Club Corner
December Beer of the Month: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
My first introduction to Sante Adairius Rustic Ales began as a small seed that unexpectedly grew into a beautiful tree. What was meant to be a simple trip to Santa Cruz unexpectedly introduced me to a cult brewery with many loyal members. One night, I stopped to eat at their Santa Cruz gastropub, and while the beer did impress me, I didn’t pay it much attention.. But, after I had returned to San Francisco, I mentioned to a friend that I had visited Sante Adairius, and he was impressed. Curious, I asked him the cause of his reaction, and he told me of the zealous following this brewery has. Sure enough, not even a week later, a customer walked in asking if we had any of their beers. This prompted me to discuss Sante Adairius with Justin, who told me that we had been on their distribution waitlist for a few years at that point. Luckily for us, a few months later (and several more customer inquiries), we got an email letting us know that we’d been brought onboard and could now share their beers with you! Owned and operated by Adair Paterno, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales is known for their rustic ales (shocking, I know). This category includes styles like Saisons, Bière de Gardes and other earthy, fruity, and spice driven beers. True to its name, this type of beer focuses on traditional production practices using various yeasts and bacteria throughout the fermentation process. Some contemporary brewers even go the extra mile and open ferment their beers, allowing for the outside environment to influence how the beer tastes. Returning to Sante Adarius, their beers typically fall under the umbrella term of Farmhouse Ale, following in the tradition of Belgian Saisons. They often utilize a blend of yeasts, and age their beers in a variety of barrels, adding more complexity and depth while maintaining an approachable demeanor. What struck me about their beers was how they always feel one step ahead, yet maintain a distinctly traditional aura. For example: one of their recent releases, the 831 IPA, presents with the texture of a Hazy IPA while maintaining the body of a West Coast IPA, a balance not easily achieved. Fitting with this oxymoronic teeter totter, I have decided to feature a farmhouse ale that has been aged in, of all things, vermouth barrels as well as a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout that was finished in cognac barrels. Just a heads up that these beers are a little pricier than the average Beer of the Month selection, but they were just too good to pass up. Next month we’ll focus on something a little less economically heavy. Have a wonderful holiday season, and I hope to see y’all in the next year. Santé! Daniel Ruppert Beer Buyer Sante Adairius Portable Magic Barrel Aged Stout 500ml Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales Tasting Notes: Despite only being finished in Cognac Barrels, Brandy takes the forefront on the nose, with the chocolatey notes of the bourbon barrels making up the background. Pours a deep opaque mahogany with minimal head. Syrupy texture that covers the mouth, with pleasant oaky sweetness, chocolate, and Cognac receding to the background. The long finish sees the return of brandy with the oaky sweetness being reserved to an exhale. Locale: Capitola, California ABV: 16.7% Price: $25.99 Sante Adairius Veiled Alchemy Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale 500ml Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales Tasting Notes: Fall hayride through an orange orchard on the nose. Pours a hazy amber with a short lasting head and noticeable sediment. Citrus continues on the palate with subtle notes of teak, hay, and flower petals. Lasting sweet finish with orange peel in the spotlight and mint in the background. Don't be intimidated by the sediment, it's just yeast left over from the brewing process! Locale: Capitola, California ABV: 6.3% Price: $22.99
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Beer of the Month Club: Moor Beer Co.
