San Francisco, CA - (May 3, 2016)
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers is excited to announce the release of their first ever-sour beer, Juice Joint Kettle Sour, celebrating the infamous nightclubs and secret watering holes owned by gangsters during prohibition. Go behind the velvet rope to enjoy this draft only release. It’s the latest member of Speakeasy’s Perfect Crime Series, featuring ingenious, small batch, and experimental beers, that are carefully contrived so the perpetrator can’t be brought to justice.
The creation of Juice Joint Kettle Sour began with a mash consisting of two-row barley, dark wheat, acidulated malt, and flaked barley. These grains add a wonderful biscuit flavor and counterpoint to Juice Joint’s sharp acidity and citrus zest. After mashing in, the resulting wort was transferred to the boil kettle and spiked with Lactobacillus brevis, a strain of bacteria that soured the wort over 48 hours. Then the wort was boiled with Pacific Gem and Helga hops, and fermented with a blend of Saison yeast and Saccharomyces "Bruxellensis" Trois. When fermentation ended, dried lemon, lime, and orange peels were added, loading the beer with juicy citrus flavors.
Juice Joint Kettle Sour is a spectacularly complex beer. Crystal clear and straw in color, the aroma smacks you in the face with candied fruit tartness, reminiscent of tropical Jolly Ranchers or Sour Patch Kids. The flavor is equally compelling. Layers of citrus flavors wash over the tongue. Lemon, lime, and orange push to the front, with subtle hints of mango and pineapple. The sour acidity is soft and pleasant. Sip after sip is refreshingly tart, clean, dry, and not sweet. Malt reappears at the end, giving the beer a flaky piecrust finish. Juice Joint Kettle Sour is 6% alcohol by volume and low in bitterness at 32 IBUs.
“Adding a sour beer to Speakeasy’s lineup has been a longtime goal and I’m really proud of our first effort,” said Kushal Hall, Speakeasy’s Director of Brewing. “Traditional beer souring techniques, using barrels, bacteria, and aging over long periods in our brewery, hasn’t been possible because of the risk of cross contaminating non sour beers. The kettle souring technique allows us to create an equally wonderful beer in a shorter amount of time, and since the souring bacteria is boiled in the kettle, we don’t have to worry about infecting other beers.”
Juice Joint Kettle Sour will be served for the first time during a release party at the Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Tap Room on May 7th. Then the beer will then be distributed throughout California and a very select number of distribution territories. Juice Joint Kettle Sour is a draft only release and very limited, so don’t miss the opportunity to try it on tap at bars, restaurants, or the Speakeasy Tap Room when available.
QUICK FACTS
Style: Sour Ale
ABV: 6%
IBUs: 32
Grain: Two Row, Dark Wheat, Acidulated Malt, Flaked Barley
Hops: Pacific Gem, Helga
Late Addition: Lemon Rind, Orange Rind, Lime Rind
Availability: May-June
Series: Perfect Crime Series
Formats: Draft only
Distribution: California and a limited number of states (TBD)
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