The Cheese Maker

Meh. The name is a bit of a misnomer… they don’t actually make their own cheese, but rather are a vendor for cheese makers. Their product is at least a day older than what would be available at the actual maker outlet shop.
The additional day or so won’t mean much for 75% of cheeses… but for some things… makes a huge difference. Curd (of any kind), for example. Other light /​young cheese varieties.
On the plus side, family-​owned & their hours are more favorable than most of the dairy shops. Sometimes it’s a trade-​off.

If you’re not freaked out about a giant mouse you should come visit.
The scenery around this town is drop dead gorgeous. I would go back anytime just to drive the roads between Spring Green and Reedsburg.
After our road trip we were hungry and found a giant mouse with a piece of cheese. The perfect spot for a tourist to stop in. After the must do photo op with the family outside we headed in.
Wines, cheeses, sausages, crackers and sandwiches made to order. YEAH! Jackpot. We ordered a couple sammies with of course cheese. We’re not talking a meager slice. It was a hunk of cheese.
The husband and daughter team behind the counter were super friendly and helpful.
Stop in on your next road trip, plan on stocking up on cheese curds, sausage sticks, hunks of Wisconsin goodness and a really awesome photo of yourself with a giant mouse. What’s not to love about that?

We stopped on our way through town and picked up some curds. No, not the Iraqi kind, the cheddar kind. The giant mouse sitting next to the sign pole lured us in. This is another reason I love Wisconsin, they’re so blatantly cheesy! We got a package of the plain (hey, when in Rome…) and some tomato basil curds. They didn’t pass our squeak test, so you know they weren’t factory fresh. Along with various cheeses they also have a modest collection of wine and the owners add helpful notes on each wine, giving it’s origin, flavor ant other distinctions. My daughter got a kick that they had notes printed for Arbor Mist.
While not the best curds, they get an extra star for being so friendly and family owned. I’ll have to try something else next time, maybe something to go with my Arbor Mist.

I am on a crusade (assisted by my brother), a holy quest for Colby like we had when we were kids in the 60s. It was delivered by a truck that delivered Elsheimer’s cold cuts from Wisconsin to the Sherman country store in rural Hardin County, IA. I have no idea where the cheese was made. It was in the large longhorn style and was firm, rubbery, sweet and slightly salty. When Mom bought a chunk we devoured it like candy. I am still hoping to find some five star Sherman class Colby.
So I ordered two pounds from The Cheese Maker. This is simply not good Colby. Like others I can say I have had worse. It is a little sour, fairly mild. It is not as offensively acidic as is some. Salt is just adequate. The texture is probably its worst attribute. It is fairly gooey, devoid of the little holes that Colby should have. It is way too much like a firm Velveeta for comfort. It is a poor representation of the type and a sad substitute for the real thing. And still I won’t throw out the other pound. We will use it for grating into casseroles.
I understand that the rules governing the definition of Colby were changed a few years back and maybe no one makes a good product anymore. I will keep looking, but The Cheese Maker is off the list.