Ferment

An old friend warms the soul

I ran into a dear old friend the other day, but due to a makeover, I almost missed seeing this old pal. My eyes scanned the visage of this old friend without recognition, until I saw the words “Winter Skal” (the “a” in “skal” should have a little Scandahoovian round thing above it, but I don’t know where to find that particular symbol on this keyboard).

Yes, this old pal is a beer, Capi- FERMENT! tal’s lovely amber-colored winter EUBIE lager. A human IMPOLA pal of mine owns a beer bar that became a favorite of the Capital Brewery of Madison because, despite being a couple hours away from the state’s capital where the beer was made, that place was one of the biggest sellers of Capital brews in the state of Wisconsin.

Because of that, my friend occasionally got visits from Capital bigwigs, including their former legendary brewmaster, Kirby Nelson. Nelson is a free spirit brewer who left Capital in 2012 to help found Wisconsin Brewing. At Capital in the Madison suburb of Middleton, Nelson named his brewing tanks for Frank Zappa songs. At one of his visits to my friend’s tavern, Nelson invited my friend to visit the brewery next time he was in Madison. We just happened to be going to a Luna concert at the High Noon Saloon in Madison on a foggy fall day, so before hitting the concert, we stopped at Capital to say hi to Kirby. He brought us into the tank room, said he had a few things to finish up, and invited us to help ourselves to beer from the tanks as we looked out the loading dock into the foggy afternoon. It was a beautiful time. And, if I do remember correctly, we were sampling the delicious Winter Skal. Or was it Maibock? I really can’t recall, but I do know a good time was had by all.

But I do recall many excellent wintery gatherings spent with glasses of Winter Skal. What makes this a unique winter warmer is that it is a lager, yet

the grain bill of Brewers, Munich, Caramel and Honey malts imbue the finished liquid with a beautiful malty gravitas that can stand up to the cruelest weather. It weighs in at 5.8 percent.

I think it’s a magnificent winter beer – available November through January.

I almost did not recognize it with the weird label makeover. While I can’t recall how it used to look (I think the state capital dome was prominent), I don’t like anything about the present abstract look, especially the dominant blueness of the can. It doesn’t say “drink me.”

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Speaking of winter warmers, I just learned that Guinness has two special barrel-aged winter warmers for release this season, from its Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore – Guinness Imperial Gingerbread Spiced Stout and Guinness Imperial Stout, both aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels.

I haven’t seen either locally yet, but here’s some information from a Guinness press release, until I can get my hands on the stuff:

Announced on International Stout Day (the first Thursday in November), these two festive and highly anticipated limited-edition stouts are here just in time for the crisp late fall weather and the hopeful spirit of the holidays.

Guinness Imperial Gingerbread Spiced Stout represents the change of seasons, comforting warmth and holiday nostalgia. This winter treat, with an 11% ABV, was brewed with allspice, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, then aged in bourbon barrels. Pair the stout this holiday season with roasted pork with fig, vanilla panna cotta, or crème brûlée.

Guinness Imperial Stout was developed specifically with barrel-aging in mind, so it has a strong, robust body. This roasty beer also has a velvety mouthfeel, notes of chocolate, bourbon – not to mention hints of coconut and vanilla – and an oak finish. With a 10.3% ABV, the stout provides a rich pairing experience and is perfect for steak, rib roast with rosemary and garlic or chocolate desserts.

The best way to enjoy these flavors and aromas is to sip each beer slowly and savor it at a leisurely pace – with respect to their double digit ABVs.

“Barrels have been a part of Guinness brewing history for centuries, so we’re excited to continue expanding on that tradition by becoming a center for the barrel-aging experience in the U.S.,” said Sean Brennan, Senior Brewer at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore. “It truly gives us the chance to create, experiment and discover. We brewed Imperial Gingerbread Spiced Stout to evoke the warm, rich flavors of holiday spices, while we knew Imperial Stout needed to be showcased on its own after it was originally brewed as part of the Stock Ale blend last year.”

Guinness Imperial Gingerbread Spiced Stout and Guinness Imperial Stout can be found on shelves across the U.S. in 4-packs of 11.2oz bottles for a limited time at a suggested retail price of $19.99.

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For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 stays in the local economy, creating jobs and expanding the city’s tax base. For every $100 spent at a national chain or franchise store, only $14 remains in the community