A Farmhouse Seltzer? Kveik, yes!
I know most hardcore beer aficionados think spiked seltzer is boring. Drew Cluley, the head brewer at Beardslee Public House in Bothell, Washington, probably agrees. Like any great brewer, Cluley tends to put his own unique, interesting spin on whatever he creates, so when he produced a seltzer, that’s what he did.
Beardslee Public House recently introduced its line of hard seltzer. There are two things that set it apart from the sea of other seltzers out there. First, Cluley used Hornindal Kveik, a Norweigan farmhouse yeast strain, to ferment the seltzer and provide character. Second, his seltzer is offered naked—straight and unflavored. The flavoring options are added upon request at the time of purchase: blood orange, lemon/lime, raspberry, and (coming soon) mango.
Yes, it was fermented with Kveik, and that’s gotta add some character, but Cluley says he achieved a clean and full fermentation. This is seltzer, after all, so don’t expect a saison.
Cluley’s seltzer is available on tap at Beardslee Public House. Take-away available in crowlers and growlers. Here’s the press release.
BOTHELL, Wash. – Beardslee Public House has introduced a gluten-free line of refreshing hard seltzers to be offered in four flavors – blood orange, lemon/lime, raspberry, and (coming soon) mango. The seltzer is also delicious ‘naked’ and on its own, or with the natural fruit puree flavorings.
The Beardslee Public House spiked sparkling water was handcrafted by head brewer, Drew Cluley, who used a Norwegian farmhouse yeast strain called Hornindal Kveik to cultivate an interesting flavor profile. The result is a hard seltzer that is a perfect light sipper for hot summer days; moderately sweet, moderately alcoholic (4.7% ABV) that is effervescent with delicious tropical notes.
Cluley, who is an award-winning master brewer, began the hard seltzer project in May. While hard seltzer is technically classified as beer, the creation process proved challenging.
“Fermenting sugar water without all the nutrients found in malt-based wort is difficult, but I learned to coax the yeast to do its business of consuming sugar and creating ethanol and carbon dioxide,” commented Drew Cluley. “Although it initially proved challenging to get a clean and full fermentation, I am very pleased with the crisp result that is a delicious alternative to beer, wine and cocktails.”
Beardslee Public House hard seltzer is $6.00/pint ($6.50 flavored) or $20/pitcher $22 flavored). BPH hard seltzer is also available for takeaway in 32-ounce Crowlers for $8 each, $18 for 3 and $5 on Tuesdays (flavored Crowlers have a $1 upcharge), and 64-ounce Growlers for the same price as beer Growlers (flavored Growlers have a $2 upcharge). Crowlers and Growlers may also be ordered ahead and picked up at the Issaquah Pop Up Location on Fridays.
For more information about the Issaquah Pop Up location, click here.