probably some kind of desert wine is my guess - i'll check around...

i would think nothing too flavorful...wouldn't want to overwhelm the cheesecake.

we once used port with cheesecake, good in theory but the cheescake was super sub par so it was all kinda gross. of course, whiskey goes with everything ...

I agree with the dessert wine, or maybe a sweet white wine. I wonder if a creamy stout would work?

how about water with a healthy dose of alcohol once the eating has finished?

We need something that'll cleanse our palletes between tastings. I second Tien's last suggestion.

Hmm. Maybe a myriad of choices should be present, just in case. I for one get full very easily, so cheesecake comes first and foremost, but I find it hard to think of a "blogger event" without matching it with some sort of conversation enhancer :P

I got it! Tequila!!! C'mon, Legs, I know you agree.

Hmm. That could work. Good palate mingling.

tequila and cheesecake? man, this is going to get ugly.

Coffee with a kick (whiskey, kaluha, Bailey's) or a dry(ish) white...Chardonnay kinda thing. Don't want to overpower with sweetness. But maybe a dessert wine - champagne cocktail? I think the only way to know for sure is to try a variety!

if beer is the beverage brew-monkey.com sez a porter or chocolate stout.

Rich, creamy desserts can be the most difficult to match unless served with acidic fruit to cut-through the mouth-coating texture. You need a wine that can cope with cloying consistency.

OK, at the risk of being labeled a f'ing wine snob....

The best solution IMO is a sweet Semillon-Sauvignon blend. They have just the right amount of flavour and concentration required for heavy, creamy desserts like cheesecake. It's quirky because they can age almost endlessly.

'90 or '96 are great but hard to find and pricey ($225-375). '99 is almost as good, more reasonable @ $60 750ml/$35 half. Anything newer isn't quite ready yet, but '02s will be quite good in another year or two (some are under $20 if you dig around).

Alternately, Poland Spring and oyster crackers. Yeah. Or tequilla. That salt & lemon is definately going to clear anyone's palate.

A porter or a chocolate stout would go well with cheesecake, but would suck as a palate-cleaner. Both beers are pretty good matches because they are robust enough to meet the sweet flavors head-on; the ashy and coffee notes would make for a good companion drink, since the sweetness of the dessert is going to wash out the central tastes of most beers or other drinks. That's one of the reasons why dessert wines are so powerfully sweet; they're just trying to keep up.

Useless as palate-cleansers, though.

My suggestion is laced coffee. Most of us probably already associate coffee and cheesecake (I know I do), so that's going to be comfy; add some whiskey or cognac or suitable liqueur, and it's starting to sound downright fun.