Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Cougar Gold’s newest fan? Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman, whose Tweet over WSU’s signature cheese went viral

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., expressed his liking of WSU’s Cougar Gold Cheese in a recent tweet that went viral. He received the can of cheese from WSU alum Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. (Twitter)
By Ignacio Cowles The Spokesman-Review

Pullman’s signature flavor has a new fan.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman on Thursday tweeted an image that showed him giving a thumbs -up behind a table with an open can of WSU’s Cougar Gold cheese, as well as an unopened Miller Lite and Wheat Thins.

Travis Blanchard, a staff assistant at Fetterman’s office in Washington, D.C, said the cheese was part of an exchange on Wednesday with Sen. Patty Murray. The cheese, in conjunction with cosmic crisp apples, Seattle chocolates and Rachel’s Ginger Beer, was given to Fetterman and his staff as a gift to welcome him as the two Democratic senators now have neighboring offices.

“When I became a senator I never expected to be sitting outside eating canned cheese. Thank you @PattyMurray,” Fetterman’s Tweet reads.

A follow-up 35 minutes later showed a nearly empty cheese can, and the caption “mission accomplished.” The original tweet went viral, with over a million views in roughly 25 hours and over 20,000 likes.

Some commenters disparaged the choice of beer, giving suggestions of Washington originals to pair with the cheese.

Cougar Gold, Washington State University’s popular cheese produced at Ferdinand’s Creamery in Pullman, is an aged white cheddar that has won many awards, including a World Cheese Awards Gold medal in 2006.

“When Senator Fetterman and his team moved into the office across the hall from mine, I wanted to welcome them with some goodies from Washington state – and as a proud WSU grad, I know that Cougar Gold is some of the best Washington has to offer!” Murray wrote in response to a request for comment.

The WSU creamery began producing cheese as a way to use leftover milk during summer when students weren’t around and was commissioned by the U.S. government and American Can Company in the 1940s to test the feasibility of storing cheese in cans. The standout from this program was dubbed Cougar Gold after lead researcher Norman. S. Golding, with an additional nod to the school’s feline mascot.

Sales of the cheese cover the cost of the creamery, as well as its paid staff of WSU students.