Fun With Cherries

A huge benefit of living in the Valley is the abundance of amazing fruits. We always have light fruit beer on tap, refreshing and quaffable ale. As time goes on I find our brewery using more fruits for different styles of ales. Some beer people scoff at the idea of adding fruit to beer, pointing out that it becomes a “chick” beer or desecrating the sacred beverage. To those I say take a look at history. Fruit has found its way into beers for centuries. In Belgium, Lambic blenders often added fruits to create a diversity of different beverages. I had an epiphany the other day while snacking on some beautiful locally grown raspberries; fruits are simply another form of sugar that packs wonderfully natural aromas, flavors, and character. Yes, I will proudly state that I love (some) fruit ales!

A couple weeks ago we received buckets of locally grown late harvest tart cherries. These beauties are a brilliant deep red with a wonderful aroma and a sweet tart taste. We are using the fruit in three distinctly different beers.
Forbidden Orchard, a strong Belgian Wit inspired brew. We have omitted the traditional spicing, keeping the orange peel, wheat profile and have introduced cherries in conditioning. Late August/Early September release.

Ferme de La Demons, strong black farmhouse ale aged in pinot noir, Oregon oak, and bourbon barrels with Brettanomyces. The first batch we used Oregon cherry juice, this batch we are adding whole cherries. Mid October release

Oude Friek, a Flanders inspired bruin or brown ale. We brewed this beer back in March and it has been aging with Lactobacillus in Bourbon barrels. In late July, pictured right, whole cherries were added to a couple barrels along with Brettanomyces. Sometime in the fall of 2011 this beer could be ready.

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