Topic Archives: Hibiscus
Epic Rosé Sour Ale is a triumph of a wine-inspired wild ale
There are plenty of rośe inspired beers in the beer market right now. While they almost incorporate grapes, Epic Brewing Rośe, from the brewery’s Oak & Orchard Series, achieves a rose flavor with strawberries and an “epic” house mixed culture wild ale.
Epic Brewing’s sour program continues to impress us. Recent Oak & Orchard releases like Strawberry Rhubarb, and Pink Guava were some of the best American wild ales we tried at Beer Street Journal in 2018. (Incidentally, their Quadruple Barrel Baptist was one of our 2018 favorites as well.) Rośe Ale truly keeps this impressive flavor journey alive and well into a new year.
Strawberries, hibiscus, and rose hips are part of the approach for Epic Rośe. Each sip is a wash of oaky tart strawberry flavors, with a light, lingering floral aroma on your palate. The rose hips and hibiscus are perfectly subtle. This might be more enjoyable the sipping actual rośe wine. Far less sugary, and in our opinion, far more complex than any pink wine you’ll find at the same price point.
American wild ales grow in popularity in the United States every year. If you don’t know what to look out for, let us help. Don’t dare sleep on Epic’s Oak & Orchard Series. We fought over the last sips of Pink Guava, and sipping this Rośe Ale in the sun with hints of spring in the air made for a downright poetic drinking experience.
We can’t wait to see what the brewery does next ?.
Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Rose Hips. Hibiscus. Strawberries. Oak Aged.)
Hops: Tettnang
Malts: Pilsner, White Wheat, Spelt, Flaked Oats
Availability: 12.7oz Bottles
Debut: February 2019
7.1% ABV
Highland Slow Crush in May that tastes like an Aperol Cocktail
Highland Slow Crush Tart Spritz Ale will join Asheville, North Carolina’s oldest brewery’s lineup in May.
After speaking with Highland Brewing this morning, it’s very evident the team is excited about this new release. Slow Crush, subtitled a “tart spritz ale”, is a kettle sour that mimics the Aperol Spritz cocktail.
To achieve this, Highland used a few botanicals you don’t find very often in beer – gentian root, cinchona bark, and hibiscus flowers. They contribute the kettle soured base beer, brewed with flaked rye malt and Citra and Amarillo hops. The result according to the brewery is an effervescent beer with a refreshing acidity that is perfect for any occasion.
“This is a dynamic time in the industry and at Highland.We are exploring what Highland beer can be and creating beers that are different from anything we have ever done before. Slow Crush refers to the tradition of gruits and aperitifs and the way that brewers and distillers tried to achieve balance with different herbs and spices… – Trace Redmond, R&D Brewer
Highland Slow Crush will be available in 16-ounce cans year-round starting in May 2019.
Style: Kettle Sour Ale (w/ Cinchona Bark. Hibiscus Flowers. Gentian Root.)
Hops: Citra, Amarillo
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Year-Round
Debut: May 2019
5% 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 Hibiscus Gose debuts in cans in April
Boulevard Hibiscus Gose will debut in cans in April.
This floral gose started as a Boulevard holiday beer years ago, bottled briefly in the brewery’s Backroads Series in 2014. Boulevard Hibiscus Gose is created by adding sea salt during the boiling process, along with coriander. During the whirlpool process, Boulevard infuses the wort with dried hibiscus flowers.
A slightly salty aroma with a touch of coriander and citrus/cherry notes wafts from the beer. The leading flavor is a lemony tartness obtained from the brewhouse souring process with subtle salt and coriander notes. Hibiscus Gose finishes crisp and dry with a slightly lingering sourness that’s tempered by the sea salt, coriander, and hibiscus flowers.
Boulevard Hibiscus Gose debuts in the brewery’s home city of Kansas City, Missouri on April 2nd. Expect 12-ounce cans and draft in the brewery’s other regions shortly after launch.
Style: Gose (Hibiscus, Coriander, Sea Salt)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Debut (Cans): 4/2/18
4.2% ABV
Image: Boulevard Brewing
Mixed Culture Saison: Burial The Veil Behind the Curtain welcomes Spring
Burial The Veil Behind the Curtain debuts today marking the first day of spring.
The decay of Winter’s final demise has fallen, says Asheville’s Burial Beer. Today marks the first day of spring, and with it comes this fermented tribute. The brewery’s Keeper’s Veil Honey Saison has been aged in wood and refermented with a flower blend of chamomile, hibiscus, passionflower, elderflower, and lavender.
The beer is vibrantly botanical with notes of cranberry, lemon zest and rhubarb, and a quaffable acidity.
Each bottle is hand-dipped in beeswax and rolled in a blend of flowers. Limited to the brewery starting March 20th at a special brewery event. No distribution.
Style: Saison (w/ Honey. Chamomile, Hibiscus, Passionflower, Elderflower, Lavender. Oak Aged)
Availability: 750ml Bottles. Brewery only.
Debut: 3/20/18
?? ABV
The Veil Brewing #LadyBrozNightOut releases, benefiting a great cause
The Veil Brewing #LadyBrozNightOut debuts today at the brewery in Richmond, Virginia.
This “lady” edition of Veil’s Broz Night Out, #LadyBrozNightOut is a 100% Citra hopped imperial IPA, brewed with healthy dose of hibiscus. As you can see in the picture above, the resulting beer pours a beautiful red color.
RELATED: The Veil Brewing Unique Friendshipz
A portion of the sales of this beer will benefit the Pink Ink Fund, a non-profit dedicated to aid people needing assistance with their post mastectomy tattoo needs as part of their Breast Reconstruction due to Breast Cancer and/or breast cancer susceptibility gene diagnosis.
The Veil Brewing #LadyBrozNightOut will be available in 16 ounce cans and draft when the brewery opens on April 18th.
Style: Imperial IPA (w/ Hibiscus)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: 4/18/17
9% ABV
Image: The Veil Brewing
