Spring has sprung…is that correct?
It is hard to believe that winter has officially come to an end. The sound of birds chirping has caused a wonderful revitalization in me each day as I leave my home before the sun makes an appearance. It allows me to think in a clearer vision about what I want to achieve for this season. What beers to produce, what foods to eat, and what music is blasting in the brewery as I start my day.
I traditionally find spring beer to be a difficult medium to work with. Personally, I begin craving hoppy beer, especially after the tendrils of winter hold me in a robust, malty grasp. With the desire for IPA and hoppy styles year round I find it challenging to view what others want in their spring beers.
I find myself glancing at the aisles of seasonal ales and lagers produced by local breweries, as well as the more well distributed larger craft breweries for inspiration. I find many take a shift toward soft Belgian styles such as witbier, saison, and Belgian pale ales. Others produce delicately hopped ales to show the blossoming and transcendence of the seasons. Yet many rely on the luck of the Irish for their brews and tempt our taste buds with dry stouts, red ales, and crisp golden lagers.
I find spring is a strange season for beer. It is a season where really anything goes. It is still cool enough for a rich malty beer, something perhaps with a bit of roast; and yet the warmer weather brings out new flowers, aromas, green which reminds us of hops, spices, floral aromas, and a need for something lighter.
I wanted to address several areas of spring this year and feel that I have accomplished just that.
Wolf Tooth, our white IPA was the first installment of spring. Blending two worlds, Belgian witbier and American IPA. Fruity with a nice hint of wheat and powerful fruity American and Pacific Rim hops blended together for an adventurous beer.
As a lover of lager beer, I wanted to put out something that blended the cool nights of early spring, but the longer and slightly warmer days where we maybe want something more crisp and clean. Groffelstein, a Dortmunder Export lager seemed to meet that. A crisp German lager with soft malty sweetness, hops that balance and offer a hint of earthy spice, a clean dry finish, but a bit of body and higher alcohol to keep you warm and full as the sun sets.
To truly celebrate the Vernal Equinox and my need for hoppy beers in the spring I brewed an American wheat, single hopped with a new hop variety Equinox. I wanted to create a beer with a solid wheat base for a soft malty sweetness blended with a hop that reminded me of spring. Equinox seemed just right! This hop has hints of lemon, new growth pine, a bit of papaya and strong wildflower notes. This golden elixir puts you into a place where you might envision sitting in an awakening forest, flowers, bees, birds, all sorts of things coming out of hibernation or returning home for the summer.
Lastly, is a unique beer I mentioned earlier. While I am still working on a name for this beer I find it ever changing and growing; flavors waking up daily just like nature is waking up from its long winter slumber. A wheat base…similar to a witbier keeping the beer as light in color as I could, I added a portion of Pinot Noir must (juice) to the fermenting beer. Belgian abbey yeast lends its flavors of peach, red plum, and black pepper to the grape must which offers subtle hints of vanilla, spice, chocolate, and dark cherry. With such a pale base beer the must has lent a bit of color to the beer leaving it a hazy blush. Look for this beer late next week!
With the arrival of spring and some unique spring beers flowing it is time to start thinking about summer beers and which one will occupy my one of my fermenters first. In the meantime swing by The Tap and have a pint or two as the weather begins to warm-up! Cheers!