With a renaissance of craft beer emerging during the mid ‘00s, Moor Beer Company (not to be confused with the equally great Moor’s Brewing Co. out of Chicago) is a wonderful synthesis of brewing techniques inspired by classic British ales, the robust flavors of modern California beer, and German simplicity. Moor Beer Co. was founded in 2007 when owner Justin Hawkes bought a defunct brewery in the Levels and Moors area of Somerset in South-Western Britain. Hawkes was raised in Los Angeles and gained an early appreciation for beer from his father, going with him on trips to specialty liquor stores searching for imported beers with a copy of Michael Jackon’s Beer Companion in tow. While stationed in Germany with the US Army Hawke fell in love with naturally hazy lagers. On returning to California in 1995 he took up homebrewing and made friends with brewers. Moor Beer Co. focuses on unfiltered ales. Hawkes believes that “true secondary conditioning, unfiltered, unpasteurised, and preferably unfined is essential to produce a beer full of flavour, life, and longevity”, and his beers are some of the first in the world to undergo natural conditioning in can. He has a “less is more” approach to brewing, with an ethos that will sound familiar to those following minimal intervention wine. They have received numerous awards, including Brewery of the Year in 2017 from the British Guild of Beer Writers and most recently Overall Champion Gold in the cask awards for their English strong ale in the inaugural Indie Beer Awards. Cheers! Plumpjack Wine & Spirits Moor Beer Co Calvados Barrel Aged Old Ale Bristol, UK Tasting Notes: Black with a rim of dark brown and only the lightest hint of carbonization. A nice roasted coffee note mixes with molasses, dark caramel, green apple, and fruity dark chocolate. Surprisingly soft and fresh on the palate. Flavors of dark toffee, coffee, and baking chocolate linger on the dark malty finish. Justin Hawkes $15.99 per bottle Suggested Food Pairing: Dark rye bread, roast beef, sauteed mushrooms, smoked turkey Moor Beer Co. Illumination English Pale Ale Bristol, UK Tasting Notes: A light, hazy amber with very little foam. A very floral and herbal nose with notes of spearmint, young citrus, and a very light malty note. Biscuit like malt notes, light tropical notes, and grapefruit on the palate with a dry, bitter finish. Justin Hawkes $7.99 per bottle Suggested Food Pairing: dan dan noodles, thai curry, red pozole, rajas, point reyes blue cheese Moor Beer Co. Revival Pale Bitter Ale Bristol, UK Tasting Notes: Hazy medium amber with thin foam. Dried herbs, white pepper, pine, chamomile, and dried citrus peel on the nose with a bready malt note. Dry finish, with flavors of dry pine needles, grapefruit pith, dried mint, and a touch of malty sweetness before the dry bitter finish. Justin Hawkes $7.99 per bottle Suggested Food Pairing: banh mi, pan fried dumplings, fresh spring rolls, green pozole, pasta with pesto, aged hard cheese Moor Beer Co. Resonance Citra Golden Pale Ale Bristol, UK Tasting Notes: A hazy gold with light foam. Notes of tangerine, citrus tea, passion fruit, and bread flour malt on the nose; light and citrusy, with a dry, grapefruit pith bitter finish. Justin Hawkes $7.99 per bottle Suggested Food Pairing: aguachile, pho, chicken satay, mango habanero chicken wings
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Beer of the Month Club March 2025: Women in Beer
Woman Owned Breweries While brewing has been considered a male dominated industry for hundreds of years, it wasn’t always so. Going back to the beginning of the history of beer, women have been brewing. Both ancient Sumerians and Egyptians had goddesses devoted to beer and brewing was considered in the same realm as baking. Early beer was low in alcohol, rich in protein, vitamin b, riboflavin, carbohydrates, and calories, making it a staple food item for the poor and sailors who had to sustain themselves on low vitamin food. In England up to the 1500s most women knew how to brew as it was considered at the same level as cooking. Hops were not generally used, so the beer spoiled fairly quickly, creating a need for a constant stock of beer which was filled by brewing at home or buying excess from someone else who was brewing, letting women earn some extra cash on the side, and allowing them to eventually get jobs in larger-scale professional brewers. This was all eventually pulled back by industrialization, cutting women out in favour of men as the industry was professionalized. While men are still the overwhelming majority in the modern beer