The GIANT Company is trying its hand at cheesemaking once again. Teaming up with Caputo Brothers Creamery and Tröegs Independent Brewing, the grocer is unveiling its latest dairy creation—Perpetual Beer Cheese—that’s showcasing how perfect a pairing beer and cheese is.
The Perpetual Beer Cheese is a sweet and creamy beer cheese with lively notes of citrus thanks to the addition of Citra hops, an aromatic American-grown flower that is a key flavor component in the best-selling Tröegs beer Perpetual IPA.
“The GIANT Company is passionate when it comes to sourcing locally grown and produced products and we’re incredibly proud of our ongoing Caputo Brothers and Tröegs collaboration and the positive impact it is having on our local agriculture industry,” said John Ruane, Chief Merchandising Officer, The GIANT Company. “Our customers loved the first variety we launched last year, and we’re thrilled to introduce this latest flavor that does good in driving more business for our local small food companies and to our dairy farmers.”
According to a press release, uniquely, all of the milk used to make the Perpetual Beer Cheese comes from Pennsylvania dairy farms, making The GIANT Company’s new item a local stand-out.
"In a time when a lot of us are feeling helpless, we asked ourselves what we can do to make a difference," shared Rynn Caputo, President, Caputo Brothers Creamery, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded problems for dairy farmers in Pennsylvania. "This partnership with GIANT and Tröegs has already helped keep two dairy farms running, and as it grows, we have the potential to save even more farms. This is our opportunity to make a small but important difference in the world, to keep more Pennsylvania farms sustainably operating. If enough people focus on one thing they can do to make this situation better, we can come back even stronger."
The new cheese item was created at the York County creamery, where cheesemakers run warm milk through sacks full of whole-flower Citra hops before pressing it into forms. The cheese then bathes in a brine of saltwater and Perpetual IPA.
Lastly, in Caputo's aging cave, the cheese gets a daily misting of Perpetual, which helps to bring the beer’s aroma to the rind and give it its soon-to-be iconic golden hue.
“Perpetual is the best-selling IPA in Pennsylvania and is a favorite of many beer drinkers,” added John Trogner, Brewmaster and Founding Brother, Tröegs. “What the team at Caputo did with this cheese is just amazing. It is unapologetically a beer cheese and biting into it and tasting the unmistakable citrus notes of Perpetual makes us as brewers really happy. Local dairies, local beer, local good says it all.”
The new variety of beer cheese is now available exclusively at all 186 GIANT, MARTIN’S, and GIANT Heirloom Market locations and online through GIANT Direct and MARTIN’S Direct.
Will more retailers join The GIANT Company in partnering with esteemed suppliers to help bolster businesses and innovate classic categories? Deli Market News will continue to bring you the latest from around the industry.
