SINGLE HOP IPA ABV 7.1% IBU 75 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, CaraMunich, CaraPils Hops: Chinook This second installment of Forever Single features Chinook hops. We think it’s piney, spicey, and a little earthy. What do you think?
ICARUS WIT
BELGIAN WIT ABV 6.4% IBU 21 Fermentables: Pale, Wheat, Chocolate Malt, Black, Special B Hops/Spices: Ultra, Ginger, Star Anise, Orange Peel, Cocoa There happens to be a Pittsburgh-based power metal group called Icarus Witch, and we happen to be friends with them. So ever since when, we knew we wanted to do a riff on a Belgian witbier and call it Icarus Wit. So, what’s the weirdest thing you could add to a Belgian witbier? That’s correct – the answer is chocolate. But Jason (bass) loves chocolate beers, …
What American Craft Beer Week Has Inspired
What American Craft Beer Week Has Inspired We are living in the golden age of American craft beer. You needn’t look any further than the number of bars featuring artisanal beers and the number of breweries rising up across these 50 states to know that craft beer culture is strong. On a daily basis, consumers identify with numerous brands and eagerly seek out offerings from their countless breweries, building loyalty with an overall movement just as much as with specific brands. In 2006, the Brewers Association took what was formerly …
BACKDOOR SLIDER
DRY-HOPPED SOUR ABV 5.2% IBU 7 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Wheat, Vienna Hops: Santiam, Citra A “backdoor slider” is a deceptive pitch that starts outside the strike zone but then catches the back corner of the plate. Backdoor Slider is a simple sour ale that leads with Citra hops into a tart finish, with a touch of wheat crackers.
EL DOPA
PALE ALE ABV 6.9% IBU 17 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Munich, Crystal, Flaked Oats Hops: Bravo, Cascade, Goldings, Crystal, Meridian A relatively strong (“double”) pale ale brewed with flaked oats, which account for the softer, fuller mouthfeel and the hazy appearance. El Dopa has a restrained bitterness with an intense herbal, floral, almost tea-like flavor and aroma. Incidentally, the name is an acronym for Double Oatmeal Pale Ale. And it is also a play on the naturally occurring biochemical L-DOPA, which makes you and me happy.
HOW NOW
Brown Ale ABV 5.4% IBU 23 Fermentables: 2-row, Victory, CaraMunich, Chocolate Malt Hops/Spices: Santiam, Willamette, Peanut Butter This version of How Now is flavored with PB2, which is a dehydrated peanut butter. Much of the natural oils are removed, which makes it compatible with beer. The base beer is the same as usual, with a hint of caramel malt sweetness, a touch of biscuit, and roasty dark chocolate.
ELISE
SAISON ABV 5.8% IBU 38 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Pils, Wheat Hops: Santiam, Cascade We brewed Elise last spring but with different yeast and hops, so the only real similarities are in name and color. This year’s version is drier and more crisp, with a hint of pepper and clove, and a touch of citrus.
In The Tank, Out The Tank (vol. 5)
Sometimes it’s a grind. But at the end of the day, literally and figuratively, there’s beer. There’s music, too, and someday I’ll write about that. But right now, this is about beer. So let’s talk about what’s up and coming. Spring calls for lighter styles, so naturally we brewed an imperial stout. Evolution’s End will finish at just under 9% ABV, appropriately black and bitter, with a citrusy edge from Cascade and Centennial hops. We’ll stash a portion in whiskey barrels prior to the tapping on April 22, the second …
BICYCLE SEAT
WHEAT ABV 5.1% IBU 20 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Wheat, CaraPils, Honey Malt Hops: Horizon, Cascade Take this one out for a spin…or, it’s just like riding a bike…or some other hackneyed slogan. The weather is getting warmer, so here’s a hazy wheat beer! It’s citrusy on the nose, especially as it warms in the glass. The flavor is distinctly lime, with a grapefruit bitterness. And there’s a touch of honeyed wheat bread sweetness – just a touch. Highly sessionable and a nice pairing for the Bianca pie.
Do You Even Jenga, Bruh?!
Do You Even Jenga, Bruh?! Compete in Spoonwood’s First-Ever Really Big Jenga Tournament During Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week! If you’ve visited the Spoonwood Brewing taproom before, you may have noticed an adult-sized version of Jenga tucked away in the far corner of the dining room. And if you didn’t see it, perhaps you heard it as someone’s Jenga fate met an ill-timed demise as their tower came tumbling to the brewpub floor. Jenga is one of many cool ancillary reasons to visit Spoonwood (we prefer to lead with the beer …
Screamin’ Danger Pinned and Tapped at Carson Street Deli Thursday Night!
Screamin’ Danger Pinned and Tapped at Carson Street Deli Thursday Night! It’s been a few weeks since our friends Coheed and Cambria played an absolutely phenomenal show at Stage AE. It was one of the better shows I’ve attended in recent memory and, without question, the light show that accompanied the music was the coolest I’ve ever seen live. Myself and our brewers Steve Ilnicki and James Evans had the opportunity to hang out with Claudio Sanchez, frontman for Coheed and Cambria, for a few minutes as well. It was …
2 Minutes to Midnight Releases Feb. 26th and 27th
2 Minutes to Midnight Releases Feb. 26th and 27th After a couple planning sessions, a very fun brew day, several weeks in the fermenter, the addition of vanilla, chili peppers, and chocolate from Sarver’s Speckled Hen Chocolate Company, an enjoyable back-and-forth exchange over the beer’s eventual name, and the anxious wait for bottle label approval, we are happy to report that 2 Minutes to Midnight, an Imperial Stout created in collaboration with Caliente Pizza & Draft House, is ready for you to consume! When our initial collective ideas started to …
Screamin’ Danger IPA: Made in Collaboration with Coheed and Cambria
Screamin’ Danger IPA: Made in Collaboration with Coheed and Cambria It started with a tweet. It ended with a kick-ass beer. If you were unaware, yours truly and both our brewers, Steve Ilnicki and James Evans, are HUGE Coheed and Cambria fans. Many days, the brewhouse is bumpin’ to the tracks of Coheed while brand new beers go from recipe to reality. It makes for a pretty productive work environment, I have to admit. In fact, Spoonwood’s Double IPA, Good Eye Sniper, earned its name from a lyric in the …
6 Reasons To Join Us For Our Second Beer & Food Pairing
6 Reasons To Join Us For Our Second Beer & Food Pairing Back in September of 2015, we began a tradition at Spoonwood that showcased the skills of our chefs and brewers while giving you a wonderful opportunity to get to know us a little better. It was our very first Food & Beer Pairing and the night was exceptional. 40 craft beer and food enthusiasts came together to enjoy the creations of Executive Chef Jeffrey Simpson and Head Brewer Steve Ilnicki as both worked meticulously to present six courses …