We met Brad Clark 4 years ago in Copenhagen when Side Project made its first trip to the Copenhagen Beer Celebration. He was a brewer I had always admired - always brewing something new, focusing on barrels and barrel-aging and really epitomizing my favorite style when I was first getting into beer - the barrel-aged stout. To say the least, we were very excited to see him come over to our booth to try some Side Project beers.
Not only is Brad an incredible brewer, but he is also an incredible friend. We have shared beers together from California to Copenhagen and many places in between. He helped us decorate our first Christmas tree at our new house and I've had the privilege of spending the afternoon in his barrel warehouse "lounge." He is always a pleasure to be around and I am always thankful for the time we get to spend together doing what we love to do - brewing beer.
So far, we have brewed Appervation twice in Athens and Amis Pour Toujours, Pitter Patter and an unnamed Maple Wheatwine in St. Louis. These beers have become an excuse, a definitive schedule for us, to make sure we make time to get together and hang out, and I have no reason to believe that we won't continue to add to these collaborations every year.
When our new brewery opened up in Maplewood, Brad was quick to come to St. Louis to brew with us. He was actually the second collaboration we brewed at our new facility (Ryan Burk beat him by 1 day!). He and I had wanted to brew with Pluots, a cross between a plum and an apricot, and this was the foundation and inspiration for Pitter Patter. We brewed a more complex malt bill than I normally do for our fruited wild ales, and we feel it turned out wonderfully and we will be brewing it again. It has a beautiful sunset orange hue and a whole grain doughiness that sits very well underneath the acidity of the Missouri and Ohio mixed cultures that we blended to barrel ferment this beer in puncheons.
At maturity we then racked the beer on to California Pluots (purple skin and orange flesh) for refermentation. After 6 months of refermentation and another 5 months bottle and keg conditioning, Pitter Patter is ready to be shared.
Now more than 17 months after brewing, we are ready to release Pitter Patter for to-go and for on-site enjoyment Saturday, April 28th at Open at both Side Project locations. Bottles (375ml) will be $20 to-go and the allocations will be determined the morning of the release based on the number of people who join us.
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