Wintershore
Ocelot Brewing Company

Set a course for Wintershore, a 4.4% witbier brewed with The Autumn Defense. The citrus-windblown white ale welcomes the arrival of “Here and Nowhere,” the quartet’s sixth LP and first in over a decade.

“Here and Nowhere” continues the love letter to ’60s and ’70s Southern California soft rock and psych pop that multi-instrumentalists John Stirratt and Patrick Sansone have been penning since The Autumn Defense’s 2000 debut. Wintershore endeavors to conjure the feeling of radiant solace that defines the new record. It’s named after “Winter Shore,” a stately Stirratt composition buoyed by a luminous chorus that emerges like the sun breaking through the clouds on an overcast afternoon. Fittingly, our collab is straw yellow but opaque, exhibiting the “growing haze” you’d expect from a grist that’s nearly half oats and wheat. Those adjuncts bring a satiny smoothness, while freshly ground coriander and dried orange and lemon peel imbue the Belgian brew with a citrusy glow. Coriander’s spice is complimented by Adeena, a PNW varietal that evokes the noble attributes of continental counterparts. And our house witbier strain ferments the beer dry, leaving phenols and a touch more spice in its wake. A classic style brought to life through modern means – what could be more apt?

Its label art mirrors coastline imagery found on and within the LP. This particular shore was photographed by Stirratt, who lent us a pic showcasing the frosty vacationland of his adoptive home state, Maine.