Photo by Dio Cramer
Third-generation cheesemaker Joe Widmer can boast of more bonafide cheese lineage than almost anyone in America (and even most in Wisconsin). Joe’s grandfather John Widmer, a Swiss-born immigrant, began making Brick cheese in 1922, a tradition the company upholds to this day. Tradition is ingrained at Widmer’s; Joe still works from the same milk vats his grandfather purchased; he presses his cheese with the same real bricks. Along with six siblings, Joe was raised in the quarters above the cheesemaking room, where he resides to this day. It makes, he would tell you, for a short commute.
The story of Widmer’s begins with Brick cheese, a true Wisconsin original; first created in 1877 by another Swiss immigrant, John Jossi, who found himself living amongst the largely German population of 19th-century Wisconsin. Having married into the cheesemaking business (as one does in Wisconsin), Jossi modeled his new creation after the German Limburger, but used bricks to press out the whey for a firmer, milder cheese. Jossi’s Brick was a hit amongst the funk-loving Germans and a key player in the burgeoning Wisconsin dairy scene that would eventually become the fifth largest dairy production market in the world.
Joe Widmer pressing some Brick (Photos courtesy of Joe’s dad Jim, who passed away in 2019)
While Brick was the flagship of Widmer’s, the cheese lost popularity in the mid-20th century and now stands largely unknown outside of the Midwest. Today, Joe Widmer is the only cheesemaker in America still producing Brick using traditional techniques. However, in the past several decades, the Widmer’s name has become synonymous with excellent aged cheddars.
Two cheesemakers cheddaring (stacking the curd to drain whey) some future Widmer’s cheddar (Jim Widmer)
Though best known for their Four-Year Cheddar, we love the Six-Year for its perfect balance of buttery richness, assertive acidity, and unexpected creaminess. While some turophiles may balk at an orange block of cheddar (the pigment comes naturally from annatto seed), we consider Widmer’s amongst the best cheddars we’ve tried. Pair a chunk of Widmer’s Six-Year with a juicy IPA or a big Cab.