Mac ‘n Cheese and get ready for a flavour explosion

* Mix with your standard fondue cheeses for a deep, savory treat

* Make yourself a ‘grown-up’ Guinness Cheddar grilled cheese

Or why not try this fantastic recipe? Gruyere is replaced with the magnificently malty taste of Guinness Cheddar for a rich, comforting, and nourishing homage to Irish Heritage.

Guinness Cheddar, Potato and Onion Quiche

INGREDIENTS

• 100 g roughly grated Guinness® Cheddar
• 3-4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 large red onions thinly sliced
• 1 large sprig of thyme, finely chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 200 ml double cream
• Olive oil
• 1 frozen pie crust (if you prefer to make your own crust, you can totally do that as well!)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºC
2. Cook your pie crust and set aside until it’s time for assembly.
3. In large frying pan over a high heat, add a generous splash of olive oil and fry the potatoes and onion for approximately 20–25 minutes, until soft.
4. Once tender and cooled slightly, mix the potato and onions, the grated Guinness Cheddar, and finely chopped thyme together in the baked pie crust.
5. In a separate bowl, beat together the double cream and eggs, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Pour over the cheesy potato and onion mixture in the pie crust.
7. Place the quiche in the pre-heated oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden on top and set.
8. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Serve warm with a lightly dressed salad and a pint of Guinness of course!

We’d love to hear from you! Do you love Guinness Cheddar, or have a fantastic recipe to share?? Leave us a comment here or head on over and join in the conversation on Facebook (please ‘Like’ the page if you’re so inclined) and Twitter. If you haven’t already signed up to receive our weekly newsletter which includes our blog, the weekly product feature, the weekly Coterie savings, and our recipe of the week delivered right to your inbox, you’ll find the signup by clicking here.

Let’s catch up soon,

Julie