industry, organizations like the Pink Boots Society and the NBWA’s Alliance for Women in Beer are taking steps to even the playing field. Though we will only be mentioning two breweries, we would like to shout just a few of the other great women-run breweries like Local Brewing Co., Crowns and Hops, Otherwise Brewing, Mindscape Fermentations, and Japas Cervejaria. The Ale Apothecary was founded in 2011 by Staci and Paul Arney. Paul had spent 15 years at Deschutes, working his way up from shift brewer to assistant brewmaster. When they first moved to Bend, Staci worked at the local ice skating rink driving the zamboni and renting out equipment. She went on to work a slew of leadership and development roles including being selected to be the director of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Oregon. While working these roles she could be found all around the US at tasting events. When Staci and Paul decided to sell the company in 2024, it was taken over by the owners of Wolf Tree Brewery, Taryn Arvold and Joe Hitselberger. Russian River Brewing Company was founded in 1997 by the Korbel Winery with Vinnie Cilurzo being the first employee. Natalie Cilurzo had worked in wine for almost 2 decades, starting out labeling, bottling, and working in the tasting room at a small winery in Julian, CA. From there she worked in wineries in Temecula, CA, which is where she met Vinnie. The two of them moved to Sonoma with Vinnie working at Russian River Brewing Co. and Natalie continued in wine, working with Silver Oak, Franciscan Winery, and Kendall-Jackson. When Korbel decided to exit the beer business in 2003, Natalie and Vinnie drew up a business plan and got investment from friends and family to purchase the company. Natalie quit her wine job to run the business while Vinnie made the beer. Together they grew Russian River Brewing into one of the most well-respected names in beer. Natalie now sits on the Board of Directors for the California Craft Brewers Association and is a champion for craft beer. Cheers! Plumpjack Wine & Spirits The Ale Apothecary Goschie Farms Viognier American Wild Ale 375ml Bend, OR USA Pours a hazy amber with no foam. Pronounced nose showing lemon salt, tangerine, grapefruit, and white pepper. Bone dry on the palate, with high acid and bright citrus flavors on the long finish. 7.44% ABV Head Brewer: Connor Currie $15.99 per bottle Suggested Food Pairing: Point Reyes blue cheese, spicy Korean BBQ chicken, calabrese sausage Russian River Brewing Co Beatification 375ml Santa Rosa, CA USA A slight hazy pale gold with very low carbonation. Citrusy on the nose with an earthy mineral character in the background. On the palate it’s more tart than sour, with a dry finish. Notes of young mandarin orange, meyer lemon, and orange peel on the long bright finish. 6% ABV Head Brewer: Vinnie Cilurzo $16.99 per bottle Suggested Food Pairing: aguachile, mussels, cioppino, fried calamari
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Beer of the Month Club February 2025: Urban Roots Brewing and Smokehouse
URBAN ROOTS BREWING This month we’ll be looking at a brewery from 2 industry stalwarts who have created something very special up in our state’s capitol. Urban Roots Brewing was started by longtime friends Rob Archie and Peter Hoey, who had been talking about starting a project together for years. Rob is a Sacramento based Restaurateur with multiple successful restaurants under his belt, but is best known for starting Pangea Bier Cafe which pairs great food (including an award winning burger) with a beautifully curated draft list and regular brewer’s dinners. He paired his restaurant experience with head brewmaster Peter Hoey, who has decades of experience working with such breweries as Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Brewing Co., and Bison Brewing. Peter is also an instructor with the American Brewers Guild and has years of experience on the sales side working for Brewers Supply Group. Since opening Urban Roots in 2018, they have won numerous awards, including Brewery of the Year at the California Craft Brewers Cup, multiple gold and silver medals at various competitions, and most recently Business of the Year by the California Black Chamber of Commerce and CA Legislative Black Caucus for being a black-owned business and making a difference in the local community. From delivering meals to local college students during the pandemic and organizing the We Stand With You Initiative after the George Flloyd shooting, Urban Roots Brewing works hard to be a positive force in their community along with making great beer. Cheers! Justin Malesheetz Beer Buyer Urban Roots Brewing Like Riding a Bike West Coast IPA $4.99 per can / $17.99 per 4-Pack Pouring a clear golden with fluffy foam and medium carbonation. A classic resinous nose with notes of pine, peach rings, pineapple, grapefruit, and a light floral note. Fairly dry, with moderate hop bitterness and a crisp, fruity finish with notes of tropical citrus and cherry gummies on the palate. 