Since their inception in 2010, Crooked Stave has brought the proliferation of funky, sour and wild beers to the masses, producing everything from light, funky farmhouse ales to bracingly acidic wild sour ales, to Methode Traditionelle spontaneously fermented and blended ales that rival even the most renowned Belgian Gueuze.
They've also recently set their sights on tackling clean beer, shipping out seriously impressive IPA's, lagers and stouts alongside the funky stuff. And now, they're seemingly hitting a happy medium with these unassuming cans that pack more depth and complexity than they have any right to.
Check out Jake's favorites from our most recent drop...
Berry Bramble
Never one to just simply produce a fruited kettle sour beer, Crooked Stave uses a proprietary blended house culture for this raspberry and blackberry sour ale, as well as an aging period in oak foeders to create a rich, funky expression of the fruit with a pleasing tartness. Incredibly thoughtful and well executed yet simple and so pleasant to drink.
Garden Biere
With very little information and zero fanfare, this is one of the most complex and impressive American made saisons we've received recently, and it's just in a four pack of cans. For less than $20. Deeply funky barnyard notes layer underneath a faint tartness with a mild chalky minerality. The body is substantial enough to carry a whiff of lemon meringue, but quickly gets out of its own way for a clean finish. Don't sleep on this one.
Colorado Wild Sage
A classic from Crooked Stave that's been revived and gotten the can treatment, this is another quietly complex and expressive beer. The mixed culture expression here is full on farmhouse funk, with almost no acidity. The sage, honey and lemongrass bolster the floral, lightly herbal nature of this gentle yet expressive creature. This is a pretty beer.
HOPS
- Good People: Snake Handler - Legendary double IPA
- Sloop: Double Fresh Pressed Juice Bomb - Double New England IPA with fresh orange zest
- Sloop: Pink Flamingos - New England IPA with HBC-630 and Mosaic cryo
- Sloop: Nelson + Motueka Bomb - New England IPA
- Sloop: West Coast Juice Bomb - Dried out and bitter Juice Bomb
- Crooked Stave: Aussie Summer - Juicy IPA with Eclipse, Galaxy and Topaz
- Hi-Wire: Juicy Juicy - IPA with Columbus, New Zealand Pacific Sunrise and Strata
- Stone: Patio Magic - Double IPA with Phantasm powder and sweet orange peel
SOUR
- Birmingham District: Imperial Lanai - Sour ale with pineapple and mango
- Duclaw: Sour Me Peach Sherbet - Sour ale with lactose, peach and apricot puree
- Duclaw: Give a... - Sour ale with blueberry, black currant, vanilla bean and lactose
DARK
- Hi-Wire: Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine - Barleywine aged in Bulleit bourbon barrels
- Duclaw: Pastryarchy Cookies and Cream - White stout
LAGER
- Duclaw: Munich Lager - Munich style lager
- Monday Night: Bright Idea - Comtemporary Pilsner
- Hi-Wire: Red Rye - Red rye lager with Epiphany Craft malt
- Crooked Stave: Apres Pils - German style Pilsner
