Widmer's Cheese Cellars

Widmer's Cheese Cellars: Over a century of tradition and excellence

Hailed for its authenticity, consistency, and handcrafted quality, Widmer's Cheese Cellars is best known for its traditional Wisconsin colby, award-winning aged cheddar, and classic Wisconsin Original: aged brick.

Things at Widmer's Cheese Cellars haven't changed much since the business was founded in the tiny town of Theresa, Wisconsin in 1922. Joe Widmer, Widmer's Master Cheesemaker, was raised in the rooms above the plant where he started helping make cheese at the age of six. Producing 360,000 pounds a year of traditional brick, Widmer's uses the same recipe, the same open vats, and the same clay-fired bricks that his grandfather did in the 12,000 square-foot system his grandfather bought in 1922.

A winning Wisconsin formula for success

This family of third- and fourth-generation cheesemakers still produces some of the Dairy State's best classic cheese varieties, using the same practices for over 100 years: stick to tradition, take no shortcuts, and accept nothing short of excellence. Joe Widmer is one of a handful of Wisconsin cheesemakers to have earned the title of Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, holding certifications in brick, cheddar, and colby varieties. Widmer's Cheese Cellars' products have won a vat-load of awards in Wisconsin and across the country. Widmer's latest innovation is the Aged Brick Cheese Spread – a combination of washed-rind brick cheese and aged white cheddar.

Cheesemaking in Wisconsin

Widmer's Cheese Cellars is part of Wisconsin's long tradition of innovation and excellence when it comes to making cheese. Since the 1840s, our cheesemakers have been perfecting and improving upon Old World recipes while also creating new varieties, styles, and types of cheese. In grocery stores across the nation, alongside products from Widmer's you'll find award-winning cheeses like Sartori BellaVitano and SarVecchio Parmesan, Dunbarton Blue cheese from Roelli Cheese Haus, Dill Havarti from Edelweiss Cheese, and Mango Fire Cheddar from Henning's Cheese.

Cheeses from Widmer's Cheese Cellars

Brick

Widmer's Cheese Cellars is one of the few makers that still produces the original version of brick cheese, which is still made with the traditional method of brining. At Widmer's, the cheese is carefully moved by hand from vats to cheese molds, which are turned three times during the first day. The curd is weighted down with actual bricks to press out the whey. The cheese is then placed in a brine to absorb salt and bacteria cultures and left to rest in a warm room. Cheesemakers wash the cheese with brine to encourage bacteria on the rind to develop. In addition to aged brick cheese, Widmer's offers mild brick, brick flavored with caraway and jalapeno pepper, and aged brick spread.

Butterkäse

Butterkäse is a deliciously creamy cow's milk cheese with a soft, silky, butter-like texture. It's a versatile cheese that is mild enough to delight kids when served for a snack or melted into mac and cheese, yet sophisticated enough to serve on a grazing board along with fine wines and charcuterie.

Cheddar

You'll find a deliciously heady array of cheddar cheese at Widmer's Cheese Cellars – from mild cheddars to jalapeno pepper cheddar to white cheddar aged up to 10 years. Matterhorn Alpine Cheddar is a homestead cheese with a blend of select Alpine cultures that deliver a unique taste. Widmer's 15-year-old cheddar is an extremely rich and full-bodied cheese with a nutty flavor and an extremely sharp and slightly tangy bite at the end.

Colby

Widmer's Cheese Cellars' colby cheese is an award-winning variety known for its smooth and mild flavor. A Wisconsin original, colby is made with techniques that are similar to cheddar but result in less acidity and a slightly softer mouthfeel. In addition to original colby, Widmer's offers pepper colby, caraway colby, and vegetable colby with bits of carrots, tomatoes, celery, onions, pepper, and parsley.

How to pair Widmer's cheese

What to eat and drink with brick

Widmer brick cheese wants to pair with something solid – a bock, pale ale, porter, or stout are a great start if you're drinking beer. For wine, chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot, champagne, riesling, sauvignon blanc, beaujolais, pinot gris, and grüner veltliner are all wise choices. In the kitchen, there's nothing better than a slice of crusty bread topped with a slice of Widmer's aged brick, possibly with a bit of stone ground or spicy pub mustard.

What to sip and savor with butterkäse

This mild-flavored beauty pairs nicely with light and refreshing wines like chardonnay and grüner veltliner. For beer, a pilsner, pale ale, lager, kolsch, or slightly sweet weiss beer make a delicious pairing. Butterkäse is right at home with German fare – set it on pumpernickel bread with thinly sliced black forest ham, or melt it into German spätzle. With great melting properties, butterkäse is also perfect atop burgers and steaks.

Choosing complements Widmer's cheddars

Widmer's milder cheddars go nicely with a frosty pint of pilsner, IPA, or American pale lager. Chardonnay, pinot gris, rosé, and merlot will do if you're drinking wine. The aged varieties need beverages that can stand up to the more powerful, tangy flavors – try mature, off-dry beverages with a bit of sweetness like cider, bock, Belgian ales, and saison ale. If you're in the mood for wine, try a chianti, pinot noir, or syrah for red wine or a riesling, chardonnay or sparkly white.

Finding matches for colby

As a mild crowd-pleaser, colby goes down easily with all kinds of beverages. For beer, try a pilsner, brown ale, lager, or pale ale. When pulling corks, colby is a nice accompaniment to a cabernet sauvignon, chianti, pinot noir, red zinfandel, champagne, riesling, and malbec. Colby is the perfect snacking cheese – cut it up for a grazing board, slice it on sandwiches, or take it as a snack with crisp, slightly sour apples.