6.2% ABV Urban Roots Brewing Extra Guac Double IPA $6.99 per can / $22.99 per 4-pack A brilliantly clear straw in the glass with moderate foam on the thinner side. Aromatic nose bursting out of the glass with notes of guava, tangerine, ruby grapefruit, and a light grain character. Soft and piny palate that doesn’t feel overly hot, with a pronounced hop bitterness that balances the long citrusy finish. 8.2% ABV Urban Roots Brewing Chocolate Moustache - Spumoni $23.99 per bottle A deep black with a slight red tint to the edges. A decadent nose jumps out of the glass bringing to mind German black forest cake, dark chocolate brownies, pistachio, and Dr. Pepper. Lush, mouthcoating, and boozy without feeling overdone. 14.9% ABV
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Beer of the Month Club January 2025: Brettanomyces
BRETTANOMYCES To start off the year we will be looking at one of my favorite topics to read about in both wine and beer: yeast! Most wines and beers are fermented with the genus Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as baker’s yeast, used for its reliability in gobbling up simple sugars and turning them into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and a wide array of different compounds that give fermented food and drink the flavors we love. A lot of these other strains were (and still are) considered spoilage organisms, though some brewers and winemakers are starting to see the benefits of letting these various yeast coexist as they can add an added layer of complexity to the finished drink when managed properly. Brettanomyces bruxellensis, commonly referred to as Brett, is one of these “wild” yeasts that are often found on the skins of fruit, and have a complicated history with the makers of fermented products. While generally lumped into the spoilage organism category in wine, cider, and dairy due to its tendency to create off-flavors in large quantities, in very small quantities they impart notes of spice and leather and a pleasant earthiness. Brett has had far more success in beer and cider. It was first isolated and identified at the turn of the last century by Danish scientist Niels Hjelte Claussen at what was then Carlsberg Laboratory. Along with a few other breweries around Europe, including Guinness in Ireland and Kalinkin in Russia, he began working on replicating the complexity of aged English porters and noticed the slow growing yeast found in these beers. The use of the yeast exploded and multiple strains have since been cultivated for use in brewing beer across the world. It’s distinctive earthiness and ability to consume certain sugars that Saccharomyces cannot has helped to create a range of complex, ageable ales in a range of styles from sour and fruity lambics and Flanders ales, rich mouth-coating barleywines, and light, dry pale ales. Von Ebert Brewing was founded by father and son Tom M. Cook and Tom S. Cook. It was originally the Portland outpost of Ohio-based Fat Head’s Brewery before being renamed in 2018 in honor of the German-born matriarch of the family. They launched to acclaim with Head Brewer Sean Burke who had previously helped launch The Commons Brewery in the Portland area. After Burke moved on to start his own project, they promoted the former Head Brewer of their original Pearl St. location, Sam Pecoraro, to Head Brewer of the whole operation. Von Ebert has racked up a slew of awards across the country, most recently receiving gold in multiple categories in the 2024 International Beer Awards, World Beer Cup, Best of Craft Beer Awards, and the Oregon Beer Awards. Alesong Brewing and Blending was started in 2015 by brothers Brian and Doug Coombs with Head Blender Matt Van Wyk. Brian, a formally trained chemist from the University of Oregon, left his job working as a R&D chemist for the US Army Tank, Automotive, Research, Development, and Engineering Center in Detroit to work with his former mentor Matt, a former high school science teacher who had caught the brewing bug and trained at the Siebel Institute of Technology, at Oakshire Brewing in Eugene, OR. The two worked closely together before Brian began traveling the world to improve his