Three Jokers – Naturally Soured Imperial Wit Ale Aged in Chardonnay Barrels
A Cause for Celebration
April 6th, 1933, marked the eve of the Cullen-Harrison Act, which allowed the sale of low alcohol (3.2%) beer kicked off the end of the nationwide prohibition of alcohol. Needless to say, people across the country gathered outside breweries, some beginning the night before, in anticipation of drinking the first legal brews in many years. Today, April 6th is still honored in our community, with many breweries releasing a new beer and rejoicing on New Beers Eve.
Using this historic date as a reason to celebrate, our barrel wranglers chose to take inspiration from one of our most beloved classics: Two Jokers.
Two Jokers Double-Wit, was a robust interpretation of the classic Belgian “wit” (white) beer, a style that originated in the late 1800s. Two Jokers was the eighth installment in our Smokestack Series, making its debut in May 2009. Taking cues from Two Jokers, the brewing team created a new playful pour for our Westside Wilds series, Three Jokers – Naturally Soured Imperial Wit Ale Aged in Chardonnay Barrels.
A trio of elements – Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Oak – transforms this imperial wit into something truly special. Inoculated with Brettanomyces and lactobacillus and aged in chardonnay casks for several months, Three Jokers drinks with a crisp dryness, pronounced acidity, and a refined French Oak finish. Reminiscent of a natural wine, it proves that when it comes to wild fermentation, three is the magic number.
“Hold on. Is this actually just Two Jokers? What’s the difference? Are you trying to pull one over on us?”
Great question. To answer that, I’m going to turn it over to Brent Cox, our resident Barrel-aged expert and guru of all things “wild”.
Brent – “While the base beer for Three Jokers is similar to Two Jokers, it uses an imperial wheat grain bill, Three Jokers is more traditionally sour. Two Jokers relied on kettle souring for acidity. Kettle Souring is a method of producing sour beer more efficiently with greater control of the outcome. With Three Jokers, we employed a more traditional way of introducing lactobacillus to naturally sour the beer, changing the ph balance over time while aging. Another huge difference is the addition of wood, specifically the chardonnay french oak presence. Three Jokers has a super white wine oak profile, while Two Jokers relied on herbal additions.”
Thanks Brent! It should be noted that Brent and his team are responsible for this delicious beer, he’s also the artist for the whimsical label. A real renaissance man.
“That sounds delicious! As a lover of fine ales and lagers myself, tell me more about how I can celebrate New Beers Eve? And why isn’t this a national holiday?”
Glad you asked.
You can join in on the celebration on Sunday April 6th, Three Jokers releases when our doors open at 10am. The beer will be available on draft in the Beer Hall and 4pks of 12oz bottles [$16.99 per pk] will be available in the gift shop while supplies last.
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