By Carey Charles, KSM Beer Manager
I’ve written a few of these now, and while I’m still searching for my sea legs, surely a bit of a pattern has emerged. The beers and beverages chosen for this space are not — and probably never will be — the usual hazy IPAs, fruited sours, or crispy boi lagers. Unless they really speak to me. Or Kraig tells me I have to write about them. The fun part of craft beer is the different takes on the familiar: the weird, innovative, and historical beers that hide in the corners of the shelves, only seeing the light of day through the most hardcore geek or just an adventurous spirit.
The whole “Drinks for Spring” thing has been done plenty of times, so I’m just picking some fun and interesting beers to talk about this week. These may be familiar to you; they may not. Either way, I’m excited about them.
Sceptre Brewing Arts Kvlt Following California Common - 5.8% ABV - Decatur, GA
Based on an all-American style beer that originated in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. The brewing process used shallow fermentation tanks open to the cool Bay Area air, creating a bit of a lager/ale hybrid. The style was revived in the 1970s by Anchor Brewing, with some daring breweries now taking on this now ironically named style during Anchor’s indefinite dormancy. Sceptre Brewing Arts is one of those breweries. Information on this beer is minimal, but the tasting notes are classic California Common: lovely amber color, caramel and toffee malts, slightly minty Northern Brewer hops, and a balanced, clean finish.
Ommegang Oak-Aged Watermelon Kölsch - 6% ABV - Cooperstown, NY
A fun take on a very historic style from Köln, Germany. Sort of the opposite of the Cal Common above. Instead of fermenting cool and aging warmer like an ale. Kölsch is fermented warm and cold conditioned. This gives it delicate balance and crisp, dry finish. Some may bristle at the liberties taken by adding the fruit and oak, but the already light, fruity base beer is a great place to start when making an immensely drinkable beverage. Bright pinkish hue, lovely fresh watermelon on the palate. A touch of lime and a whisper of oak make this a great sipper for the warming weather.
AleSmith IPA - 7.25% ABV - San Diego, CA.
Yeah, yeah, I was talking down those hazy IPAs a minute ago, but this ain’t hazy. It’s a grunge thing: clear, with a malt backbone (ask your uncle wearing the Joy Division shirt about this), piney, citrusy, classic. A true West Coast IPA. IPAs are not a new style, but they are always evolving — from the slightly more bitter English beers of the 1800s to the fruity, juicy, soft hazies of today. This particular epoch of the style is my favorite.
