Tastemakers: Christmas cheesecake on a stick/Anchor Steam Christmas Ale

Dec. 19, 2007

Christmas Cheesecake
On a Stick

Since its humble beginnings 20 years ago, The Underground Cheesecake Company of Traverse City has become a favorite sweet tooth satisfier for Northern Michigan residents. Emerging from a residential basement to an eventual storefront on Union Street in the Old Town section of Traverse City, co-founders and current owners Mary Vickerman and Lori Dawson have built a real dessert destination, as people come from all over to buy their desserts.
The popularity of their products has appealed to a nationwide fan base. Their assortment of cheesecakes and specialty cakes and desserts has attracted the attention of The Food Network, who has profiled the company on several occasions. All of this has led to more sales and orders from all corners of the country. To satisfy their growing production needs, The Underground Cheesecake Company moved to The Village at Grand Traverse Commons this past October (behind Pleasanton Bakery and next to Left Foot Charley winery), where they have a storefront and a production facility (buildings 67 & 69, that once were used for rag and soap storage and vegetable peeling). Before we get to the desserts, it should be noted that they are open for lunch daily (closed Sunday) with a “build your own salad,” sandwiches, and two different soups made fresh daily. During a recent event, I had the chance to literally taste a sampling of everything sweet they make, and if you are in need of desserts for your party, need a host/hostess gift, or need a present for that hard to buy for person, anything from The Underground Cheesecake Company will be an instant hit.
From the day they invented them, I have been a fan of their frozen Cheesecake on a Stick. During this time of the year they offer their Christmas Cheesecake on a Stick that comes in two flavors. The Egg Nog is made with real egg nog, and the cheesecake is dipped in white chocolate and decorated to look like a Christmas tree. The Peppermint Cheesecake has a chocolate cookie crust with real pieces of peppermint baked into the cheesecake. They come four to a box, and The Underground Cheesecake Company will ship anywhere in the country, either one or two-day. They only ship Monday through Wednesday, and there is still plenty of time to ship any of their products before Christmas and New Year’s Eve. For additional details or to order online, stop by www.undergroundcheesecake.com.




Anchor Steam
Christmas Ale

Northern Michigan has become the Midwest Mecca for food and drink. Think about it - where else are there great wineries, craftbreweries, small family farms, micro-distilleries, top-notch chefs and restaurants all in the same proximity of one another? You can think all day, but there is no place in the Midwest that is happening like we are here in Northern Michigan.
That’s not to say that great things don’t exist elsewhere in the world. For example, the 2007 Anchor Steam Christmas Ale. The great breweries we have here in the north owe their existence to Fritz Maytag, grandson of the famous Maytag Corporation founder and son of the creator of Maytag Blue Cheese (which is great in coleslaw, by the way). The younger Maytag is actually credited with creating the American micro/craftbrew industry.
In 1965, after graduating from Stanford University, Maytag was enjoying a cold one from the Anchor Steam brewery in San Francisco and learned that the brewery was closing. To make a long story short, Maytag bought the brewery for what he says was “about as much as it would have cost to buy a used car.” He reformulated the recipe and launched his successful Anchor Steam beer; the beer that would forge the way for the micro/craftbrew industry in the U.S.
Maytag’s philosophy was, the more, the merrier, so he helped numerous other brewers launch their breweries around the country. Since 1975, Maytag has produced his popular Christmas Ale; each year the recipe is slightly different, as is the label. The 2007 Anchor Steam Christmas Ale pours dark brown, but in the right light, some hints of Christmas red are visible. The flavor profile changes with aging, and many connoisseurs of the Christmas Ale save bottles and compare years; if you open your Christmas Ale immediately, you can expect notes of licorice and seasonal spices in the 2007 version.
So raise a toast to Fritz Maytag, either with his Christmas Ale, or try these local craftbrews to celebrate the holiday season, starting with the C.E.O. Stout from newly-opened Right Brain Brewery in the Warehouse District in Traverse City. At Short’s Brewery in Bellaire, pick up a growler of their Mystery Stout, with notes of cocoa and molasses. The Coffee Stout is the seasonal tap at North Peak in Traverse City and is a must try as well. For additional information on the 2007 Anchor Steam Christmas Ale, go to www.anchorsteam.com or look for it at your favorite specialty beer shop. But you know the new rule of this column; if you buy products made elsewhere, you must buy local as well. Happy Holidays!