Wine aged in whiskey barrels, whiskey aged in wine barrels, beer aged in wine barrels, beer brewed with various fruits or other flavorings – so maybe beer brewed using wine grapes isn’t as unusual as my first reaction suggested?
Enter Rosalie. Paso Robles brewer Firestone Walker calls it “Beer Rosé”. Co-fermented with local wine grapes. In a way, this brew recalls the Firestone family’s history as winemakers in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley.
The journey to Rosalie began September, 2018 when nearby Castoro Winery harvested 200 tons of wine grapes for the brewery, including 100 tons of chardonnay and smaller lots of viognier, sauvignon blanc, riesling, muscat canelli and orange muscat. After the grapes were pressed, the juice was delivered to the brewery ready for co-fermentation.
Brewmaster Matt Brynildson says creating Rosalie required much experimentation to get the desired result. The wort was made with a light pilsner malt and a judicious amount of hops (the resulting beer clocks in at only 10 IBU). Brynildson said the chardonnay provides appealing textures and flavors, while the other varieties lift the aromas and add complexity. The final recipe includes hibiscus flowers in the whirlpool to create the beer’s brilliant rosé color (and add a bit of balancing acidity).
That attractive color is then followed by aromas of red berries and a suggestion of the wine grape acidity to come. Bright fruit flavors of strawberry and tart cherry glide across the palate with a refreshing, crisp dryness. And keep in mind, since this is a beer at its base, ultimately it is more akin to a sparkling rosé, than a table wine rosé.
Rosalie is available in six packs of 12 ounce slim cans ($9) at 5% ABV and is an ideal beer/wine for the holidays, especially if you want a rosé.
And if you are in the Denver area during the holidays, I suggest stopping by Liberati Restaurant and Brewery in Denver’s Five Points area just north of downtown. Its founder, Alex Liberati, was born and raised in Rome and owned a brewery and a pub there before moving to (of all places) Denver two years ago to open Liberati – what he describes as the only brewery in the world devoted to the exploration of Oenobeers.
He describes “Oenobeer” as a beer/wine hybrid with each beer using a different wine grape in its fermentation. And, while wine/ beer hybrids have been experimented with for at least the last several decades, Liberati claims to be the only brewery in the world solely dedicated to this type of beer.
The location includes an osteria with the food prepared by Italian chef friends who joined him on this adventure in Colorado. Needless to say, the emphasis is on authentic Italian dishes with many ingredients made made in-house.