Culture Magazine

54 culturecheesemag.com THE HOT LIS T 2024 Converting Whey Scraps to Gin Making gin requires a precise blend of botanicals and grain, but before that can happen, a neutral spirit kickstarts the process. "Water-intensive corn finds its way into most gins on the market," says Jake Sherry, founder of Isolation Proof, a small- batch farm distillery nestled in Western Catskills, New York. To go green, Sherry searched for alternative paths that offered a sustainable approach to crafting alcohol. A partnership with local distillery Cayuga Ingredients emerged. The bulk supplier uses discarded whey in its distillation process. (During cheesemaking, milk separates into curds and the leftover liquid is called whey.) The cheese industry is left with billions of gallons of whey every year. But if upcycled, those dairy scraps can transform into multi-functioning ethanol rather than menacing environmental pollutants. Residual milk sugars in whey ferment into a neutral spirit that Sherry couldn't resist for his gin. Some collaborations are a no-brainer, especially ones that tackle the industry's most challenging environmental problems and deliver silky-smooth gin that allows f ragrant botanicals to shine. MAKING SPACE IN THE CAVE There are tons of logistic details to sort out when developing a brand. One significant factor is deciding where to set up shop. Most producers stick to their own space, especially if they want to avoid spilling the secrets of how their best wheels are made. But Churchtown Dairy decided to take a different approach and lease their production and aging space to nearby McGrath Cheese Company, an artisan producer in the Hudson Valley since 2016, explains Matthew Spiegler, head cheesemaker at Churchtown Dairy. "It's a very unique situation as we not only share the space with one another, but our relationship has only strengthened both our lines of cheese as we are constantly collaborating," says Colin McGrath, owner and cheesemaker at McGrath Cheese Company. The partnership is mutually beneficial. McGrath manages the space, from building out the creamery to maintaining the caves, and Churchtown Dairy carries and promotes McGrath's cheeses in its farm store. The collaboration is a prime example of the analogy "a rising tide lifts all boats." AMPLIFYING DIVERSE DAIRY HERITAGES Latin cheeses are not a monolith, explains Dr. Carmen Licon, director of MILKulture Institute, a multi-disciplinary center within the Pacific Coast Coalition–Dairy Business Innovation Initiative in California. Cheese is rich and diverse and should be a representation of the many countries and subcultures that have mastered the art of cheesemaking and affineuring. The MILKulture Institute collaborates with dairy industry educators to promote underrepresented heritages and host workshops. These ventures engage experts such as Jessica Férnandez López, president of the Mexican Cheese Coalition and co-founder of Mexican Mongers, who is determined to improve inclusivity in US cheesemaking. Typically hosted on Zoom, these workshops cover a variety of topics and frequently deep dive into various cheeses such as Machengo or Requeson. MILKulture honors diverse cheesemaking practices and emphasizes how Eurocentric techniques and traditions are not the only way forward. By challenging rigid thinking and embracing different perspectives, Licon and López plan to pave the way for diverse leadership in the cheese industry. PHOTO: Churchtown Dairy: Caitlin Greene: A Country Road Photography

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