Hybrids are the latest obsession of modern craft brewers: the experimental men and women in the brewhouses are no longer satisfied with simply making beer from water, hops, malt and yeast. Instead, they venture into unconventional raw materials, barrel aging and innovative techniques. Marrying beer and wine is one of these techniques and was initially met with resistance in the industry. If you believe traditionalists, wine has no place in beer.
The charming, surprisingly tasty hybrids speak against it.
One of these extremely successful hybrids comes from the pen of Freigeist Bierkultur and her friends from Stillwater Artisanal. The Sauerland-American team chose the award-winning 2017 Pinot Noir from the Andrea Mann winery in Rheinhessen to ferment with their Wild Ale. The ale is nicknamed “wild” because it was spontaneously fermented using wild yeasts. These special yeasts stick to fruit peels and populate the air. They are significantly less controllable and assessable, which is why only the bravest brewers deal with them. Freigeist Bierkultur has specialized in the use of these unpredictable creatures and has once again proven with their Hybrid Sequence 0.009 that they know what they are doing.
The oak-aged brew combines the dry, sour fruitiness of good red wine with the spicy yeast and velvety malt of beer. Fine!
Freigeist BierkulturWater, barley malt , wheat malt , wine, hops, yeast
