Topic Archives: Grapes
Shiner releases Rose Pale Ale, aged in wine barrels
Shiner Rośe Pale Ale, a new limited seasonal arrives ahead of Spring.
You don’t hear barrel-aging and the brewers of famed Shiner Bock in the same sentence. For the second time in months, the brewery is releasing a barrel-aged beer.
Rośe Pale Ale is a collaboration with Tyler, Texas-based Kiepersol Vineyards. Shiner uses a blend of ales fermented with grape must, and aged in the winery’s white oak wine barrels.
The base beer is brewed solely with Idaho-7 hops. The final beer’s flavor is touted as having flavors of “stone fruit, sticky pine, with earthy black tea notes, with a dry, oaky finish.”
Shiner Rośe Pale Ale is available nationally for a limited time in 12-ounce bottles and draft.
Style: Pale Ale (w/ Grape Must. Wine Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: March 2019
?? ABV
Monday Night Vinology Syrah is the 1st chapter in new wild ale series
Monday Night Vinology Syrah debuts this weekend, signaling a new series of “hybridized” American wild ales from the Atlanta based brewery.
This first chapter in a coming series of “hybridized” wild ales. Vinology Syrah is fermented it oak with its namesake Syrah grapes. According to the brewery, drinking this with your wine-loving friends will “blow your collective minds”.
Monday Night Vinology Syrah debuts at the brewery’s Garage location on March 2nd.
Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Syrah Grapes.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Debut: 3/2/19
4.7% ABV
Firestone Walker takes beer & wine hybrid beers to a new level with “Rosalie”
Inspired by the wine country that surrounds the brewery, Firestone Walker Rosalie debuts year-round this month.
Paso Robles, California, the home of Firestone Walker Brewing Company is known to the rest of the world as a premier wine region. The brewery was even constructed on the Firestone family winery. If that influence isn’t enough, local winemakers are always asked to assist in creating Firestone’s annual Anniversary blend.
The path to Rosalie started in September of 2018 when Castoro Winery harvested 200 tons of wine grapes for Firestone Walker. Grape varieties included Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Muscat Canelli, and Orange Muscat. Chardonnay grapes were tapped to take the flavor profile lead, but brewmaster Matt Brynildson wanted other varieties. “The Chardonnay provides these crowd-pleasing textures and flavors. But we also wanted to weave in the other grape varieties to lift the aromas and add complexity,” he says.
The goal with Firestone Walker Rosalie is to create a beer with the body of rosé wine. A cross-over creation, that blurs the line between beer and wine. The acid profile of a rosé can’t be achieved with normal yeast and malts, so the brewery used some souring techniques to achieve this.
A lightly hopped, pilsner malt heavy wort was created, and blended with pressed grape juice. By co-fermenting the wort with the grape juice, the brewery is essentially making beer and wine at the same time.
Where hops would have been added whirlpool step of the brewing process, Firestone Walker opted to use hibiscus petals. This gives Rosalie it’s pink, rosé wine style coloring, with an extra touch of citric acid which brightens up the palate beer. The result of this complicated brewing process? It would seem like one of the most cutting edge beer and wine hybrids created yet.
Look for Firestone Walker Rosalie in 12-ounce cans year-round this month. Draft will launch in April 2019.
Style: Hybrid Beer (w/ Grapes. Hibiscus.)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Year-Round.
Debut: January 2019
5% ABV
Image: Firestone Walker
Rosé all day? Ommegang Saison Rosé arrives for summer
Ommegang Saison Rose is debuting ahead of summer.
Rosé wine surges in popularity as temperatures rise. Beer is bringing their own version of the pink stuff, thanks to Ommegang and their new Saison Rosé.
Blending beer is nothing new to Brewery Ommegang. Their Three Philosophers is a blended beer that debuted in 2002. Saison Rosé is also blended, that starts as light saison brewed with hibiscus flowers. It is then fermented in stainless steel with chardonnay grape juices.
The grape juice/hibiscus saison is then blended with what the brewery calls a “heartier” oak-aged saison with strong tannic notes.
Aromas of grapefruit and red berries are followed by a hint of oak. Flavors of sweet berries and lightly-tart citrus resolve to subtle oak tannins and spicy Belgian yeast. The beer is light-bodied with a soft mouthfeel, crisp, dry finish…
Ommegang Saison Rosé is available in 12-ounce bottles and draft for a limited time in summer 2018.
Style: Saison (w/ Hibiscus Flowers. Chardonnay Grapes. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Summer Seasonal.
Debut: May 2018
7.7% ABV
Image: Ommegang
Boulevard Collaboration 7, created with Creature Comforts & Arizona Wilderness
Boulevard Collaboration 7 has officially debuted, a collaboration with Athens, Georgia based Creature Comforts and Gilbert, Arizona’s Arizona Wilderness.
This collaborator series has paired seen the likes of Deschutes Brewery, Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, Firestone Walker, Cigar City, Ommegang, and Orval. Boulevard Collaboration 7 is the first time a two breweries have been a part of the project at the same time.
The trio is creating a “juicy” lager for this seventh iteration, aged briefly on virgin oak. Juicy is an understating term, thanks to peach puree, lemon zest and riesling chosen to compliment carefully selected Nelson Sauvin, Lemondrop and Hallertau Blanc hops. The malt bill is quite complex too, brewed with pale malt, Sonoran White Wheat, Missouri wheat, honey malt and corn grits.
The finished beer is bottle conditioned with champagne yeast, producing an effervescent golden lager perfect for the late summer heat. Last year, Arizona Wilderness and Creature Comforts partnered on “Transmission“, a citrus saison.
Boulevard Collaboration 7 is now available in 12 ounce bottles and draft for a limited time.
Style: Lager (w/ Riesling Juice, Peach Puree, Lemon Zest. Oak Aged.)
Hops: Nelson Sauvin, Lemondrop, Hallertau Blanc
Malts: Pale Malt, Sonoran White Wheat, Missouri Wheat, Honey Malt, Corn Grits
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: August, 2017
6% ABV
Mikkeller Haze Cadet releases in San Diego
Mikkeller Haze Cadet debuts today in San Diego, California.
As the name suggests, Haze Cadet is a (hazy) New England style IPA, brewed with Riesling grape juice.
Mikkeller Haze Cadet is available in 16-ounce cans/4 packs for $20 each.
Style: IPA (w/ Riesling Juice)
Availability: 16oz Cans. Brewery only release.
Debut: 8/5/17
7% ABV
Image: Mikkeller San Diego
Jester King Biere de Lenoir (with Texas grapes)
Jester King Biere de Lenoir, a barrel-aged sour ale, debuts on February 10th.
The base beer is a blend of barrel-aged beers, brewed with fresh and aged hops, and Blacklands Malt, and Jester King’s house mixed culture of yeast and bacteria. Biere de Lenoir has been maturing in oak barrels for a mix of 8 to 14 months before blending and re-fermentation with Texas Lenoir grapes.
Finally, Jester King Biere de Lenoir is 100% naturally re-fermented, unfiltered, and unpasteurized.
500 mililiter bottles will go on sale at the brewery on February 10th, 2017.
Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Grapes. Barrel-Aged.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles (3,000 available)
Debut: 2/10/17
6.9% ABV, 11 IBUs
Image: Jester King