knowledge of barrel-aging and fermentation. On his return Brian convinced Matt and his brother Doug, who had been working in the wine industry in California, to start their own project. In the 9 years they have been operating they have won over 75 awards, most recently receiving Brewery of the Year last year at the Great American Beer Festival. Cheers! Justin Malesheetz Beer Buyer Von Ebert Known Presence Heritage Ale Portland, OR / USA A clear copper in the glass with vigorous carbonation and a mousse-like foam. Tart and earthy on the nose with notes of grilled pineapple, clove, golden raisin, and dried apricot. Dry and sour on the palate with moderate hop bitterness and a positive oxidative note and flavors of dried apple, quince, and potpourri. Head Brewer: Sam Pecoraro $13.99 per can / $151.09 per case Alesong Touch of Brett Dry-Hopped Farmhouse Ale Eugene, OR / USA Light yellow in the glass with fluffy foam and lots of carbonation. Fruity and spicy on the nose with notes of white pepper, clove, lemon salt, grilled pineapple, and navel orange. Bright and tropical on the palate with notes of tangerine, lemon peel, and grapefruit with moderate bitterness. Head Brewer: Matt Van Wyk $21.99 per can / $237.49 per case
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Beer of the Month Club November 2024
PORTERS AND STOUTS As the nights get longer and colder, it’s time to break out the dark beers. This month we’ll be mostly focusing on the darker and richer end of the spectrum, with a fun light bodied porter to round out the bunch. Porters have been around since the early 18th century, originally made, so barmen could pull from a single cask instead of the typical tactic done by the porters of the time, which was to mix the lighter and heavier styles on tap that day together to cut the higher ABV beers. These new beers used malted barley and a touch of hops to create a stronger dark ale without being overly boozy. The adjective “stout” was first applied to beer as early as the late 17th century, and had usually denoted a stronger style of beer. The word became intertwined with porter over time as there were a wide range of strengths, and the stronger ones were regularly called “stout porters”. Over time, there became a slight difference in these two beers, with stouts normally being introduced to nitrogen to give a smoother, creamier mouthfeel and having a wider range of strengths, while porters tend to not be nitro’d and stick generally between 5 to 7 percent ABV. With the rise of craft brewing, these styles underwent a renaissance in the start of this century with an eye towards experimentation and having great shelf life. While not the craze it once was, these beers are still some of the most exciting being made. Cheers! Justin Malesheetz Beer Buyer Dokkaebier Chuseok Porter Oakland, CA USA This beer is brewed for Chuseok, a major Korean harvest festival that is celebrated on the 14th through 16th day of the 8th lunar month. It is a light bodied porter brewed with pumpkin, rice, persimmon, cinnamon and ginger. Molasses in color with notes of ginger, persimmon, and coffee on the nose. Soft on the palate with the fruitiness of a good cup of coffee, toasted barley notes, and an earthy and spicy finish. $5.99 per can / $141.74 per case Suggested Food Pairing: Minestrone soup, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, japchae Perennial Take 10 Imperial Stout St. Louis, MO USA Brewed with peanut flour and salt, fermented with chocolate sauce, and steeped on whole roasted peanuts. A deep black with a nose that shows notes of chocolate and sea salt. Lush and mouth coating with flavors of toasted peanuts, mocha, and a salty pretzel like finish. $9.99 per can / $235.59 per case Suggested Food Pairing: pour over ice cream, chocolate icebox pie Brouwerj de Molen x Jopen Sin and Remorse Imperial Stout Bodegraven, South Holland, NL A multi-grain beer made with 38% rye, 24% oats, and a small amount of wheat. Opaque black with a nose of baking chocolate and black coffee. Malty and soft without being cloying. Notes cinnamon, vanilla, and chocolate graham crackers on the palate with a long chocolatey finish. $10.99 per bottle / $130.13 per case Suggested Food Pairing: Pork mole, South Indian beef curry, black forest cake, braised short ribs Midnight Sun T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter Anchorage, AK USA Brewed with pumpkin, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Black with notes of baking spice, chocolate, pumpkin bread, and black coffee. Boozy and luscious on the palate where the clove and nutmeg stand out along with a dark chocolate fruitiness on the finish. $6.99 per can / $152.18 per case Suggested Food Pairing: Chocolate babka, pumpkin pie drizzled with chocolate sauce
