Embracing Craft Beer Seasonality
Seasonality plays a unique role in the world of local craft beer, capturing the hearts of enthusiasts as different ingredients come to life throughout the year. The hop harvest in late summer gives way to beloved fresh hop ales, adored for their fleeting presence. Breweries like Jackie O’s, Upland Brewing Co., and Fullsteam Brewing highlight seasonal ingredients such as the North American pawpaw fruit, while others explore botanically driven beers, using herbs and botanicals harvested at their peak.
Yet, one of the craft beer world’s most well-known flavors, citrus, seems to have lost its ties to any specific season. While citrus fruits are primarily harvested from November through March, they have become synonymous with refreshing summer beers. Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver ties this to how citrus, often associated with summer activities like lemonade stands, appears in easy-drinking beer styles that quench your thirst year-round.
Seizing the Citrus Moment
For breweries like Great Lakes Brewing Co., Brooklyn Brewery, and Schenker Beer Company, capturing the essence of citrus seasonality is key. Arizona Wilderness Brewery, for instance, carefully crafts beers with citrus fruits at their peak freshness, offering varieties such as their Arizona Dreamsicle Milkshake IPA and Blood Orange Refuge IPA. Tapping into the natural affinity between citrus and IPA styles, they incorporate oranges, limes, kumquats, and more into their brews, engaging with a rich tapestry of flavors.
Brewers like Joey Pepper-Mellusi of Schenker Beer Company make the most of citrus fruits’ natural vibrancy by including them in Berliner Weisse series such as Glow Up. These fruits are either used fresh from the groves or captured in their prime and used later, ensuring the flavors remain vibrant. The staying power of these flavors, thanks to their natural oils, allows them to persist well beyond packaging.
Cultivating Citrus Relationships
Aside from the seasonal freshness of citrus, working closely with local growers enriches the craft beer experience. Mike Schnebeck of Fort Point Beer Company underscores the importance of engaging with farmers who know when their fruits are at their best. This collaboration allows breweries to explore unique citrus varieties that would otherwise be unavailable.
Incorporating local agribusiness ties, Arizona Wilderness partners with Agritopia Farm to source the bulk of their citrus fruits, adapting to the farm’s growing calendar and offering a diverse bounty in their beers. Such connections not only enhance the brewing process but highlight how local partnerships enhance the flavor profiles of craft beer through a shared appreciation of terroir.
Mastering the Citrus Brew
Brewers often prefer incorporating citrus later in the beer-making process to maximize its aromatic qualities. At Arizona Wilderness, the team uses an industrial juicer to achieve balance between the fruit’s sweet juice and bitter peel. Brooklyn Brewery’s approach involves using the entirety of the grapefruit for their non-alcoholic Special Effects Grapefruit IPA to achieve complexity.
Great Lakes Brewing Co. employs a similar technique with their Cran Orange Wheat, adding puree and peel at strategic points in brewing to ensure those vibrant fruity flavors endure. This attention to brewing detail is a testament to the innovative spirit of craft beer makers, who strive to balance tradition with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Citrus Sunshine in Every Pint
While the chill of winter may cast a shadow, these brews remind consumers why citrus flavors remain appealing. Seasonal beer offerings like Great Lakes’ Cran Orange Wheat tie these flavors to winter traditions, creating an interplay that delights the palate and complements wintry meals.
Fort Point’s response to high demand for their Yuzu KSA Radler ensures that consumers can enjoy its citrus zing year-round. Smog City’s Jonathan Porter observes that citrus beers offer a figurative sunshine in dreary winter months, lifting spirits with their bright flavors. The key, as Garrett Oliver suggests, is to maintain a sunny state of mind, appreciating seasonal beers no matter the time of year.
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