American Vinegar Works Fondue Recipe

January 14, 2022By Rex Marketing & CX Team

Retro-style illustrated fondue pot with forks, cheese wedge, small bottle and wine glass

American Vinegar Works Fondue

Name: American Vinegar Works Fondue
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4–6 People
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1lb Gruyere cheese (ideally aged); 1/2 lb Emmental cheese; 1 garlic clove; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 1/2 cup Porter Beer Malt Vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon; 1-1/2 tablespoon cornstarch; White pepper; Nutmeg; Salt; Crusty bread, cubed

Fondue is a classic. Perfect for a wintery treat and incredibly social and fun eating.

Our vinegar works version brings a bit more tang to this dish that sometimes can feel a bit heavy. The use of our Porter Beer Malt Vinegar brightens and balances the cheese fat without changing the essence of this dish. Try not to drop your bread cube.

This recipe features our Porter Beer Malt Vinegar, opens in a new tab.

Which vinegar to use, and why

Fondue needs acid to stop the cheese seizing and to keep it from tasting heavy. White wine vinegar does both. We use Better Than Champagne Chardonnay Wine Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.

Make it ahead and keep it

Best straight from the pan. If you are reheating, add the vinegar again at the end rather than at the start, since heat drives off what you paid for.

What to cook next

Try Homemade Ricotta, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.

American Vinegar Works Fondue

American Vinegar Works

Servings

4–6 People

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Calories

748

Cuisine

American

Ingredients

1lb Gruyere cheese (ideally aged)
1/2 lb Emmental cheese
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup Porter Beer Malt Vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon
1-1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
White pepper
Nutmeg
Salt
Crusty bread, cubed

Directions

A retro red fondue pot is awesome. But you don’t need one to make fondue. Use a thick pot that will evenly distribute and maintain heat.
Thick grate all of your cheeses. Add cornstarch to the combined grated cheeses and mix well.
Over medium high heat mix the wine and 1/2 cup of the porter vinegar. Add in very finely grated garlic. I know some recipes call for rubbing the garlic on the pan and tossing it. This recipe does not call for that…
Bring the wine/vinegar/garlic mixture to a low simmer and then add the cheese. Lower the temperature to medium heat. Stir continuously until the cheese melts and the wine/vinegar has melded with the cheese. This may take a few minutes—don’t panic and keep stirring, it will come together.
Add four turns of the pepper mill of WHITE pepper to the fondue. White pepper is not always used in the US but it really is the right flavor for cheese. Hate white pepper? Go ahead and use black but, just so you know, that totally voids our recipe warranty…
Add 2 dashes of nutmeg and just a pinch of salt. Add 1 teaspoon of Porter Beer Malt Vinegar. Stir, taste (don’t burn your tongue) and adjust seasoning.
Serve fondue with crusty, cubed bread.