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Beer of the Month Club May '24: Garden Path Fermentation
GARDEN PATH FERMENTATION This month we are excited to feature Garden Path from Northwest Washington, which has ties to another of our favorite breweries. Founders Ron Extract and Amber Watts come from Jester King Brewing in Austin, Texas, where Ron was a managing partner for 6 years and Amber had a multi-faceted front of house role. Previously, Amber was a media studies professor and Ron received a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Chicago, and studied brewing at Siebel Institute of Technology. He then spent nearly twenty years in the beer industry as an importer, retailer, distributor, and brewer before moving to Austin. Ron and Amber came to Washington in 2016 and started Garden Path Fermentation, making not only beer but wine, mead, and cider as well. Their production process draws on various old-world brewing and winemaking techniques, reinterpreted and adapted to take advantage of the abundant local resources of the area including locally grown and malted grain, fruit (much of which they tend themselves), honey, and organic hops from nearby farms. Fermentation takes place in oak barrels of varying sizes, including a large, open-top foeder, and each unique batch is a singular expression of time and place. Cheers! Beer Buyer Justin Malesheetz Garden Path Led To Flowered Farmhouse Saison Price: $6.99 per 16oz can/$24.99 per 4-Pack Fermented in an oak foeder with native yeast and can-conditioned. Pours a hazy pale gold with a lingering fluffy foam. Lots of spicy, herbal, and floral hop notes on the nose accompanied by aromas of red apples, apricot, and clove. Rich flavors of fresh pineapple, clementine and mandarin oranges, grapefruit, and a refreshing hop bitterness coat the mouth on the long velvety finish. Food pairings: Citrus salad, escargot, savory souffle Garden Path The Spontaneous Ferment 3 Year Blend 500ml Price: $26.99 per 500ml bottle Blend of 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old spontaneously-fermented beers, inoculated with fresh coolship wort. Pours a hazy gold with very little foam. The light nose and dry finish hides a beer bursting at the seams with sour citrus fruit and cherry, unripe pineapple and guava, green apple, thyme, bay leaf, hay, and a light touch of cinnamon the medium-length finish. Food pairings: Strong soft-ripened cheese, trout rillette, spanish chorizo
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Beer of the Month Club April '24: Bière de Garde and Farmhouse Ales
Bière De Garde And Farmhouse Ales As we move through these cold spring days, I find myself reaching more and more for a good farmhouse ale. From complex and earthy saisons to tart and vinous golden and brown ales, these are the beers I enjoy most—not only as a lover of beer, but also as a lover and student of wine. I find these beers engender the same excitement, curiosity, and desire to experiment with food pairings as any fine wines would, usually for significantly less money than you would spend on a nice bottle of wine. While most of us are familiar with the Belgian beers of this style, this month we will be exploring the Flanders region of France, alongside some domestic beers inspired by the style (particularly the blonde and amber ales). While earlier iterations from the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century were written about as closer to a lambic (aged in oak for months, purposefully sour and vinous), the style as we know it today is came to popularity in the 1940s, with Brasserie Duyck’s Jenlain Bière de Garde, which grew to prominence as a cult beer in the late 1970s among French college students. Most contemporary producers of Bière de Garde acknowledge Jenlain as the archetypal example. Prior to Brasserie Duyck’s redefining of the style, Bière de Garde was served as a draught beer in the 3%-4% range as compared to 6%-8% in modern versions. Brasserie Duyck reinvented the style and set a new standard by offering Bière de Garde in a cork-finished Champagne-style bottle, allowing for year-round consumption. The more modern take has little hoppiness outside of a bit of herbal or peppery notes and tends to be more malt forward with the darker styles. Santé! Justin Malesheetz Beer Buyer Thiriez Blonde d'Esquelbecq Blonde Farmhouse Ale Esquelbecq, Nord / France One of the newer breweries in the Nord, started in 1996. Pale gold with a thin mousse like head. Bready, floral nose with notes of banana, vanilla, and clove. Warming with light herbal hop bitterness and medium malt sweetness, and soft mid length finish. Similar to a light hoppy hefeweizen. 