Saturday, October 1st, 2016

Fort George Brewery’s early Christmas present

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Earth & Sky Farm. Courtesy photo

We wish you a merry … October? We were wearing shorts when the pumpkin beers came out, and now it’s Christmas in October — some brewers just can’t contain their excitement for seasonal brews.

Magnanimous IPA is a yearly offering, a joint effort once again between Fort George Brewery and Earth & Sky Farm in Oregon City. Brewed with real Grand fir Christmas trees, the IPA is a straight-up ode to one of the more pungent essences of the Christmas tradition.

Hundreds of pounds of fir tips were picked, packed, and vacuum-sealed into 10-pound bags. We’re not sure if “O Tannenbaum” was blasting from the truck’s speakers, but we do know the fir was trucked back to Astoria, and delivered to a dedicated chest freezer located in the basement of Fort George co-owner and brewer Chris Nemlowill’s home. It’s safe to assume the fir tips were nestled all snug in the basement, while visions of Magnanimous IPAs danced in Nemlowill’s head.

fort-george-brewery-magnanimous-ipa-earth-and-sky-farmWhen in the brewery there arose such a clatter, Earth & Sky Farm owners Tim Ensign and Jana Daisy-Ensign sprang from their bed to see what was the matter. Magnanimous IPA hit the kettles with generous amounts of hand-harvested Grand Fir trimmings and bountiful additions of Simcoes and Chinooks for a noble blend of lush piney hops and fresh evergreen aroma.

fort-george-brewery-magnanimous-ipaLook for 16-ounce four-packs and draft of this winter seasonal beginning Oct. 5 through the Pacific Northwest. To all that will be a good night.

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