As a wine enthusiast and cheese expert, Janet Fletcher has spent many hours searching for the perfect pairings, but often felt that she had come up with less-than-perfect matches. Once she set her sights on pairing artisanal cheeses with craft-made beers, her efforts met with much greater success.

Spend an evening sampling a variety of cheeses made by small American companies from throughout the U.S. paired with regional craft beers.

Pairings include: Saint Arnold Brewing Co.'s Lawnmower with Mozzarella Company's mozzarella; North Coast Brewing's Le Merle with Vermont Butter & Cheese's cremont; Green Flash's Hop Head Red with Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese's toma; Ommegang's Abbey Ale with Spring Brook Farm's tarentaise; Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA with Cabot Clothbound's cheddar; and Breckenridge's Oatmeal Stout with Point Reyes's blue cheese.

Janet Fletcher is the author of more than 20 books on food and wine; a food writer with a weekly cheese column for the San Francisco Chronicle and numerous national magazines, including Saveur, Bon Appétit, Better Homes & Gardens and Food & Wine.