Looks like out pal Shane Welch is back in the laboratory again. This from Sixpoint:
“Cuando amor no es locura, no es amor” ~ Spanish Proverb
“When love is not madness, it is not love”. Our Mad Scientists could not agree more; which coincidentally leads us to the next concoction in this series. When discussing easy-drinking, light lagers, the word “craft” doesn’t always come to mind. Moreover, in the craft beer community, “adjunct” brewing is often considered the antithesis of thoughtfully brewed beer.
Fear not, for we will explain the sentiment of our last statement. To preface, there are largely four essential ingredients in beer: brewing 101 would include barley, water, yeast and hops. Take away any of these aforementioned ingredients and well… you might be challenging centuries of thoughtful research. In fact, according to the original German beer purity law (Reinheitsgebot) only water, hops and barley (at that time, yeast was still an unknown) would constitute beer. Since the time that original purity law was proclaimed back in the 16th Century, beer production has made its way to many new places, and accordingly has come to include many new ingredients along the way. Mad Scientists aren’t afraid to venture into mainstream territory to investigate what can be done with other brewing materials and styles; for this edition of our Mad Scientists series, we offer our interpretation of the light and quaffable Mexican Lager.
Like many Mexican style beers, corn will be used as a key – yet not so secret ingredient here. Using corn for creating fermented beverages can be dated back to Mesoamerican cultures well before the Spanish conquest. Widely available in North America, it’s also an accountant’s dream. Many brewers have tapped into using corn because of its attractive commodity pricing over the pricier barley. Popularized in American brewing history during the late 19th century, it continues today as a staple for many breweries through out both North and South America.
Using a blend of 20% corn in addition to pale malts, we started to see what gentle profile could be extracted from these ingredients a flavor that’s both refreshingly familiar but less common in the Craft beer world. According to Head Brewer Pete Dickson, our brewers chose mainly Pale Barley Malt and Carahell Malt to complement the flaked corn – to give the lager its “Light and golden color, full body and yet sessionable drinkability” said Brewmaster Jan Matysiak.
Mad Scientists Series #11 weighs in at 5.5% ABV and has a gentle hop profile of 16 IBU. Apollo and Hersbrucker Hops cater to this Mexican style lager; Clean and sessionable, it tastes of sweet grain and herbal hops with a nice bittering finish. Find Mad Scientists #11 Seispunto Especial on draught during the months of August and September. Finally, don’t forget to check our original brew and newest Nanokeg sensation – Brownstone Ale – available now wherever Sixpoint is sold.
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