May the Brew Be With You

I am not a homebrewer but I know the vital importance of having them around to push the recipe envelope without having to sell their beers and to be a minor league from which new breweries can spring with new ideas.

And a cool new idea for the Big Brew 2024 on May 4th is to have a theme.  That theme? Homebrew recipes inspired by Star Wars.

The recipes are Degobah Dunkel, Jabba Juice Hazy IPA, A New Hope Pale Ale, Empire Strikes Back Dark Ale and rounding out the OG trilogy Return of the Jedi Pale Ale.  All OK names but I hope to see some deeper cuts like Ahsoka Amber or Order 66 Betr-Ale.

XMAS BEER – a little nightcap

The Bridgeport Big Brew series keeps picking up steam…
“Nightcap was created to mirror traditional liqueur or spirit nightcaps enjoyed in hopes of warming cold toes and noses prior to a long winter slumber. A malt driven brew, Nightcap begins with the enjoyable bitterness of Chinook hops and finishes with strong hints of vanilla. BridgePort brewers aged 33-percent of the brew in Makers Mark oak barrels for nearly a year – evidenced in the warm and spicy undertones of the brew. Because of its unusual aromatic scent, it is recommended that Nightcap be enjoyed in a tulip glass to allow for the full fragrance to escape.”

Bridgeport – Highland Ambush

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Reserve beers or special one-off’s are one of the reasons why craft beer is so great. And one of the series’ that I follow is the Big Brews from Bridgeport. Well, here comes one to please the BeerAdvocate crowd, who love it when the label says “barrels” & “bourbon”.
“First brewed in the 1980s as a special beer for the BrewPub at BRIDGEPORT Highland Ambush is making its triumphant return more than 20 years later. Stuart MacLean Ramsay, then pub manager, conceptualized the brew to pay homage to his Scottish heritage. This year’s Highland Ambush takes inspiration from the original ale using NW pale ale malt along with a Scottish crystal and roast malt. The hopping rate of Highland Ambush has been toned down to help highlight the complementing vanilla from the American oak bourbon barrels and caramel-toffee malt nuances. Reddish-Brown in color, Highland Ambush will warm the coldest of toes and noses this holiday season.”