Cottrell Brewing Co. - "Stonington Glory" pilsner

 Well, here I am in Stonington, CT, on the Long Island Sound and only a hop, skip, and a jump from the Rhode Island border. I'm on a bit of a vacation this week, ahead of starting my new job on August 2nd. (So, yes, I'm actually stepping away from managing the wine and spirits store to focus on my main interest, public policy education.) But of course I am still blogging and will pick it back up in earnest, starting today!

I'm at Breakwater restaurant in Stonington, and saw this on the taplist. It's a 4.70% ABV Czech-style pilsner, made with Aromatic malt and Sterling hops, and named for the 1814 Battle of Stonington, in which the victorious Connecticut militia turned away a vastly-superior fleet of British ships during the War of 1812. Between August 9 and 12, 1814, British frigates and ships-of-the-line bombarded the town but failed to secure a victory. 

I grabbed a half-pour while waiting for our dockside table. It was pretty hot out, even with the sea breeze, so I wanted a lighter beverage. And I chose wisely, but...one thing that strikes me about this is that it's actually on the heavier end of pilsners. I was surprised at how thick and full-bodied it was. It's off-dry, with a heavy dash of honey which is quite welcome and gives substantial body to an otherwise-light style. I enjoy the traditional flavors as well, and am picking up the flaked-wheat and dry, salty texture. This would be a nice pairing with some seafood (not that I can eat most seafood due to an allergy) or lighter chicken dishes. Or perfect for a day on the pier!

Weekly Cocktail: "Yoru Desu"

A few weeks ago, I picked up Hendrick's "Lunar", the famed gin distiller's spring seasonal expression, so I wanted to see how it would do in a cocktail. The spirit itself has notes of allspice, cinnamon, flowers, and a touch of herbs to complement a relatively-low juniper flavor. I wanted to make a summery cocktail using it, so I chose yuzu, a fruit native to East Asia. In that vein, I've decided to call this "Yoru Desu", which can be translated from Japanese as "Nighttime." You know, because Lunar gin, too.

To make this, you'll need:

• 2oz Hendrick's Lunar gin
• 5oz yuzu juice 
• 4 dashes Fee Brothers plum bitters
• Ice cube
• Whole cardamom (to float as garnish)

Here, I placed the ice in the glass first, adding the cardamom and shooting the bitters over the ice. I followed up by adding the gin, then the yuzu juice, and stirred. I chose plum bitters because it toned down the sweetness of the yuzu and gave the cocktail some weight. Overall a tasty cocktail, and I'd be curious how this would be shaken with ice. 

Avery Brewing Co. - "Depuceleuse" barrel-aged wild ale (2010 vintage)

Here's another vintage beer, drawn from the bowels of the D'Vines storage unit - a 9.59% ABV wild ale brewed with sour cherries. Called "Depuceleuse", it's fermented using Brettanomyces yeast, malted barley, Rocky Mountain tapwater spring water, and finally aged in Zinfandel casks with production limited to 463 cases, or 5,556 12oz bottles. 

Oh, and it's also over a decade old, bottled in March 2010, BUT - unlike some vintage beers that I've tried, I'm a bit more optimistic for barrel-fermented wild ales. Why? Because to start, wild ales often have funky yeast strains, many of which are quite hardy and work their magic in the bottle. This is called bottle-conditioning, and while it doesn't explicitly say this beer is bottle-conditioned, it still stands to reason that beers like this may have ongoing processes that keep the juice inside fresh.

But there still is the chance it could be vinegar since I don't know other variables related to storage. 

Cracks open OK - good hiss from the bottle. I gently pour it, because old beer should be treated with care as to not disturb any sediment which has accumulated. 

Wow. It's bloody good. No joke, it's like a traditional, proper lambic. This ale is super soft with a moderate amount of gentle sourness, a definite funk (from the Brett) and a silky-smooth consistency. Flavor notes are predominately of dates, with some pungent spice, wood, raisin sweetness and a good dose of malts. Finish is somewhat short, with a tang. 

Damn, I'm impressed at how well this held up. Fans of lambics, true sours, and barrel-aged ales would rejoice at the taste of such nectar. I'd definitely have this again, and you can buy one for yourself at D'Vines for $17.99 per 12oz bottle.