Bohemian Creamery Cheese: Breasts & Bo Peeps

I first dappled in Bohemian Creamery at Monk's Kettle beer bar in San Francisco. This was back when I first learned that sipping Belgian beer while writing story pitches provided a different sort of writing jump-start than did cappuccinos. I was pretty much going there every week.

Anyhow, I started to talk to the beertenders and cicerones there and later was invited to sit on on their beer tastings if I agreed to verse them in their cheese styles. Hmm, let me think....  Yes! This was sadly before I realized I have a gluten-intolerence, but we'll save that story for later (I hold firm in my heart that I will drink beer again. Soon).

Bohemian Creamery was on their menu, which is pretty awesome since it just opened about two years ago and wasn't on many people's radar. I was intrigued. I quickly decided to thoroughly research the company by sampling every one of their cheeses I could get my hands on.

Bohemian Creamery is a two-woman organic goat and cow milk dairy (with a little sheep's milk thrown in) in Sebastopol, Marin County, California. For just being open for two years, they're rocking the cheese world- showing up on French Laundry's cheese list, being included in L.A. Times stories, and popping up all over northern California. Now they're making their way down south. And I'm pretty sure it won't be too long before they head east (now would be a good time to ask your local cheesemonger if they've heard of them, can get them).

What type of cheese do they make? What type of cheese don't they make?

They make Asiago styles, bloomy-rinded cheeses, hard goat tommes, Époisses styles, cheese with cocoa nibs on top, Romano styles, and I'm sure they're working on more. They play with cow, sheep, and goat milk. Cool body part points- they also make a creamy goat's milk cheese shaped like a breast called Bodacious. Owner Lisa doesn't think it's always the prettiest one, but what can you do with old cheese shaping molds, she asks.

One of my faves- and one that the ladies at Bohemian Creamery will probably have better luck shipping to you if your cheesemonger doesn't yet represent them- is Bo Peep. Pictured above. It's a pressed, firm yet supple cow's milk cheese, made with uber buttery Jersey cow and sheep's milk that tastes like fresh milk, topped off with a bit of buttermilk and browned butter. If you like a bit of earth with your cheese, eat the rind- I always do on this one. Drink with a Viognier, a Melon de Bourgogne based wine from the Muscadet region, a rich Pinot Noir, or a nut brown ale.

Tried Bohemian? Where did you find it? What did you think?