Imperial Sour Ale brewed with Tart Cherry Juice

New York State ranks 4th for tart cherry production in the US, with the majority of the acreage located in four Western New York Counties located about 2 hours from Southern Tier brewery. They source our tart cherry juice from a grower in Niagara County on the shores of Lake Ontario where the glaciated soils and lake-tempered northern climate are ideal for growing tart cherries. Tart cherries are known as a “super food” and their price reflects this moniker. They have one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any food, a truly brilliant red color, and a clean, bright, juicy aroma and flavor that’s accentuated by their natural acidity.

Southern Tier maintains a culture of Lactobacillus buchneri that is used to sour wort over three days, starting at a pH of 5.5 and finishing around 3.4. After souring is complete, the wort is boiled, hopped, spiced, cooled, and pitched with the house ale strain of yeast. After roughly 24 hours of fermentation, the tart cherry concentrate is added directly to the fermentation vessel. Exactly when the cherry juice is added is a delicate balancing act of adding the juice (more sugar) early enough so that the fermentation will complete, but late enough that the delicate flavors, aromas, and colors of the juice are preserved as much as possible. It would be a travesty to add such beautiful and rare juice to hot wort, don’t you think?

The finished beer is a striking, lustful shade of red with a persistent white head and durable lacing thanks to the large portion of wheat in the grist. The nose is defined by equal parts bright lactic acidity and cherry notes with a hint of coriander. On the palate, the strong lactic acidity is accentuated by the natural tartness of the cherry juice. Quantitatively, this beer is quite sweet, but we find that this level of residual sweetness is just enough to balance the acidity and that the overall perception of the beer is actually quite dry. The beer finishes very clean and in conjunction with the salt in the finish, it definitely makes you want to come back for more.

ABOUT THE BEER

STYLE: Imperial Sour Ale
BREWED SINCE: 2016
ABV: 8.3%
IBU: 7
PH: 3.4
TOTAL ACIDITY: 9.9ml/100g
INGREDIENTS: 3 types of malts, Coriander, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt & 13% NY State Tart Cherry Juice (by volume in finished beer)
NOSE: Bright lactic acidity, cherry notes & a touch of coriander
FLAVOR: Strong lactic acidity is accentuated by natural tartness of the cherry juice, big cherry character, enticing clean yet salty finish
BITTERNESS: Very Low (7 IBU)
BODY: Light bodied and smooth
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 45-50°F

BEST SERVED IN: Oversized wine glass or tulip
AVAILABILITY: Limited Release

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Source: http://www.stbcbeer.com/

THEY SUPPORT POLICIES THAT PROTECT CLEAN WATER:

Clean water is a part of their triple bottom line business model. Crafting great beer while caring for the planet and doing what is right is how they operate. Their journey has led them to take steps to reduce their own impact on the water supply. They’ve built an onsite process wastewater treatment plant. They’ve cut water use. They give philanthropic dollars to nonprofits engaged in water conservation. They do what they can to honor the environment in their own process and philanthropy. They also know that good policies that protect water can do more than they could ever do on their own.

A BUCK A BARREL FOR MORE BIKES. BOOM.

Through their Environmental Stewardship Grant program -- aka $1 per Barrel program -- they donate $1 for every barrel of beer they sell to non-profits and causes that resonate with us. The causes that they focus upon fall into a few big categories, and one of those categories is bicycle advocacy and sensible transportation. In 2014, they are allocating $105,000 to support local organizations around the country who are working to make the bike a viable form of transportation in their communities. They thought it would be cool to spotlight one of those organizations:

The Bike Depot is a nonprofit community bike center located in Denver, Colorado. They offer a ton of services and have put thousands of folks in bike seats on the streets of Denver. Through co-operative instruction and guidance, they teach individuals how to confidently repair their own bicycles. Their efforts help foster community and inspire folks to safely ride their bicycles more often. BikeDepot is an integral part of Denver’s exploding bicycle scene: whether you ride for recreation or are a full-time commuter they can help you get your butt in the right saddle and teach you how to make it a smooth ride.

THE WETLANDS INITIATIVE

The Wetlands Initiative was founded in 1994 and is dedicated to restoring the wetland resources of the Midwest to improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and reduce flood damages. Their vision is clear and straight-forward: wetlands are more valuable wet than dry. The work that they are doing to promote this vision is pretty phenomenal: they are promoting the use of wetlands by farmers to naturally reduce nutrient pollution resulting from runoff of agricultural fertilizers. Before we get into the details of what that means, let’s back up for a moment and talk about what a wetland is, and why they matter so much to us. A wetland is an area of land that is saturated with water (at least part-time), and which is distinguished by its unique aquatic vegetation. A few types of wetlands that y’all may be familiar with depending upon your surroundings include mangroves, swamps, and marshes. Wetlands are arguably the most biodiverse type of ecosystem on the planet, providing habitat for countless species of plants & animals, and countless recreational opportunities for us humans. What’s more, they filter, clean and store water for their surrounding ecosystem. Or as the folks over at defenders.org put it, they’re the Earth’s kidneys! The importance of these storage and filtration functions cannot be overstated. By providing floodwater storage, wetlands can naturally handle significant flood events, avoiding the devastating effects that a flood can have on buildings, habitats, lives, and pocketbooks. By providing filtration, wetlands naturally remove high concentrations of contaminants and nutrients to ensure downstream ecosystems continue to thrive. And this is where the folks at the Wetlands Initiative (TWI) come in.   

New Belgium is honored to connect with TWI, and to connect with Midwestern farmers through them, and they look forward to hearing more about the great work they are doing. Next time you are navigating an American waterway, be sure to toast the good folks at TWI. It only seems appropriate to drink a Portage Porter while on the water, so perhaps you should fill a river-safe metal growler with it before you set out, eh?  

We are so excited to bring New Belgium to Chautauqua County, Cheers!

Source: http://www.newbelgium.com/sustainability/stories