Jester King Brewery
Jester King La Vie en Rose shares fruit one of the brewery’s most famous releases
Jester King La Vie en Rose is back in action on Friday, September 1st. The farmhouse ale is fermented in stainless steel with raspberries. Those berries have a story though. Keep reading.
When these berries hit the beer, it’s not the first time they’ve touched a Jester King beer. “Rose” uses the spent raspberries from one of the brewery’s most popular releases – Atrial Rubicite. Taking a cue from Brasserie Cantillon, Jester King wanted to get a second extraction from the fruit. Why? After fermenting the first beer, the berries still had a lot of flavor and aroma that could be used during the fermentation process.
Taking a cue from Brasserie Cantillon, Jester King wanted to get a second extraction from the fruit. Why? After fermenting the first beer, the berries still had a lot of flavor and aroma that could be used during the fermentation process.
The base beer for Jester King La Vie in Rose was pumped into tanks that still contained raspberries and a little bit of fermented Atrical Rubicite. The brewery approaches adding fruit to beer the same way grapes become wine. Fruit (in this case, raspberries) is a part of the fermentation process, not added to the finished beer. The final flavors end of being very different.
For past releases, La Vie en Rose was fermented for four months. Month one was house yeast. After that, natural Texas Hill Country yeast and Brettanomyces, and other souring bacteria did the work.
Jester King La Vie en Rose will be available at the brewery on Friday, September 1st.
Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Raspberries)
Hops: Golding, Fuggles, Perle
Malts: Pilsner Malt, Wheat Malt, Steel Cut Oats
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.
Latest Return: 9/1/17
5.8% ABV
La Vie en Rose translates to “Life in Pink” Artist Joshua Cockrell explains the vision:
“It speaks firstly to a mainstream ignorance of viewing what progress has been made as a confirmation that the struggle for gender equality is over or nonexistent, i.e. viewing the current gender equality climate through rose colored lenses. The literal translation transmits the idea of containment of the female role in society, and on a larger scale the burden of gender and beauty constructs. The color pink itself is a great and obvious example of gender confinement. I love that while drinking this beer you have the physical experience of rose colored lenses giving you a reminder again to reflect on the topic.”
The largest batch ever of Jester King Atrial Rubicite debuts this weekend
Jester King Atrial Rubicite, the brewery’s highly sought after wild ale with raspberries, returns on July 21st.
This release is the seventh blend of Atrial Rubicite. Jester King adds several hundred pounds of Washington raspberries to oak barrels already containing a mature sour beer and then allowed it to re-ferment.
Washington raspberries were added to mature barrel-aged sure beer and re-fermented to dryness. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and naturally carbonated.
Jester King Atrial Rubicite was the brewery’s first barrel aged sour beer containing fruit. The 2017 blend also marks the largest release to date. – 8,800 bottles. Customers attending the brewery release this weekend can purchase one of 150 magnum bottles (1.5L/$65) that will be available.
Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Raspberries. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 500mL bottles, 1.5L bottles.
Return: 7/21/17
5.8% ABV
Image: Beer Street Journal
Jester King Cherry Funk Metal, a fruited sour stout
Jester King Cherry Funk Metal debuts July 7th.
Earlier this year when the Austin, Texas based brewery was blending Funk Metal (a sour barrel-aged stout), they split off a portion of the blend. That blend was re-fermented with Balaton cherries.
Jester King Cherry Funk Metal will be available in 750 milliliter bottles, available starting a 4 pm on release day. $22 dollars each.
Style: Sour/Wild Ale (w/ Cherries)
Availability: 750ml Bottles (1,300 available)
Debut: 7/7/17
9.5% ABV
Image: Jester King
Jester King Montmorency vs Balaton, Batch 4 debuts June 16th
Jester King Montmorency vs Balaton (Batch 4) will be available on June 16th.
The name, Montmorency vs. Balaton describes the two types of cherries that make this release. The base beer is pale wort (basically what would be a pale ale) that is fermented in foudres and stainless steel tanks, then transferred to neutral oak barrels for as long a 14 months.
The barrel are then blended, then re-fermented with four pounds per gallon of the Michigan cherries.
Jester King Montmorency vs Balaton finishes at 6.1% alcohol by volume. Available in 500 milliliter bottles and draft starting Friday, June 16th at the brewery in Austin, Texas.
Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Cherries)
Availability: 500ml Bottles, Draft.
Latest Return: 6/16/17
6.1% ABV
Image: Jester King
SweetWater Black Lager will be Hatchery Release #3
SweetWater Black Lager is slated to be the third release from the brewery’s pilot system “The Hatchery”.
For the first time in 20 years, Atlanta’s largest craft brewery has a pilot system. The inaugural release was Mosaic IPA (a beer we hope they upscale to full production). Available now is Mexican Lager, perfect for the 90 degree Atlanta days.
Up next is SweetWater Black Lager (aka Schwarzbier), expected in late summer/fall.
Malt forward with chocolate and cashew, balanced with hops sitting quietly in the background.
SweetWater Black Lager will be available in 12 ounce bottles and draft. The Hatchery Series beers can be found in the brewery’s mixed packs, and in 6-packs at the brewery.
Style: Schwarzbier
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: Late Summer/Fall, 2017
5% ABV
It’s all about the bees. Jester King Queen’s Order
Jester King Queen’s Order debuts at the brewery in Austin, Texas on May 19th.
The base beer is a farmhouse ale brewed with Texas-grown Eureka and Ujukitsu lemons, along with Texas Guajillo honey.Brewed back in February of the year, Jester King Queen’s Order was fermented in stainless steel with a blend of native yeast and bacteria.
“Queen’s Order” is a nod to the 1,000s of little workers that make the sticky, delicious nectar both in Texas and beyond. Austin is home to the National Honey Beer Summit taking place later this month.
Look at them crank. These are the tiny, well-oiled gears of an industry. They are paragons of fealty; each of their lifespans represents the durability of a replaceable component in a machine built for another’s purpose. It is fascinating to watch them buzz along endlessly like characters in their own dystopian novel, unaware of their audience and unable to afford a single thought beyond the Queen’s Order.
Jester King Queen’s Order will be available in 750 milliliter bottles and draft when the brewery opens on May 19th.
Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Honey. Lemons.)
Hops: Perle
Malts: Pilsner, Spelt, Rolled Oats
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: 5/19/17
4% ABV
Jester King Rare Corals, featuring a ton of fruit
Jester King Rare Corals, a new farmhouse ale, debuts on March 31st.
A farmhouse ale is nothing new for Jester King. Check out this fruit lineup though. Rare Corals has been re-fermented with guava, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe, toasted coconut, and chamomile. All in all, around 1,200 pounds fruit.
The base beer was brewed in September of 2016, and fermented in stainless steel with Jester King’s mixed culture of native yeast and bacteria.
Jester King Rare Corals will be available in 750 milliliter bottles when the brewery opens on March 31st.
Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Guava, Bananas, Strawberries, Cantaloupe, Coconut, Chamoilie.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft. 2,000 bottle run.
Debut: 3/31/17
5.3% ABV, 22 IBUs