Counter Culture Live Returns for 2026: A One-Day Summit for the Cheese Trade

Counter Culture Live Returns for 2026: A One-Day Summit for the Cheese Trade

In the specialty cheese world, education rarely happens in a classroom. It happens around a cutting board — and that’s exactly the idea behind Counter Culture Live, the traveling professional workshop series organized by distributor culture.

The event is designed strictly for industry professionals: cheesemongers, buyers, retailers, and producers. Over the course of a single day, attendees rotate through guided tastings, practical workshops, and conversations with cheesemakers from the U.S. and abroad. The focus isn’t just sampling; it’s learning how cheese is made, handled, sold, and explained to customers.

The 2026 tour will stop in six cities:
Los Angeles (Feb. 24), Miami (March 31), Washington, D.C. (April 21), Detroit (May 5), Boston (September 15), and Portland (October 27).

Since launching in 2011, the series has become a key networking and education hub for the specialty cheese business. Participants compare retail strategies, sharpen tasting skills, and meet the people behind the wheels they stock every day.

In short: it’s less a festival and more a professional reset — the place where the industry gathers to trade knowledge, build relationships, and keep the craft moving forward.

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