I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve heard of a cross/fusion between beer and wine. The brewers, Stillwater Artisanal Ales, claim it is like a “beer/orange wine fusion” more closely defined as a “dry-hopped sour ale with muscat grapes.” My morbid curiosity has sparked a slew of questions:
#1 Is this the most hipster thing ever? (Hipster Fu gets bonus points for addressing question one) #2 Has anyone tried this particular offering? If yes, was it worth trying? #3 What would you classify this drink as? Having never tried it, this appears way, way more “beer” than “wine” to me. #4 Is this worth further experimentation or is it a fad that will die off?
It’s just a fruited beer that has grapes in it. It’s not a beer/wine hybrid.
This is the closest that I’ve had to a true wine/beer hybrid. It was actually tastier than I expected. The stout is fermented on the skins and napa cab sauv then aged in French oak for a year
Didn’t think this was a new thing. I’ve seen a handful of beers like those over the years. Probably the first one that I had was back in 2014 when visiting Priorat. Drunk a beer by a local craft brewery where part of the malt bill was replaced with unfermented Garnatxa must. It was quite a gusher.
There have been some grape-flavored beers as well along the way, but I guess Cantillon’s St. Lamvinus (lambic flavored and refermented with Merlot grapes) could be categorized as a beer / wine hybrid as well, since the grapes are fermented and the resulting beverage is dry?
I suppose so. There have been at least a few others too, some going back many years. The ones I’ve had all taste more like beer than wine, but there can be vinous character there, especially as the Cantillon ones age. I haven’t had this one from Stillwater, but they’re a good brewery. I’d try it if I saw it. Putting Muscat in there reminds me of Cantillon Vigneronne.
Woods Beer in the Bay Area has been doing this. I tried three of them at a wine event earlier this year (they’ve been making wine recently as well, and poured a really nice Marin County Pinot Noir). Albariño Blonde Ale, Merlot Red Ale, Syrah Black Ale - I think they make one with Fiano too. As I understand it, their process takes unfermented beer and adds it to wine, then it spends a year in barrel. The Albariño Blonde Ale was my favorite of the ones I tasted.
Lovebeer Beerbera is another one that I particularly like. I tried the Beerbera Riserva once and was extremely impressed. I thought the Dogfish Noble Rot was okay, if a bit boozy in a not-ethanol sort of way, but the oak aged one was way too oaky for me, and the alcohol stood out more for whatever reason.
Firestone Walker makes several of these in their Barrelworks program and has done it for quite a few years. The best representation of a beer/wine hybrid I’ve ever had was from them called Feral Brut. This was a collaboration with Foxen winery, and almost more like a champagne/beer hybrid since it was co-fermented with pinot noir and a golden ale. It was bottled (750ml) and rested on lees for 2 years and riddled/disgorged. Since they did it that way, nobody will ever taste it on tap. If you’re interested shoot me a PM and when I’m up there this weekend I’ll pick up a bottle at their cost ($30-32/bottle) and ship to you (whatever shipping costs). I don’t know if they have any left but they pop into the to-go cooler from time to time.
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