Some of the most interesting craft brews out there are being born again as distilled liquors
For additional information on beer spirits please read this article: A Look into “Beer Spirits”
A SHOT of whiskey and a beer—the barfly’s alpha and omega—always seemed like a boozy marriage of convenience straight out of “Days of Wine and Roses.” The overt logic: efficient anaesthesia.
But beer and whiskey share a deeper affinity. Malt, yeast and water are the building blocks of both. In Germany, there’s a longstanding tradition of distilling beer into a spirit known as Bierbrand—a practice that’s been catching on worldwide over the last few years.
Here in the U.S., the end result is often categorized as whiskey, as in the R5 Whiskey from Charbay distillery, in Napa Valley. Distiller Marko Karakasevic was friendly with the brewers of Bear Republic’s Racer 5 IPA, and a fan of the beer. When he asked about getting enough of the brew to make a batch of whiskey, the response was enthusiastic. “Two weeks later a tanker truck showed up,” Mr. Karakasevic said. “They’re allowing me to take their gold-medal-winning beer and turn it into a Charbay product. It’s as badass as it gets.” It took 10 days of distilling 24 hours a day for Mr. Karakasevic and his father, Miles, to turn the 6,000 gallons of beer into 590 gallons of whiskey, which were then aged in French oak for 29 months.
Danish brewery Mikkeller only had to look to its own products for source material. Owner Mikkel Borg Bjergsø said, “In Scandinavia we have a long tradition of making aquavit and bitters, but not the spirits we are doing. When we decided to do spirits, it was inspired by the U.S.”
Mr. Karakasevic even suggested it’s time to give the old shot and a beer another chance. “You can say, This is the delicious beer that made this fantastic whiskey,” he said. “Let’s drink them side by side.” Delivered alongside a pint or not, the six spirits at right will delight craft-beer aficionados and whiskey lovers alike.
1. Charbay R5 Whiskey (Lot 511A), 49.5% ABV | While the hoppy bitterness characteristic of Northern California IPAs is still in evidence, distilling and aging have transmuted it into a gentler, grassy, peppery finish. This whiskey is suave without being meek, and at 99 proof, it takes well to an ice cube or a splash of water.
2. Mikkeller Oloroso Cask Black, 43% ABV | Mikkeller took a powerhouse of a beer—their 17.5% ABV Black Imperial Stout—and distilled it into liquor of incredible subtlety and nuance. Produced in small batches, the distillate is aged in casks that previously held rum, bourbon or Oloroso Sherry.
3. Aecht Schlenkerla Distilled, 40% ABV | From one of the most unusual beers in the world comes a highly accessible distillate. Aecht Schlenkerla beer gets a pronounced smoky taste from its malt, which is dried over a beechwood fire. With distilling, it becomes a spirit that bears a striking resemblance to the smoky whiskies of Islay, Scotland.
4. Kiuchi No Shizuku, 43% ABV | Japanese Hitachino Nest White Ale is distilled, then aged for a month in oak barrels with coriander, orange peel and hops. After the addition of more ale, it is redistilled and aged another six months before being filtered and bottled. The delicate end product is a pale straw color and redolent of pears and white pepper.
5. White Christmas, 45% ABV | Every year since 1975, Anchor Brewing has made a special Christmas Ale. The beer, whose recipe changes year to year, tends to be a malty, dark affair with a lot of chocolate, spice and black currant flavors. The brewery took a recent batch and distilled and bottled it, unaged, as a “white whiskey.” The new product, called White Christmas, retains much of the rich character of the original beer.
6. Georg Schneider & Sohn Wiesen Edel-Weisse Distilled, 40% ABV | The beer at the base of this liquor is a citrusy and refreshing Bavarian Hefeweizen. Its faintly sweet, bready scent remains front and center here, along with hints of vanilla, lemon and grape must.
Written by Matthew Kronsberg
For product information please visit B. United International’s Spirit Collection
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