6.5% ABV Brasserie Thiriez $6.99 per bottle Soft rind cheeses, garlicky sausage Three Magnets Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed Golden Farmhouse Ale Olympia, WA / USA This farmhouse ale was brewed with house culture from Fair Isle Brewing, blended with their 2015 Helsing Junction Apricot sour ale and aged in wine barrels before being bottled in the winter of 2017. Hazy gold with a thin white foam, this ale sings with notes of apricot, white pepper, red apple, grapefruit, and a mild herbaceousness. A vinous and mellowed sour character clings to your palate for the long soft finish. 7% ABV Three Magnets Brewing Co. $10.99 per bottle Mussels in white wine, bleu cheese, chicory and citrus salad Oxbow Space Cowboy Bière du Pays Newcastle, ME / USA Pouring medium amber and slightly hazy. Moderate alcohol on the nose followed by a light spiciness, fig, cinnamon, banana peel, and a grainy maltiness. Slight bitterness on the palate with a dry, crisp finish. Brewed with oats and European hops. 4% ABV Oxbow Brewing $4.99 per can Ramen, fried dumplings, chicken marsala Trinity Brewing L’Internationale Bière de Garde Colorado Springs, CO / USA An international collaboration with the Saison, Bière de Garde and Farmhouse Ale Appreciation Society. Light amber with a thin white foam. Notes of biscuit, cinnamon, caramel, dried apple, chamomile tea, raisins, and dates with a warming palate with rich malt sweetness and long nutty finish and slight tartness. Complex, rich, and very food friendly. 8.1% ABV Trinity Brewing $12.99 per bottle Roast chicken, cochinita pibil, grilled root vegetables
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Beer Of The Month club November 2022
Jester King/Au Baron Farmhouse ales are my favorite beers to pair with a rich meal. Wine like characteristics from the barreling, complexity from the yeast and culture treatments. Refreshing and light in body. Plenty of acid to cut through a fatty gravy or meat. You get the idea. For this month’s selection I choose two 750ml bottles hoping the larger format will make at your table this holiday season. Jester King: This Texas brewery began as a farmhouse brewery committed to mixed culture and spontaneous fermentation. Their beers incorporate well water, local grains, fruits and vegetables, foraged plants, and native yeast and bacteria all in the pursuit of making a beer uniquely tied to a time, place, and people. Their inspiration comes from the classic farmhouse breweries of Europe that embrace principles of subtlety, restraint, patience, full attenuation, and interesting fermentation character. They utilize Texas-grown grains and Texas malts whenever they can, often from farming on their own land. Au Baron: The Brasserie Au Baron is located in Gussignies, France at the bottom of a picturesque valley, nestled on the edge of a small stream. What was at the time a small village bistro became a craft brewery in 1989. Authentic and rustic beers are brewed there among the arcadian smell of the bocage. The famous Cuvée des Jonquilles is brewed there, as well as other inspired beers that will delight the most knowledgeable connoisseurs. The Brasserie Au Baron is also a restaurant with a large terrace by the water. You can taste the products of local artisans and quench your thirst with the beers brewed on site. Happy Feasting! -Sam Jester King - Noble King Location: Austin, Texas Noble King is a medium strength, highly attenuated, unspiced farmhouse ale brewed with an abundance of organic noble hops and fermented with wild yeasts from the Texas Hill Country. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned. Beer style: Hoppy Farmhouse Saison 5.9% abv Serve 43–50° F Au Baron/Jester King - Noblesse Oblige Location: Gussignies, France A Biere De Garde (“beer for keeping") is a strong pale ale traditionally brewed in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. These beers were originally brewed in farmhouses (known as Farmhouse Ales) during the winter and spring, to avoid unpredictable problems with the yeast during the summertime. Brewed at Au Baron’s brewery in France in collaboration with Jester King. A lighter version of Cuvée des Jonquilles with honey and Simcoe, Cascade, and Sorachi Ace hops. Beer style: Bière de Garde 4.7% abv Serve 43–50° F
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