Macon Magazine

1 8 | M A C O N M A G A Z I N E A P R I L / M A Y 2 0 1 8 Briefs Histor y of Fruit Beer UNLIKE MOST OTHER ST YLES, fruit beer really has no continuous lineage in the brewing histories. However, a study published in 2004 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences presents 9,000-year-old evidence that Neolithic Chinese villagers created a beverage that contained honey, rice and hawthorn fruit and/or grapes. Another early reference of note comes from Egypt where they used both dates and pomegranates in their beer. is, along with a smattering of other references throughout brewing history, indicates that many cultures dabbled in fruit beers, but it never became a common practice. Early modern professional brewers scoffed at the idea of putting fruit in their beer. e Germans relegated brewing to more science and less art, and the English also spurned fruit. It would be left to the Belgians, those rebels of the brewing world, to start the tradition of modern fruit beer. e Belgians started this "new" lineage in 1930 with the brewing of the first cherry lambics. ey would go on to add framboise (raspberry) lambics in the 1950s and peche (peach) in the 1980s. Other recent renditions include the use of bananas, grapes and pineapple. ese sour creations are probably the inspiration for much of the American fruit brewing culture and its most popular example, the fruit wheat beer. American microbrews played a pivotal role in expanding the style into new territory. ey've helped make cherry stouts common place, chili beer trendy and pumpkin beer a yearly seasonal. But, even in its newfound and expanded popularity, fruit beer is often thought of as being less than "real beer." I think this is due to the practice of cloaking the flavors in a bad batch of beer with additions of fruit. us, many view fruit brews as problem or failed beers. Maybe some fruit beers still come about this way, but the vast majority of brewers conceive them as such from the get-go. I'm not disputing that even some of these taste like they must be hiding something behind the overly aggressive fruit flavorings. But I've had good ones, too. Georgia breweries doing good things with fruit: Wild Heaven Beer, Monday Night Garage, ree Taverns Craft Brewery and Dry County Brewing. BEERS BREWED WITH VEGETABLES Vegetable beers are not hot right now (except when they are brewed with chili peppers), but there is a new trend where brewers are stalking their local farmers markets and "squashing" the notion that vegetables don't belong in beer. "Shallot" be pointed out that last year's GABF had a Field Beer category. Not surprisingly, all three medalists were pumpkin beers. Pumpkin beers have become the most popular of all seasonal beers. For those of us who love trying hot beers, brewers are playing around with a wide array of chili peppers, as well. From the field, brewers have harvested leafy veggies and roots for beer. e Vrienden collaboration project saw New Belgium brew their version with Belgian endive and the Allagash version included dandelions. e Bruery, Odell Brewing Co. and Magic Hat have all done beet beers. Our very own Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen brewed up a delicious sweet potato ale last fall. Georgia breweries doing good things with vegetables: JailHouse Brewing (beet/ tangerine sour) and Wrecking Bar Brewpub (sweet potato ale). SPICES & HERBS e fact that herbs and spices have a long history in beer making should not be surprising. Beer made without hops (the original ale) tended to be very sweet. Even the early beers of the Middle Ages in Britain used a complex blend of herbs and spices called gruit to help balance some of the sweet malt notes with sour or wild yeast flavors. While today's beers are almost exclusively brewed with hops, there are some modern versions of spiced beer, usually associated with Belgium and Scotland. In the U.S., spiced beers are primarily found during the holidays. Anchor Brewing's Our Special Ale is one notable trendsetter. is beer usually has generous spicing from the use of ingredients such as ginger, nutmeg and clove. At Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen, one of our top selling beers uses a ton of fruit and spices. Our White Rabbit Belgian Wit gets massive additions of both sweet and bitter orange peel, lemon peel, coriander and chamomile flowers. Our Harvest Moon Sweet Potato Fall Seasonal gets nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and clove. Georgia breweries doing good things with spices: Second Self ai Wheat (lemongrass and ginger), ree Taverns Feest Noel (cardamom, allspice and cloves) and Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen White Rabbit (coriander, chamomile, lemon, bitter orange and sweet orange). – BRIAN WHITLEY IS THE CO- OWNER AND HEAD BREWER AT PIEDMONT BREWERY & KITCHEN

• Cover
• _GoBack