Warm Weather Additions

One recent trend in the beer world seems to be an abundance of fruit beer. You would be hard pressed to visit your local pub and not find at least one bottle of some fruit or vegetable brewed beverage in the cooler, if not on tap. Not to say that adding fruit, vegetables, or the essence of either is new to the brewing world; it is not. Belgian brewers especially have been adding all types of things to their beer for ages.
However, it seems that every mid-major brewing company in this country has a fruit or vegetable beer in their line up. And, I must be honest; these types of beers are a mixed bag. While I have sampled some of the finest ‘beers with additions’ in the land, most that make use of fruit or vegetables in the brewing process are far from stellar, and should be avoided.
I have no interest in listing the many (MANY) fruit and vegetable beers that you should avoid. Literally, there are too many to mention. As a rule of thumb, I suggest staying away from most of these beers. Specifically, avoid anything made with blueberries unless it comes from Belgium. If the beer contains watermelon, promptly smash it like Gallagher.
That said there is at least one brewery that tends to get it right – Dogfish Head. Masters at using fruit, vegetables, spices and herbs, DFH has some of the most wonderful creations in the realm. And, while some of their strange concoctions fail, most are quite delicious, due to a tendency to only allow for the essence of the addition to shine through, and not to devastate the underlying beer.
One of my all-time favorite beers is Punkin’ Ale. I have said before that this is the best example of a pumpkin beer on the market, hands down. The seasonals Black & Blue (a Belgian ale with blackberries and, oddly enough, blueberries) and Red & White (a Wit made with Pinot Noir juice) are both excellent.
Piercing Pils is a gem of a little lager, more specifically a Czech Pilsner. Saaz hops stand out, expected for this style, but what pushes this beer beyond the standard pils crowd is the addition of white pear tea and pear juice. It’s not a perry (pear cider), but hints of the succulent fruit hit on the tongue and sides of the mouth.
But, more importantly for the summer months, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery offers Aprihop, a delightful, 7.0 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) American IPA with just a hint of apricot. Much like the malt, the fruit plays a supporting role to a lead of American hops, that makes this beer a winner.
If you are looking for a new direction in beer, the Dogfish Head brews are certainly worth a shot. And, there are other fruit and vegetable beer out there that should be sampled. Just be warned that many are just plain awful. If I wanted sugar sweet, I’d buy a slushee.
The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) says it best: “The fruit should compliment the original style and not overwhelm it. The brewer should recognize that some combinations of base beer styles and fruits work well together while others do not make for harmonious combinations.” Enjoy the brews… Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.