WATERLOO, WI – Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Chocolate Mascarpone took home gold in the 2021 World Dairy Expo Championship, sponsored by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association. Named the Cheese and Butter Grand Champion, the Chocolate Mascarpone came out on top from a field of over 1,400 entries.
The Chocolate Mascarpone, which is Crave Brothers’ newest addition to their product line, is created by combining sweet cream with chocolate Irish crème. The Chocolate Mascarpone captures the decadent flavor of Irish cream liqueur but without the alcohol, meaning that the product can be enjoyed by guests of all ages. The Grand Champion Chocolate Mascarpone will be auctioned off at the World Dairy Expo in Madison on Tuesday, Sept. 28.
“We are so honored to receive this prestigious award,” Crave Brothers’ Founder George Crave said. “Our chocolate mascarpone has become a favorite among our consumers and has received top awards in other contests.”
In 2020, the Chocolate Mascarpone received a First Place Award at the Wisconsin State Fair. The cheese was also named one of the top 20 cheeses at the American Cheese Society Competition in 2019.
George Crave oversees the making of all of the Crave Brothers cheeses, which uses milk from the family’s own dairy herd. In addition to their award-winning Chocolate Mascarpone, Crave Brothers also produces fresh mozzarella, mascarpone, part-skim mozzarella, Oaxaca, Farmer's Rope String Cheese and fresh cheddar cheese curds in white, yellow and jalapeño varieties.
An important aspect that Crave Brothers focuses on is producing their cheeses in a sustainable fashion. The family’s farmstead cheese-making facility practices water conservation, recycling, and runs on 100% green power. The company owns an anaerobic biodigester, which produces enough electricity to power the Crave Brothers’ Farm, the farmstead cheese-making plant and over 300 homes in their community in Wisconsin.