The Wisconsin Original That Proves Beer and Cheese Were Always Meant to Be

Brick cheese, born from a Swiss immigrant’s experiment, remains one of Wisconsin’s quietest triumphs — and its most perfect match for a pint.

Before craft beer became a Midwest calling card, a Swiss-born cheesemaker named John Jossi was already shaping Wisconsin's taste for pairing. In the 1870s, he set out to create a drier, milder version of Limburger — one that carried the same nutty depth without its overwhelming aroma.

The result was Brick, a semi-soft cheese that locals still call the "married man's limburger," according the Wisconsin Cheese Board. Paired with a weiss beer or hefeweizen, it's the kind of combination that reminds you why Wisconsin never needed anyone else's rules about what goes with what.

"Brick has that perfect balance of mellow and funky," says Laura Werlin, cheese expert and author of The New American Cheese. "When you pour a wheat beer alongside it, something happens — the beer's fruitiness brings out the cheese's sweetness, and suddenly it's like you're tasting both for the first time."

That's the logic behind many of Wisconsin's best pairings: match weight for weight, contrast fat with fizz, and use the beer's yeast character to highlight the cheese's aging culture. "If a beer is crisp, go for something buttery like Butterkäse," Werlin adds. "If it's dark or malty, you want a bolder cheese like Limburger or aged Cheddar."

How to Try It

To try these pairings for yourself, start light. Pour a Kölsch or Hefeweizen and pair it with Brick or Butterkäse to experience the sweet-meets-savory balance that helped make Wisconsin famous.

Add a little texture by serving the cheese with rye bread or soft pretzels instead of crackers — the dense crumb and salt help soak up the richness and highlight each bite.

For beer lovers who chase strong flavors, go bold with a Belgian ale and Limburger. The ale's caramel sweetness and subtle spice balance the cheese's deep, earthy funk, creating a pairing that's daring but surprisingly refined.

If you find yourself in Monroe or Madison this season, you can taste these traditions firsthand. Chalet Cheese Co-op in Monroe still makes the nation's only true Limburger, and breweries like New Glarus or Tyranena often pour the styles that suit them best. Try one together, and you'll understand what Wisconsin has known for more than a century: beer and cheese aren't just companions — they're collaborators.