Hanabi Lager Co.
This month we have something pretty fun not only for beer fans, but also for those of us who have an interest in wine and its intersection with craft beer . Before starting Hanabi Lager, Nick Gislason and Jennifer Angelosante brewed beer together while they were at college at Western Washington University. Nick even spent a year working at their local brewery before graduating with a bachelors in chemistry. He received a master’s degree from UC Davis in enology and viticulture and worked at wineries such as O'Shaughnessy, Craggy Range, and Harlan Estate before landing at Screaming Eagle in 2010. All the while he managed one the only Japanese-style fireworks shows on the West Coast, a passion he had followed since the age of 12, apprenticing under a master fireworks builder. After getting her masters in Mathematics and spending a few years as an actuary, Jennifer apprenticed at Naked Wines before receiving a second master’s from UC Davis in Enology and Viticulture, and apprenticing at wineries such as Hanzell, Bitouzet-Prieur, Shea, and Chateau Certan. Once graduating she worked as an Enologist at Realm, Assistant Viticulturist at Silverado, and as a Technical Writer for Guildsomm, a non-profit member organization and great resource for in depth wine information.
While doing all of this Jennifer and Nick brewed fresh beer for their fellow winemakers, trying their hands at a myriad of different styles, and eventually focusing on traditional Czech and German style lagers. They intertwine their winemaking philosophy with traditional brewing methods and utilize specific heirloom grains according to their seasonality. In 2015, they started to crystalize how they would take this project to the next step in a way that still felt personal to them. They assembled a workshop designed and built from the ground up with help from a brewery engineer and fabricator to help them focus on the most interesting barley malts they could get their hands on and limiting the ingredients to what a good lager should be: barley, hops, yeast, and water.
Cheers!
Justin Malesheetz
Beer Buyer
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Hanabi Lager Co. Haná Pilsner Style Lager |
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Napa, CA |
Their core beer brewed year round featuring the heirloom barley used in the first Pilsner made in 1842. Pouring a slightly hazy light yellow with a fluffy mousse like foam. Slightly grainy and floral on the nose. Bright and pleasingly bitter on the palate, with a touch of maltiness. Notes of lemon grass, mint, and fennel shine through on the dry finish. |
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$15.99 per bottle / $173.29 per case |
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Suggested Food Pairings: Fresh spring rolls, phở, dim sum, pozole verde |
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Hanabi Lager Co. Edelweiss Pilsner Style Lager |
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Napa, CA |
Made from a descendant of the Haná barley used in the Hana Pilsner. Light yellow and slightly hazy in the glass with a fluffy foam. Very light grain on the nose, with notes of lemongrass and bay leaf shining through. While this shares a lot of the same characteristics of the Haná (bright lemongrass and mint notes with a moderate, well integrated hop bitterness and light but distinct malt), there’s more coming through with notes of grapefruit pith, lemon peel, and lemon balm on the dry and refreshing finish. |
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$18.99 per bottle / $205.69 per case |
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Suggested Food Pairings: ceviche, spaetzle, fish tacos, Peruvian-style roast chicken |
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