J.T.M. Food Group, a leading provider of menu solutions for the foodservice industry, has crowned the champion of its inaugural Beer Cheese Throwdown. Ciclops Brewery & Cidery in Spartanburg, SC, took home the top prize for its Mad Man Pizza, a flatbread topped with grilled chicken, cherry peppers, crispy bacon, and its own Ciclops Beer Cheese made with its award-winning craft beer Dead Men Tell No Tales Chocolate Pepper Stout. The dish is finished with a steamy, scotch-bonnet, ranch drizzle.
Ciclops’ Beer Cheese creation was voted the winner by attendees at the 2022 National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago, as well as a panel of judges from across the country. Represented by co-owner Jill Edwards and pub manager Holden McGinnis, Ciclops earned bragging rights and a prize pack that included a Traeger® Grill Pro Series 780, full-page ads in Brewers Magazine and The New Brewer spotlighting their winning beer, five cases of J.T.M.’s Beer Cheese Base, and more.
J.T.M.’s Beer Cheese Throwdown started several months ago and challenged breweries across North America to create custom dishes using J.T.M beer cheese base combined with a custom-made craft beer. Over 50 entries were narrowed down to two finalists and NRA Show attendees and judges had the opportunity to taste test and vote on the contestants’ beer cheese dips. Crescent Moon in Omaha, NE, was the other finalist and finished in second place.
“This was such an incredible experience,” said Brad Nelson, Executive Director of Marketing for J.T.M. Food Group. “The creativity and enthusiasm from the breweries who entered the contest and the excitement from the people who taste-tested these amazing creations was off the charts. They both brought to life our product benefits and demonstrated the versatility of our Beer Cheese Base. To have our winning entry come from a woman-owned brewery made it even extra special.”
Because of the positive response, J.T.M. is already planning to host its next Beer Cheese Throwdown, with the official recipe submission period beginning in Fall 2022 and the final vote taking place at the 2023 NRA Show. Brewers and breweries can learn more and enter at https://jtmbeercheesethrowdown.com.
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