1001 BEERS: #27. BROOKLYN LOCAL 1

 

# 27: BROOKLYN LOCAL 1

Brooklyn Brewery - USA (Est. 1988)

9% ABV - Strong Golden Ale
IBU's - 26

Ingredients:

Malts: Two-row Pilsner, Bamberg, Demerara Cane Sugar
Hops: Hallertauer Perle, Styrian Golding

Tasting Notes

E: Pale straw-like colour, orangey hue.  Champagne style bubbly look when poured.  White frothy head.

N: Banana esters, coming from the Belgian yeast.  A sweet herbal aroma which dominates.  Slight aroma of fruity hops.

P: Spice dominates initially, followed by a sweet, honey like fruit.  Towards the end a smattering of peppery spice.

M: Tingy, spritzy carbonation with a smooth, dry finish.

Other comments: A beer that has all the character of a champagne with all the craftmanship of Brooklyn Brewery.  Local 1 is a continental beer in its make-ip. German/Austrian hops, German malts, demerara sugar from Mauritius and Belgian yeast.  This beer is 100% refermented back in the bottle, all the yeast is filtered out after the 1st fermentation, the beer gets bottled completely flat, new yeast is added along with the sugar.  The beer is then fermented for several weeks.  This "Methode Champenoise) was used by early French/Belgian beer makers to achieve high levels of carbonation.

Food Pairings: Local 1 cries out for fish and seafood.  Lobster pasta would pair wonderfully, as the slight salty lobster would contrast against the sweet demerara sugar, whilst the peppery spice from the hops would cut through any residual fats.  Match spice with spice, and pair with a delicate Thai curry, or contrast against the champagne bubbles with a creamy cheese.

SCORE: 3.56/5

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