Local and unionized fast food chain Burgerville has a special Hopyard Cheddar Burger on their menu until March 31st. Part of the new February Oregon Craft Beer Month festivities, the Hopyard Cheddar Burger features hop flaked cheese from one of the greatest cheesemakers in the country - Rogue Creamery.

Burgerville makes a big deal about supporting local businesses and forming local partnerships. The Hopyard Cheddar Burger is a good example of them teaming with a small local artisan maker known for world class product. Rogue Creamery is often confused with Rogue Ales, but is a different company. However, the two Rogue's got together on the new burgers namesake cheese "Hopyard Cheddar" by infusing the cheese with fresh hop petals from Chatoe Rogue Hop Farm. The hops were added to Rogue Creamery's whole milk Organic cow's milk cheddar and aged for over 30 days.

I dropped in to my local Burgerville to try the Hopyard Cheddar Burger and found a fast food version of a pub-style burger. The burger is topped with mayo, red onion slices and arugula, for sure a step up from your typical fast food chain joint. The regular Burgerville burgers have that recognizable flat and melted plastic character of American cheese that some people love, but adds nothing to the flavor. By comparison, the Hopyard Cheddar Burger is distinctly more rich, creamy and pungent like a cross between the sharpness of cheddar with the intensity of a blue cheese.

The Burgerville Hopyard Cheddar Burger is on special for $5.99 until March 31st, add crinkly waffle fries like I did.