Beer and Wine Weekly Update: August 4, 2015

By Brian Wendt, Beer and Wine Department

Bottle conditioned beers

Hey everyone,
While you’re shopping and looking through our beer fridges you may notice certain bottles and packages have the words “bottle conditioned” written on them.  What are bottle conditioned beers and how do they differ from other beers?

Beer and the art of brewing has existed for thousands of years and is constantly evolving. Today the beers that we drink in most cases are carbonated with CO₂, which is forced into the beer during the maturation process.  This allows brewers to have greater control over the carbonation levels of their beers. This is not the only way to carbonate beer, however. Bottle conditioning is a traditional method (and common one for homebrewers) of carbonating beer by either adding sugar, wort (unfermented beer), or other ingredients (ex. Maple syrup) to matured beer in order to restart fermentation.  If the yeast has been removed prior to this point then new yeast must also be added. The beer is then bottled and allowed to sit for a period of time at warm temperatures.

As the yeast eats the remaining sugars in the bottled beer, they produce a little bit more alcohol and CO₂, which can’t escape the sealed bottled and so diffuses back into the beer, thus naturally carbonating it.  This might sound tricky to do consistently, and it is! If force carbonation is easier and allows for greater control over the final product, then why do some brewers bother bottle conditioning at all? The answer is that through this natural carbonation process unique and complex flavors are created that aren’t usually present in force carbonated beers. In other words, bottle conditioned beers taste different and some would argue taste better!

Interested in trying some bottle conditioned beers?  We have more than a few to choose from, my favorites being from Victory and Maine Beer Company. Victory’s Golden Monkey (available in 750 ml bottles and 6 packs) is a Belgian Tripel with coriander added.  At 9.5% ABV, this beer has a lot of depth (as a good Belgian beer should have). And it goes great with seafood!
 
For Maine Beer Company (available in small 17 oz. bottles) I highly recommend Peeper Ale, an extremely well balanced American Pale Ale that isn’t too hoppy and has a nice crisp, dry finish. Goes well with pizza or anything.  If you’re looking for a darker beer of theirs, King Titus is a fantastic American Porter. Brewed with Chocolate and Caramel malts and Flaked Oats, this beer is extremely smooth and delicious. King Titus goes well with a hearty dinner or especially dessert. How about with a Maple creemee?

Local Brewery Starts Canning

On the local front, we’ve been getting cans of Burlington Beer Company on a semi-regular basis for the past month or so.  Burlington Beer Company, based in Williston, VT, has been able to can their fantastic farmers’ market-inspired beers thanks to Iron Heart, the mobile canning company teaming up with many small Vermont craft breweries.  In recent weeks we’ve had the following beers from BBC:
Light in the Window – a Rye IPA
It’s Complicated Being A Wizard – an extra IPA
Chasing Rabbits – a Hoppy Wheat Ale with citrus zest
Strawberry Whale Cake – a Cream Ale with local strawberries

Look for Burlington Beer Company in 4 pack cans here on the occasional Monday or Thursday delivery.  They sell fast!

That’s all for this week, cheers!