Brouwerij Bavik will be shipping an double version of their white ale stateside this winter, Winter White Ale. A double wit ale, appearing in 750ml bottles.
Shock Top’s new seasonal collection is upon us. The first release is Shock Top Pumpkin. From the sales sheet; Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat is a traditional Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with ripe pumpkins and a variety of autumnal spices, including nutmeg, Continue Reading →
Shock Top is adding a 3rd beer to the lineup this year – Shock Top Pumpkin. This beer will kick off a seasonal series. There is no artwork available yet for the bottles.
This beer style is over 400 years old, and continues to enjoy overwhelming popularity. Offering low hop bitterness, it is easy to enjoy. It pours very hazy, with a light gold color… we say Continue Reading →
The Pike Brewing Company is releasing Dry Wit on May 1, 2011. It’s a spicy wheat beer, perfect for summer. Dry Wit won an award from the Good Food Awards in January.
What You Need To Know:
The beer is a mixture of organic malts – two row pale, malted & unmalted wheat. Belgian aromatic malts & carastan malts are added too. The spices added to the whirlpool (post boil) include and infusion of dried orange peel, coriander, chamomile, & organic lavender. It’s fermented at a toasty 71 degrees with a Trappist yeast.
Namaste was first conceptualized in 2009. Sam from Dogfish Head was travelling around Belgium with some other big names in American brewing (Tomme Arthur, Adam Avery, Rob Todd, Vinnie Ciluruzo.) One of the Belgian destinations was 3 Fonteinen Brewery. The Continue Reading →
Troegs Brewing (Harrisburg, PA) released #47 in their Scratch series today, a white beer. John Troegner, Brewmaster:
Our second foray into the white ale world comes with a little less and a little more from our first endeavor. We’ve reduced the gravity a bit to lower the ABV but dramatically increased the pepper and coriander, as well as adding locally-grown, organic unmalted winter wheat. The coriander, sweet and bitter orange peel, black pepper and star anise were added to the hopback to intensify these diverse flavors.
With a dense haze from the unmalted wheat and a foamy white head, Scratch #47 incorporates citrus and spicy aroma notes with a hint of licorice from the star anise. The spices are offset by a doughy taste and the Lachouffe yeast gives a cidery finish.
Codename: Wit (or Witout) Two Hops: Magnum, Saaz Malt: Pils, White Wheat, Unmalted Winter Wheat (local/organic), Oats Juju: Coriander, Sweet & Bitter Orange Peel, Black Pepper, Star Anise Yeast: Lachouffe/Ardennes
Brouwerij Bavik will be shipping an double version of their white ale stateside this winter, Winter White Ale. A double wit ale, appearing in 750ml bottles.
Shock Top’s new seasonal collection is upon us. The first release is Shock Top Pumpkin. From the sales sheet; Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat is a traditional Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with ripe pumpkins and a variety of autumnal spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, for a refreshingly smooth beer that fully captures all the flavors of fall.
Label:
Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with ripe pumpkins, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Pour down side of glass until 1/2 inch is left in bottle. Swirl and pour remaining beer to properly blend spices and release the aroma and flavor. Enjoy!
Style: Witbier, with pumpkin Availability: 120z/6pks,Draft. Arrival: Estimated August, 2011.
Shock Top is adding a 3rd beer to the lineup this year – Shock Top Pumpkin. This beer will kick off a seasonal series. There is no artwork available yet for the bottles.
Per the sales sheet:
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat is a traditional Belgian style wheat ale brewed with ripe pumpkins and a variety of autumnal spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, for a refreshingly smooth beer that fully captures all the flavors of fall.
This beer style is over 400 years old, and continues to enjoy overwhelming popularity. Offering low hop bitterness, it is easy to enjoy. It pours very hazy, with a light gold color… we say it’s like summertime in a glass. Bitter orange peel and fresh coriander add zest and depth to this refreshing beer.
The Pike Brewing Company is releasing Dry Wit on May 1, 2011. It’s a spicy wheat beer, perfect for summer. Dry Wit won an award from the Good Food Awards in January.
What You Need To Know:
The beer is a mixture of organic malts – two row pale, malted & unmalted wheat. Belgian aromatic malts & carastan malts are added too. The spices added to the whirlpool (post boil) include and infusion of dried orange peel, coriander, chamomile, & organic lavender. It’s fermented at a toasty 71 degrees with a Trappist yeast.
April 25, 2011-Seattle, WA. Pike Dry Wit to be Released May 1, 2011
Recipient of the Good Food Award for Taste and Sustainability.Alice Waters, representing the Good Food Awards, presented Pike Brewing Company with an award for Dry Wit, wheat beer seasoned with spices and herbs, at the first annual Good Food Awards Ceremony which took place in San Francisco on January 14, 2011.
