Northern Lights Blue Cheese

The first wheel of Northern Lights Blue Cheese was born in the fall of 2005. The idea to make a test batch first came up when cheese maker Joe Sherman and his long time friend Bill were together one evening. It had been about a year and a half since Joe had last made blue cheese, and the two friends decided that it was time to make a batch and see just how good this cheese was that Joe was talking about.

Joe's cheesemaking career dates back to the early '80s when he was only 19. He was very fortunate to have worked in the facility where, long ago, American Blue Cheese was first invented. In the early years of his career, Joe was involved in every step of the cheesemaking operation, from "fluid milk intake," the "make room" and "salt room" to packaging, shipping, receiving and cleanup. Joe's became lead cheesemaker at an early age and eventually was promoted into management, where he supervised production crews in the various departments within the facility.

Today, Joe makes each batch of Northern Lights Blue Cheese using only the freshest natural ingredients available. Each batch is hand-crafted in small 100-wheel batches from the fresh unpasteurized milk of a local herd of Brown Swiss cows. The cows are allowed to graze on pasture year-round, which helps to create the delicious, buttery flavor you'll find in the cheese. The Penicillium roqueforti used, which produces the beautiful blue marbling in the cheese, is derived from a gluten-free source, allowing Joe's blue cheese to be 100% gluten free. The cheese is then aged for a minimum of four months, which is much longer than regular blues and contributes to its rich, creamy texture and peppery taste.

The high-quality ingredients and small batches, combined with made-by-hand TLC, are what give Northern Lights its distinct quality and flavor.

Find Northern Lights Blue Cheese in the Specialty Cheese Department at your nearest Kowalski's location. Selection and availability vary by market.