Absolutely exploding with gratitude today, as I have the opportunity to share my passion for wild beer with some of the leading executive chefs and hospitality leaders in the country at the Culinary Institute of America’s 2023 Flavor Summit.
Each year, the Flavor Summit brings a select group of top food and beverage directors, corporate and executive chefs, and other experts in American foodservice to explore, discuss, and taste their way through a stimulating, critical set of hospitality issues related to kitchen and dining management.
Thanks so much to my friends at Trillium Brewing Company, The Veil Brewing Co., Russian River Brewing Company, and Primitive Beer for the helping me build this most remarkable tasting flight and for letting me share the stories of these beautiful beers. And a special thank you to Jennifer Breckner for inviting me to present to such an incredible group of tastemakers.e
Here’s the flight that I presented to the group
Fated Farmer Peach (2020)
For Trillium, the Fated Farmer Series is a landmark step toward realizing their foundational vision for the brewery–Build a place that intuitively celebrates the intersection of New England farming, agriculture, brewing, and integrated community experience. The grist of each of the dynamic Fated Farmer wild ales is set on the structure of Valley Malt and is barrel fermented in 500L puncheons with our Native New England Wild Culture and aged for 5-7 months, before refermenting on freshly harvested fruit.
A light inviting aroma of ripe peach flesh is followed by refreshing, delicate stone fruit flavor with a mild lactic sourness. Mid palate brings a subtle depth reminiscent of a funky farmhouse cheese character from the aged hops. Complementing the clean, bright flavors is a downy, effervescent mouthfeel tied together with tannic structure and soft bitterness.
STYLE: Barrel Fermented Wild Ale
ABV: 6.1%
As I Am
As I Am is a Sauvignon Blanc inspired Mixed Fermie™ barrel fermented and aged in French oak freshly dumped Sauvignon Blanc barrels. As I Am starts with a delicate, simplistic malt base, then is gently hopped with Hallertau Blanc hops. It was then fermented in oak with an expressive blend of our favorite farmhouse style yeast, our favorite wild yeast, and Sauvignon Blanc yeast. Spending almost a year in oak, we carefully monitored the acid development and extracted the beer from oak at the perfect moment to ensure a resemblance of an acid profile of a highly drinkable French Sauivignon Blanc. Naturally carbonated and bottle conditioned for 13 months. The intent of this beer was to do our best to represent a style of wine that we are fond of, all without the use of grapes. Graceful notes of soft white peach, juicy honeydew melon, zippy lime, subtle fresh cut grass, ruby red grapefruit chunks, faint fennel, with an elegant minerality.
STYLE: Sauvignon Blanc inspired Mixed Fermentation Farmhouse Saison
ABV: 7.3%
Supplication
Brown Ale aged in used Pinot Noir barrels from local Sonoma County wineries. It is aged for about 12 months with sour cherries, brettanomyces, lactobacillus, and pediococcus added to each barrel. Flavors from the cherries, Pinot Noir and oak balance each other nicely with a little funk from the brett.
STYLE: Barrel Aged Brown Ale Refermented on Wild Cherries
ABV: 7.0%
Cursed Heirloom: Rye Whiskey
A blend of 3-, 2-, and 1-Year Méthode Traditionnelle spontaneous beer. All Colorado-grown ingredients were used in the brewing process. The mature component was aged one year in fresh Rye Whiskey barrels and the 1-year component was used as the fuel for bottle conditioning!
We love the balance of this beer because it’s restrained acidity lets the spirit barrel-derived flavors and aromas really sing! On the nose we get big spicy American oak and find each sip is like walking in a wet coniferous forest that houses a rich under story gilded with mushrooms. While still light and drinkable the balance of this beer leans more to the moody and contemplative side of the spectrum.
STYLE: Spontaneous Ale Aged in Fresh Rye Whiskey Barrels
ABV: 7.2%
