Lavenade has been a brewery favorite since we first released the barrel-aged, bottled version last year. Many of us have shared bottles of this lemon-lavender sour ale with family and friends who “don’t like sour beer” only to find out that, hey, maybe they do. As the tale of this beer grew internally, we knew we had to figure out a way to introduce it to a wider audience. The idea for a canned, kettle-soured version of this beer quickly began to take shape.
The new, canned Lavenade that’s launching this week uses a kettle souring process to impart bright, tart and refreshing acidity. Like the bottled version, we used lemon and lavender to flavor this beer, creating a balance between the citrus-like intensity of the lemon and the soft, floral character of the lavender. It’s truly a crushable summer can!
Kettle souring introduces acidity naturally into a beer, prior to bringing the wort to a boil. The sterilizing boil kills the lactic acid bacteria and results in a shelf-stable, “clean” beer that we’re able to package in cans. The extended barrel-aging and wild fermentation of the first batch of Lavenade also created acidity, but at a much higher cost. By swapping the wild yeast with a more stable, controllable kettle sour process, we were able to brew even more Lavenade, and finally package it in cans!
We’re celebrating the launch of Lavenade with a patio party with our friends at State Park on Monday, May 6th, at 6pm. They’ve even been working on some fun cocktails made with Lavenade.
Additionally, a limited run of cans will be available at the Barrel Room in addition to local retail partners very soon.
