Steve Altimari and his wife, Barri, a retired chef who is now High Water’s “chief flavor officer,” briefly owned a brewpub in Stockton, California, in the mid-’90s, Valley Brewing, before opening High Water Brewing Co. They license and fund a contract brewing company with Drake’s Brewing out of San Leandro. After a successful launch, they outgrew their space at Drake’s in two short years. The brewing operation was moved to Hermitage Brewing in San Jose which is still the primary production facility today. As well, EJ Phair Brewing in Pittsburg becomes the High Water production license home and additional brewing contracts are added at Uncommon Brewers in Santa Cruz and Morgan Territory Brewing in Tracy. Barri had the idea for a s’mores-themed beer, which Steve develops a recipe around. Campfire Stout is born in 2012. In a few short months it became High Water’s number one selling beer and still is to this day. From self-distribution in the beginning, High Water is now available through 35 distributors in 16 states and more than 20 countries, including Peaks and Pints in Tacoma, Washington. Today, Peaks and Pints pairs five High Water beers with five doughnuts from our neighbors Top Pot Doughnuts, in what we call Craft Beer Crosscut 5.12.18: A Flight of High Water Brewing and Doughnuts.
High Water Central Valley Breakfast Sour
6.2% ABV
Steve Altimari fixed his focus on the barrels themselves when launching his newest string of wild ales, the Calambic Series, featuring the same base beer — a golden ale with additional malt nutrients such as wheat, corn and oats to provide a nice, healthy food source for long-term barrel aging. The base beer is 100 percent fermented with High Water house Brettanomyces strain in stainless steel fermenters. Once the beer in the barrels has aged for approximately one year, Altimari introduces the chosen fruit and continues to age for four to six months, depending on the fruit and barrel fermentation timing. The Central Valley Breakfast Sour is aged with grapefruit, pear and lychee. As the name suggests, it could be enjoyed before noon, drinking somewhat like a carbonated grapefruit juice. DOUGHNUT PAIRING: Valley Girl Lemon — Pair lemon filled desserts with the citrusy sourness and you really can’t go wrong. Low malt character and little hop presence let the delicate dough shine through.
High Water Ramble On Rose
6% ABV
Part of the Calambic series, Ramble on Rose was aged in used wine barrels for 12 months with California grown blueberries, rose buds, rosehips and pink peppercorns. It hits the nose with fruit, some floral, rose notes and pepper. On the tongue, it’s refreshingly tart and crisp with flavors of berries, moderate sourness, cherries and lemon notes. DOUGHNUT PAIRING: Old-Fashioned — The simplicity of a glazed donut with this beer is beautiful. Nothing compares to the peaceful, simple moment of enjoying a hot glazed donut with a sip of a moderate fruity sour.
High Water Campfire Stout
6.5% ABV, 38 IBU
This pitch-black stout is impenetrably dark and tastes of liquid s’mores. That may sound ridiculous, but High Water didn’t overdo the flavor of graham cracker, and the marshmallow is mostly in the nose. As for chocolate? Well, we’d be lying if we said there was no room for chocolate notes in beer. “Flavored” beers should be met with caution, and often they have a polarizing effect on their audience. But there’s definite charm in a beer that has you reliving childhood memories of eating marshmallows until your fingers were forever glued together and unrolling that worn flannel sleeping bag so you could fall asleep under the stars. DOUGHNUT PAIRING: Feather Boa — Top Pot’s signature doughnut topped with chocolate icing and coconut shavings is a no-brainer paired with its liquid version.
High Water The Whiskey Thief
9.2% ABV
Inspired by their second favorite beverage, whiskey, the motley crew Bay Area gypsy brewers — High Water Brewing, Bison Brewing, Pine Street Brewery and Uncommon Brewery (host brewery) — teamed up for the third year in a row to brew a special collaboration beer for San Francisco Beer Week — a super boozy and viscously smoky strong Scotch ale. Aptly named the Whiskey Thief, the beer was brewed with a blend of specialty malts, beechwood and peat-smoked malts, housemade candy sugar and dry-hopped with heather. Whiskey Thief fills the nose with soft hints of smoke, toffee, roasted nuts and dried flowers. Rich flavors of caramel and toffee bombard the tongue slowly breaking away to reveal a deep layer of smoky, peaty goodness. DOUGHNUT PAIRING: Apple Fritter — If that doesn’t sound like a pair made in fritter heaven, we don’t know what does.
High Water Obscurus IPA
6.66% ABV
This hazy peach mango IPA is brewed with ripe, sweet peach puree and Barbarian yeast that lends a delicate stone fruit nose. The addition of Vic Secret hops and mango contribute to its tropical lusciousness. It’s an easy drinking, light and flavorful IPA. DOUGHNUT PAIRING: Cinnamon Dusted Doughnut — The sweet, tropical IPA pairs nicely with cinnamon-sugar heaven in donut form.
