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I am starting to see a shift in IPA’s where there is a huge IPA with multiple hops and then a fruit is added too.
Recent example being the collaboration between Anderson Valley Brewing with Sudwerk Brewing that has three hops, clocks in at 8 1/2% and has apricots. Maybe those three hops gave a hint of the stonefruit and more was desired?
Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks division has gotten in the mood with Sante Adairius Rustic Ales for “Big Mood”, “a new wild child crafted with Blenheim apricots and white wine grapes.
Here is more info on the collaboration
Jim “Crooks used the Sante Adairius yeast to ferment 2,000 pounds of Blenheim variety apricots sourced from Sante Adairius’ supplier in Hollister, California—enough to fill 50 oak barrels of beer, which underwent six months of aging. This apricot beer was then blended with a special selection of barrel-aged wine hybrid lots dating back to the 2017 vintage, all made with local Santa Barbara County white wine grapes.”
I like blended beers because it is such an art meets science moment.
Mixing two strong fruit flavors in the process just adds difficulty. But if anybody can pull it off, Ommegang can. Plus it is in a 12oz can, which is a great serving size for a tart beer.
Put together two sour blenders with great pedigree and you just might come up with something like Big Mood, a combo of BarrelWorks and Sante Adairus. Then French Oak and apricots to go along with the wine grapes.
Following independent beer can sometimes feel like you are following farmer’s markets. All sorts of fruits are used and many times, it is the fruit from the source, like this Apricot DIPA from Transplants Brewing...
Be it Masumoto, Schaner’s or Whalley’s. Keep track of brewery social media and support these farm to bottle products.
Personally, a Cuddlebug sounds more dangerous than a Sabre Toothed Squirrel.
But a sour blonde with both peaches and apricots sounds too delicious to pass up. And at $12 a bottle, it is on the easier to purchase side than others on the market.
If you are a stonefruit fan then head to Smog City tomorrow and pick up a bottle or two. And if they have any other sours on, give them a try too.
Looks like Hangar 24 is ramping up the Barrel Roll series again. I missed the first two of the series but starting with # 3 Pugachev’s Cobra was not a bad way to go but I am glad that they are heading into sour territory with Chandelle. It is a good change of pace from the barleywine, Hammerhead and it uses the apricots that they are famous for with their wonderful Polycot beer.
On Tuesday morning, I ventured an hour and a half (no traffic, thank goodness) to Redlands and Hangar 24 Brewery to help in the creation of….
“Polycot is a wheat beer brewed with hundreds of pounds of organic apricots grown in Southern California’s High Desert. We brew this beer during the very small window of time when the apricots are at their peak of freshness, usually early July. The pureed apricots add a wonderful fruit flavor to the beer and combine with the wheat for a refreshing tart finish. This beer goes down smooth, but at over 1.5 times the alcohol of the Orange Wheat, it will sneak up on you.”
I pitted for three hours in between chatting fellow volunteers and drinking Polycot 2011 and the Hangar 24 DIPA.
The Hangar crew would bring out a pallet of apricots (1 pallet = 1 batch) and the volunteers would grab a box take the sticker off the apricots, remove the pit and toss the fruit into a collection bucket.
There were a lot of apricots but the buckets of fruit filled up pretty fast.
And despite apricot stained fingers, it was a fun way to be a small part of the brewing process and I will be able to proudly hold a glass of 2012 Polycot and say that I helped to make it happen.