We are proud to introduce the Culture Project, a new family of Fulton beers created by mixed culture fermentation. Culture Project beers are born from multiple types of microorganisms, including Brettanomyces and acid-producing bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Pediococcus. Culture Project beers commonly age for several months to a year or more in oak barrels.
Our production team, led by Head Brewer & co-owner Mike Salo, has spent the last two years planning, brewing, aging, tasting, and blending in preparation for the first release in the series.
Fulton has been brewed mixed fermentation beers for two years. In 2015, we collaborated with NOLA Brewing on “Messipi”, a saison-style ale which was aged in barrels with Brettanomyces. Earlier this year, we collaborated with our neighbors at Fair State Brewing to release “Frontenac”, a sour ale aged on red wine lees which was voted “Best in Fest” at Autumn Brew Review. And we’ve been brewing an IPA that is 100% barrel-fermented and aged with brettanomyces as a taproom-exclusive beer since late 2015. The success of these beers inspired the creation of the Culture Project.
The first release in the series is a delicately tart red ale inspired by the Flemish tradition. We used pilsner malt for the base with a blend of carared, red fife wheat, crystal, & Munich malts to create a complex malt profile with a red hue, then added just enough Amarillo hops to create a subtle, fruity hop profile. A saison yeast was used for primary fermentation before the beer was transferred into oak red wine barrels & introduced to a blend of lactobacilli, pediococcus, & brettanomyces. After 12 months, the barrels were blended back into stainless and packaged. The result is a red ale with a complex acid profile and rich flavors of cherry, stone fruit, & oak.
The Taproom release of Culture Project No. One is Thursday, December 15th. We’ll have our friends from Red Table Meats, Baker's Field Bread, and Lone Grazer Creamery on hand to offer aged meat and cheese that we’ve selected to pair with One.
As with all beers in the Culture Project series, release One will be released in small quantities of kegs and 750 mL bottles. Bottles of One will hit store shelves in the Twin Cities metro area next week. You can expect to see two more Culture Project beers in the first half of 2017. One will be a brett barrel-fermented IPA, and the other is a pale sour ale that’s been in the barrel for nearly two years. Keep an eye on our social media pages as well as these emails to stay in the know about upcoming Culture Project releases -- they won't be on the shelves for long.
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