National Culinary Review

s;the;craft;beer;movement;continues;to;expand;the palates;of;Americans,;so;do;nontraditional;flavors that;longtime;beer;lovers;may;not;expect;to;taste.;Finding;beers flavored;with;berries;and;other;fruits,;herbs,;spices,;coffee,;nuts, chocolate and even oysters is no longer unusual.

“There;is;a;revolution;going;on;in;beers;that;have;more;flavor,” says;Julia;Herz,;craft;beer;program;director;for;the;Boulder, Colo.-based;Brewers;Association.;“Light;American;lager;is;no longer the only American beer for every occasion.

“It goes hand-in-hand with what is happening in cheeses, coffees and breads. Diversity and variety are being supported in the;marketplace.”

Before hops

Flavored;beers;are;not;a;new;phenomenon.;“The;origins;of herbs and spices in beer as a preservative started centuries ago, before;hops;were;discovered,”;says;Polly;Watts,;owner;of;The Avenue;Pub;in;New;Orleans.

Ancient;brewers—usually;women,;or;“alewives”—dating as far back as ancient Egypt made ales from fermented sugars of;grain;malt;and;a;mixture;of;herbs,;other;plants;and;spices. Microscopic;yeast;was;not;discovered;until;the;mid-1800s.

“There are still a few brewers today doing spontaneous fermentation;with;raspberries,;but;they;are;hard;to;make,” says;Watts.

These few contemporary brews, including Belgium-based Dupont Brewery’s Posca Rustica, draw inspiration from gruit, a;mixture;of;herbs;used;before;hops;came;along;to;flavor;beer during the days of the Roman Empire.

Add fruit

Fruit;infusions;are;probably;the;most;common;beer;flavors being;used;today.;European;and;American;brewers;are;flavoring some beers with purees from raspberries, strawberries, blueber-ries, cherries, peaches, apricots and other fruits. In the hands of skilled brewmasters, these beers are not overly sweet but have subtle;overtones;of;the;fruit;flavors.

Some are aged in barrels with the whole fruit, which is later
discarded,;for;six;months;to;a;year,;says;Stephen;Laborde,
general manager of The Trappist and The Trappist Provisions
in;Oakland,;Calif.;“The;sugar;gets;fermented,;so;these;beers
aren’t;sweet;or;cloying,”;he;explains.;“The;more-skilled;brewers
can;add;flavoring;like;apricot;or;peach;as;a;nuance.;Less-skilled
brewers;may;go;too;far;in;one;direction.”
Some of these beers are made in small quantities when
certain fruits are in season, kegged, and served only on tap.
Others;are;bottled;and;available;year-round.

Peach and apricot beers are brewed by a number of craft brewers in regions where those fruits grow, and are generally

wheat beers or golden ales with a lower Alcohol by Volume (ABV);of;about;4%.;Four;Peaks;Brewery’s;Arizona;Peach;Ale from;Tempe,;Ariz.,;for;one,;is;especially;appealing;in;warm weather;with;lighter;foods;such;as;salads;and;BLT;sandwiches, says;manager;Miguel;Lopez.

Lopez;adds;that;the;peach;ale;has;broad;appeal;to;both;sexes and;not;just;to;women,;a;fact;he;credits;to;the;beer’s;subtle;peach flavor;that;is;not;overly;fruity.

Dominion Brewery’s Cherry Blossom Lager, released in time;for;this;spring’s;cherry;blossom;festival;in;Washington, D.C.,;is;conditioned;for;48;hours;on;Michigan;cherries.;This seasonal beer, brewed in Dover, Del., is available for only a few months in the mid-Atlantic region. Dominion’s brewmaster suggests pairing cherry lager with a variety of dishes, including spicy;Mexican;foods,;grilled;chicken,;salads;and;fruit;tarts.

Familiar and offbeat

The;bottled;Abita;Purple;Haze;brewed;in;Abita;Springs,;La., is an American-style wheat beer with fresh raspberry puree added for acidity and sweetness. “The beer tingles the tongue like a Champagne,”;says;David;Blossman,;president;of;Abita;Brewing.

Released;this;spring;was;Abita’s;Strawberry;Harvest;Lager. The;juice;from;locally;grown;strawberries;gives;the;lager;“a;kiss of;sweetness;and;a;good;aroma,”;Blossman;says.;Abita;uses;the juice;of;another;local;fruit,;satsuma;orange,;in;its;Satsuma;Harvest Ale. Ground coriander is also added. Pecan Harvest Ale is a third;beer;in;Abita’s;Harvest;line,;sold;year-round.;Louisiana-grown pecans are added to the mash to give the beer a subtle nutty;flavor.;All;three;beers;in;this;line;pair;especially;well;with Cajun;and;Creole;foods,;Blossman;notes.