Brewers and winemakers also tend to be fairly chauvinistic when it comes to the merits of the liquids they produce. Winemakers will readily admit that it takes a lot of great beer during harvest season to produce good wine, but it is highly doubtful any would consider blending their wine with beer. That creative twist has been left to craft brewers and their quest for the next interesting taste sensation.
“Twenty-five years ago I got out of the wine business because I did not like to be beholden to the changes in the weather, now I’ve gone full circle,” says Ron Gansberg, brewmaster at Cascade Brewing in Portland, OR. Cascade has become known for its sour beers and barrel-aging program, which has brought Gansberg back in touch with fruit and the idea of blending juice with beer.
In 2008, Cascade The Vine was the first ale Gansberg produced using grapes, relying on Niagara, a labrusca grape that in addition to making wine is the source of much of the white grape juice sold in the U.S. In 2009, Cascade Sang Royal was made using cabernet sauvignon grapes that were blended with a red ale and aged for 16 to 18 months in ex-cabernet sauvignon barrels. Previous vintages of the beer had been made using cherries.
“When you are working with grapes you really try to capture the essence of the fruit, while maintaining the character and balance of the beer,” Gansberg says. Still, weather conditions can throw a wrench into the works. Cascade did not produce any 2010 vintage of The Vine or Sang Royal because of poor grape quality. Gansberg laments that the 2011 growing season also got off to a rough start, but might still turn around in time.
In Syracuse, NY, Empire Brewing started using Concord grape concentrate from Finger Lakes vineyards in late 2009. Brewer Tim Butler says Empire Deep Purple was originally going to be a seasonal offering using an American wheat beer base, but now has become a part of the regular rotation at the brewpub because of customer demand.