Because Pike Dry Wit is our summer seasonal beer, we are announcing this award along with its release (May 1,2011).
How is it Brewed:
Pike Dry Wit begins with a mixture of 68% organic two row pale malt and 25% organic malted and unmalted wheat, in addition to a small amount of Belgian aromatic and Carastan malts. The cereal is cracked and lifted to the grist case in a bucket elevator where it begins its descent by gravity into the mash ton and then into the 900+ gallon, steam-heated brew kettle, where two pounds of Nuggets hops are added at the beginning of the boil and five pounds of Cascade hops are added in the last 20 minutes of the 75 minute wort boil. One floor below, in the brewery itself, the wort is cooled to 71 degrees and centrifuged. In the whirlpool an infusion of dried orange peel, coriander, chamomile, and organic lavender from Pelindaba Lavender Farms, San Juan Island, Washington, are added in order to give additional character and flavor to the golden-colored elixir. Fermentation takes place at 71 degrees with a strain of yeast that originated at a Trappist Monastery in Belgium.
Because Dry Wit is unfiltered, it is slightly turbid in the glass, looking like spun gold when held to the light. The nose is spicy and slightly sweet though the beer finishes dry. The Pike Pub garnishes pints with a thin slice of orange; Dry Wit is a beer for sunny skies, light meals, like salads and cold soups.It is also beautiful with its garnish as a standalone beverage; as refreshing and delicious and wholesome liquid spiced-bread.
A Little Background:
The Pike Brewing Company was founded by Charles and Rose Ann Finkel in 1989 and initially brewed British style beers like Pike Pale, IPA, XXXXX Stout and Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale. The Finkels sold Pike in 1997 and bought it back eight years later. According to Charles, who began marketing craft beer in 1978 and was the first to introduce Belgium beers in America, “when we sold the company, Belgian beers and Belgian-style beers brewed by American Craft breweries were only a moderate success. By the time we reacquired Pike, they were a phenomena.” Pike obtained proper yeast and began brewing these normally higher alcohol, slightly sweeter styles. Tandem Double and Monks Uncle Tripel were the first to be brewed and are now an important part of the brewery’s offerings. “People love the fruity flavor of these beers, but they are quite strong,” according to Rose Ann Finkel. For summertime drinking we were interested in creating a beer that had these rich flavor characteristics but was lower in alcohol. Pike Dry Wit was born in 2010.
The History of Wit Beer:
Wit is the Dutch word for white, or wheat, seasoned with available fresh and dried herbs and spices. Since the Low Countries were seafarers and traders, orange peel from Italy and Spain, coriander from India, and locally grown chamomile were used. Pike uses traditional spices along with organic Washington State lavender to add complexity to the subtle seasoning. In The Middle Ages, Wit was one of the most popular styles. By the 1980s, the style had become extinct until Pierre Celis, a milkman from Hoegaarden, Belgium, who remembered how wonderful this taste was from his youth, resurrected an old brewery and introduced the style to incredible acclaim. “Pierre Celis was a friend and mentor. We are proud to carry on the tradition that he started,” says Charles.
The Good Food Awards:
The Good Food Awards were created through a collaboration of food producers, farmers, food journalists and independent grocers organized by Seedling Projects. This team nominated judges from across the country to select the 71 winners from among seven categories, including beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles, and preserves. Nine beers were chosen by six beer judges. Winners were honored in a special ceremony hosted by Alice Waters in San Francisco. According to The Good Food Awards, “For a long time, certifications for responsible food production and awards for superior taste have remained distinct; one honors social and environmental responsibility, while the other celebrates flavor. The Good Food Awards recognize that truly good food, the kind that brings people together and builds strong, healthy communities, contains all of these ingredients. We take a comprehensive view, honoring people who make food that is delicious, respectful of the environment, and connected to communities and cultural traditions.”
Namaste was first conceptualized in 2009. Sam from Dogfish Head was travelling around Belgium with some other big names in American brewing (Tomme Arthur, Adam Avery, Rob Todd, Vinnie Ciluruzo.) One of the Belgian destinations was 3 Fonteinen Brewery. The Belgian home of geuze, lambics, blondes & more. The brewers of 3 Fonteinen has a planned a trip to Delaware to visit Dogfish, but were forced to cancel when the brewery was met with “tragedy.” A thermostat broke, ruining almost 100,000 bottles of aging Belgian beers. That equates to nearly 1/3 of their total production. Devastating at best.
Namaste was brewed with Leo from Birra del Borgo (same peeps as My Antonia) as a tribute to 3 Fonteinen. It’s a Belgian white ale brewed with orange slices, fresh cut lemongrass, and coriander. In 2010, production of Namaste was ramped up, and in 2011 it arrives again.
Namaste: The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. In other words it is a show of mutual respect and admiration – a great single word summary of the inspiration behind this brew
