Tonight, AOC was hosting a beer and cheese tasting sponsored by Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon.

Forget wine and cheese pairings, so old school! Craft beers have such a wide array of flavors to balance out artisan cheeses, it’s ridiculous this kind of event isn’t happening nightly.

Why, I ask you??

Fine, I’ll relax.

There were only three beer and cheese stations, so we weren’t there for long, yet we happily gobbled down the available cheeses and guilted the pourers out of second rounds of beers using our ample cleavage (or perhaps just loitering around the table long enough).

The beers were all really complex porters and stouts. Exotic witches brews featuring molasses, chilis, cocoa nibs and orange peel. Some aged in whiskey barrels. Good stuff!

The highlight of the evening was when we inadvertently left the room without paying and were stopped by one of AOC’s waiters, like common criminals. Well, he was very nice and I honestly thought we’d pay up front or something. And I am a common criminal.

BEER: The Stoic CHEESE: Brillat-savarin, cow's milk triple creme

BEER: Black Butte XX CHEESE: Timanoix, raw semi-soft cow's milk