Fir / Spruce Beers?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by JouerAvecLeFeu, May 21, 2017.

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  1. JouerAvecLeFeu

    JouerAvecLeFeu Pooh-Bah (2,032) Apr 17, 2015 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    A few years back, I picked up a bottle of The Ale Apothecary's Sahati which is a take on the traditional Finnish Sahti that uses Spruce tips instead of hops. Since then, I've been seeking out as many Fir and/or Spruce tip beers as I can find. But they only seem to be produce in the PNW and Alaska.

    Here's the breweries that I know have brewed Fir and/or Spruce tip beers:
    Are there any others out there?
     
    #1 JouerAvecLeFeu, May 21, 2017
  2. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Here's one.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/450/26892/
     
    #2 drtth, May 21, 2017
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  3. johnnybgood1999

    johnnybgood1999 Savant (1,000) Oct 31, 2008 Virginia

    Yards Tavern Spruce was very solid. Haven't seen it in a few years though.
     
    #3 johnnybgood1999, May 21, 2017
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  4. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    An option for those who are willing to take the step of homebrewing is to make your own Spruce tip beer. My next door neighbor (Walt) has a Blue Spruce tree and he granted me permission to harvest a few ounces of fresh growth spruce tips to brew a beer.

    Some photographs:

    As the wort was boiling I picked a total of 4 ounces (by weight) of fresh growth spruce tips of varying sizes:

    [​IMG]

    Below is my next door neighbor's (Walt) Blue Spruce tree:

    [​IMG]
     
    #4 JackHorzempa, May 21, 2017
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  5. aquabears

    aquabears Initiate (0) Mar 29, 2016 Connecticut

    #5 aquabears, May 21, 2017
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  6. Giantspace

    Giantspace Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Dec 22, 2011 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Jackie o makes a really nice one

    Enjoy
     
    #6 Giantspace, May 21, 2017
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  7. bubseymour

    bubseymour Grand Pooh-Bah (4,800) Oct 30, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    For the few I've had, don't care for them much at all. Reminds me too much of those "Cool Colt" malt liquors from yesteryear.
     
    #7 bubseymour, May 21, 2017
  8. BaseballNBeer

    BaseballNBeer Crusader (490) Apr 22, 2015 Michigan
    Trader

    Short's Spruce Pilsner is an imperial pilsner with blue spruce tips. It has a strong bitterness to it, but in a refreshing way.
     
    #8 BaseballNBeer, May 21, 2017
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  9. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Is this beer distributed to your area?

    Cheers!

    P.S. The head brewer of Jackie O's was kind enough to reply to my e-mails asking about the brewing of their Spruce beer.
     
    #9 JackHorzempa, May 21, 2017
  10. flyone

    flyone Zealot (527) Jan 5, 2008 California

    Anchor x mas. But not around right now. Snake River here in Jackson Wyoming does a good one! They even hollow out there own logs to do it.
    McGirt
    Melvin Brewing
     
    #10 flyone, May 21, 2017
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  11. JouerAvecLeFeu

    JouerAvecLeFeu Pooh-Bah (2,032) Apr 17, 2015 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    I made the mistake of trying Cool Colt when it came out back in the early 90s. That was the worst beer I ever drank.
     
    #11 JouerAvecLeFeu, May 21, 2017
  12. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    :confused:

    I am cognizant of using fresh growth spruce tips. How are logs utilized in brewing spruce beers?

    Cheers!
     
    #12 JackHorzempa, May 21, 2017
  13. JouerAvecLeFeu

    JouerAvecLeFeu Pooh-Bah (2,032) Apr 17, 2015 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    Here's how The Ale Apothecary makes their Sahati:

    SAHATI is our interpretation of traditional Finnish sahti. Starting with a 200-year old Engelmann spruce tree felled on brewery property, we created our own kuurna (an ancient Scandinavian lauter tun) to separate the wort from the grain during brewing. The bottom of the kuurna is layered with spruce branches; the needles act as a natural filter and impart resinous oils into the wort. The hollowed-out trunk of the tree also contributes spruce essence and structure from the raw wood. The beer is made of barley & rye malts along with a sparing addition of Goschie Farms Cascade hops and is brewed just a few times per year.
 SAHATI is in many ways the very definition of The Ale Apothecary, where complex flavors arrive from the very methods used for production…the result is the process impacts the flavor profile at least as much as the ingredients themselves.

    [​IMG]
     
    #13 JouerAvecLeFeu, May 21, 2017
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  14. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    So the hollowed out log is 'exposed' to the wort during the lautering process. Interesting.

    Must be a Sahati 'thing'.

    Cheers!

    @JouerAvecLeFeu
     
    #14 JackHorzempa, May 21, 2017
  15. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,271) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    #15 RochefortChris, May 21, 2017
  16. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    #16 MNAle, May 21, 2017
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  17. Giantspace

    Giantspace Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Dec 22, 2011 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Not that I have seen. I have an Ohio connection.

    Enjoy
     
    #17 Giantspace, May 21, 2017
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  18. Saunassa

    Saunassa Initiate (0) May 7, 2017 Minnesota

     
    #18 Saunassa, May 21, 2017
  19. Saunassa

    Saunassa Initiate (0) May 7, 2017 Minnesota

    A lot of spruce and others evergreen trees are grown on Christmas tree farms or windbreaks around farms. There are fungus and insects that can be a problem so some places spray to control them.
     
    #19 Saunassa, May 21, 2017
  20. TonyLema1

    TonyLema1 Pooh-Bah (2,890) Nov 19, 2008 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Blue Point Colonial Ale
    DFH Pennsylvania Tuxedo
     
    #20 TonyLema1, May 21, 2017
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