National Herbs and Spices Day is here! It’s unclear how National Herbs and Spices Day originated. What Peaks and Pints does know is it’s an opportune time to stretch your wings and try craft beer loaded with herbs and spices. Herbs and spices are often used interchangeably, but they’re really very different. Herbs are generally the leaves from herbaceous plants like thyme, rosemary and sage. Spices, on the other hand, are culled from the roots, seeds and bark of plants and are usually dried and ground up. Then there’s cilantro; it’s both an herb and a spice. The leaves are generally eaten whole as a garnish. But when dried and ground, cilantro becomes coriander. Both herbs and spices can brighten and deepen the flavor of craft beer. Today’s the perfect day to sample craft beer with herbs and spices in our Craft Beer Crosscut 6.10.17: A Flight of Herbs and Spices.
Dogfish Head Saison du Buff
6.8% ABV
The fact that Dogfish Head, Victory and Stone each put out a version of Saison du Buff may seem confusing. Don’t be confused: The three breweries collaborated on the recipe — a saison with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme; aka Simon and Garfunkel beer —then each brewed the beer independently. Dogfish Head‘s version pours with a hazy golden color and a thick, off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves light lacing. The aromas definitely give off hints of citrus, lemon zest, thyme, sage, light rosemary, bready malts and Belgian yeast. Like the aromas, it has citrus, lemon, a lot of sage, thyme, rosemary, a touch of parsley, herbal notes, a light breadiness and some Belgian yeast. You definitely get a lot more of the spices on the palate.
Anderson Valley G&T Gose
4.2% ABV
Mendicino-based Anderson Valley Brewing’s G&T Gose is a “beer cocktail” with only beer — plus saltwater, malted wheat, lemon peel, lemon grass, juniper, cinchona bark, grains of paradise, cucumber and a touch of lactobacillus. Flavor starts moderately to heavily acidic, and then finishes moderately acidic and sour. Palate is light, watery, with a fizzy carbonation and a tart finish. A lovely gose that leans more on a Thai influence than a gin and tonic one.
Stillwater Artisanal Ales Cellar Door
6.6% ABV
By using Sterling and Citra hops, with a dash of white sage, Stillwater Artisanal Ales created a very intricate saison bursting with flavors. It pours a beautifully big head, and immediately fills the nostrils with scents of yeast, lemon peel, pepper, grains and even spices. While the first sip will explode with citrus, the beer evens out with grassy and sage notes. Its light carbonation makes bubbles dance on the tongue, but it finishes with a nearly astringent feeling.
New Belgium Anne-Françoise Spiced Dark Ale (Lips of Faith)
9.5% ABV, 25 IBU
Kim Jordan was New Belgium’s first bottler, sales rep, distributor, marketer and financial planner, earning her current title as CEO and making New Belgium what it is today. What started as a door-to-door hustle has clearly paid off, as New Belgium has since been cranking out notable beer and even more notable green awareness practices: the company became the first wind-powered brewery in the United States in 1998 and continues to find ways to be more environmentally efficient. Anne-Francoise Pypaert helped Brewmaster Peter Bouckaert craft the recipe for this special batch. The result: a dark, strong, chocolaty dry beer brewed with spruce tips, French Sprisselspalt, grains of paradise (glossy brown seeds often used as a pepper substitute), spicy Liberty and Willamette hops and medium-toasted American oak.
Puyallup River Paradise Blonde Farmhouse Ale
5.5% ABV, 35 IBU
Speaking of local and Puyallup Valley, Puyallup River Brewing Co. sources all its fruits from the Puyallup Valley, including Sterino Farms, for its craft beers. Head brewer Eric Akeson and his right-hand man, Nat Woodsmith, have won Washington Beer Awards medals for their Paradise Blonde Farmhouse. Makes sense since farmhouse ales and saisons are Akeson’s passion. And the passion tastes delicious. Late additions of grains of paradise, coriander, and bitter orange peel give this beer natural spicy, sweet and bitter notes.
