What?! No! This year Oktoberfest is canceled? Covid-19 may have sabotaged many beer lovers’ plans to go to festivals in Munich, Germany, and around the world, but they can still celebrate. Enthusiasts can savor delightful and unique beers, from the comforts of their home. And what type of beers are more delicious and unique than honey beers?
1. Le Printemps by Hacienda Beer Co.
Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hacienda Beer Co. is always experimenting with creating original craft beers. Le Printemps, a spring Saison beer, is one of them. This beer captures the essence of springtime, the icy claws of winter receding, and the fresh greens and mellow weather returning to the land. This beer has a floral aroma and a golden color due to its brewing process. Le Printemps is brewed with raw Wisconsin honey, then, it is dry-hopped with Huell Melon hops. It is bright, rustic, and tart, with citrus, spice, melon, and honey. A dry finish will leave you wanting more of this honey beer.
2. Hibiscus Honey Lager by Garage Brewing Co.
Garage Brewing Co is a local brewpub in Temecula, Southern California. Like any lagers, the Hibiscus Honey is lively, fizzy with a light color and body. But, it has one delicious surprise. Garage Brewing Co. brews Hibiscus Honey Lager with honey (obviously) and flower petals. The petals of marigold, safflower, blue cornflower, and its namesake flower, hibiscus, give the beer a subtly sweet taste and a pleasant aroma.
3. Tra La La by Grimm Artisanal Ales
In 2013, Joe and Lauren Grimm founded Grimm Artisanal Ales, specializing in elegant, creative ales. Grimm was a nomadic brewery until June 2018, when their permanent location opened in Brooklyn, New York. Still, their limited-edition releases, such as Tra La La, capture the experimental spirit of the couple. Tra La La is a Bière de Miel, a honey beer. A honey beer is not to be confused with mead. Meads get all of their sugar for fermentation from honey. In contrast, braggots, honey beers, often have other sugar sources such as grains or bread. Tra La La is brewed with buckwheat honey and then blended with aged sour beer. Buckwheat honey is dark, robust, and malty tasting on its own. Tra La La is the second beer the Grimm couple ever brewed but it doesn’t lack sophistication. It is of high quality and thirst-quenching, with pleasant lemon tartness, grassy notes.
4. Ticky Ticky Buzz by Fonta Flora Brewery
Fonta Flora Brewery, based in Morganton, North Carolina, emphasizes artisanship and using seasonal plants to craft their beers. To spread their message that fermentation is a sustainable art medium, Fonta Flora regularly partners with local artists. Ticky Ticky Buzz is genuinely a work of art. It is made from rustic multigrain sourdough, malted and flaked local grains, and blended with wildflower honey. Fermented with house mixed-cultures and aged on organic Cardamom pods, Ticky Ticky Buzz lives up to its name. The amount of carbonation makes this beer crisp and refreshing. It smells and tastes like lemon zest and honey with a bready, tingling finish.
5. Catalyst by Oxbow Brewing Company
Oxbow Brewing Company is in Newcastle, Maine. This farmhouse brewery is in a rural yet charming area where the winding rivers inspired the name Oxbow. Catalyst is a barrel-aged Bière de Miel. In the production of Catalyst, raw wildflower honey from the farm’s beehives plays a vital part. The brewing process and bottle conditioning use wildflower honey. This beer is golden with honey, floral, and peachy scent and a refined taste. Additionally, Catalyst has a tart/acidic flavor well balanced with honey. Notes of apricot, lime, orange marmalade, spice, and malt are also present.
6. Tiny Bomb by Wiseacre Brewing Co.
Tiny Bomb certainly lives up to its name with its rich history and exquisite taste. Davin and Kellan Bartosch founded Wiseacre brewery in Memphis, Tennessee, to bring people high quality, flavorful beers. Centuries ago, citizens of Pilsen, Czech Republic, created Pale Lager from their homeland’s soft water. This historical recipe inspired the Bartosch brothers to use the water from Artesian wells in Memphis to craft the Tiny Bomb in a similar style. German and American pilsner malt and plenty of local wildflower honey are present in the Tiny Bomb. The aroma of the Tiny Bomb is malty and sugary, with hints of clover and lemongrass. The taste of honey is strong but clean, with citrus notes. It is also the Bronze medal winner of the 2014 Great American Beer Festival.
7. Pollen Nation Honey Blonde Ale by Evans Brewing Co.
Evans Brewing Co is one of the oldest breweries in Southern California. Pollen Nation gives recognition to the busy insects that “contribute more than 24 billion dollars to the US economy, with honey bees accounting for more than 15 billion dollars” (archives.gov). This yellow, cloudy ale has a mild taste of pollen and honey. Pollen Nation also has a faint malt, wheat, and yeasty smell.
8. Jetty Honey Ale by Great South Bay Brewery
Off the southern shore of Long Island, New York, one can find the Great South Bay Brewery. They are proud of their beers, made with only the highest-quality ingredients and a meticulous brewing process. Jetty Honey Ale is no exception. Great South Bay brews Jetty in a non-traditional cream ale fashion with pilsner malt, German hops, flaked corn, and orange blossom honey. Bubbly, bright, and light describe this beer well. It smells and tastes like green grapes, oranges, honey, and faintly, corn. Simply satisfying.
9. Orange Avenue Wit by Coronado Brewing Co.
Orange Avenue Wit comes from Coronado Brewing Co, a family-owned brewery based in San Diego, California. As the name suggests, Orange Avenue Wit is a tribute to Coronado’s main street that used to have orange trees. Orange Avenue is a witbier, a Belgian-style ale. Orange zest, coriander, and orange blossom honey give Orange Avenue a Southern California signature. The aroma is heavenly, a mix of fresh oranges, lemons, pears, honey, spices, and yeast. Also, the taste matches the smell, light, yet creamy and grounded with bready malt. A hazy golden color, this medium carbonated drink is perfect at any time.
10. Nuclear Nugget by Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Last but certainly not least, presenting the Nuclear Nugget from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery. Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is in Goochland, Virginia. Although their name is amusing, Lickinghole Creek’s premium beer’s aren’t a joke. They grow most of their ingredients and responsibly source water. Nuclear Nugget, an Indian Pale Ale, is explosive and unforgettable as expected from this award-winning brewery. It is foamy and dense. Then a powerful whiff of citrus, flowers, herbs, and spices assaults the nose. The taste is exceptionally hoppy, laced with citrus, toffee, and the sweetness clover honey from Bearer Farms Goochland. Clover honey’s creamy consistency, mild flavor, and light color make it a valuable addition to virtually any type of beer. Finally, the finish is spicy, fresh, dry, and fizzy. Nuclear Nugget is the definition of going out with a bang!
Every bottle (or can) of beer tells an extraordinary story. From recipes, different styles developed centuries ago all around the globe and new ones, dreamed up by countless visionaries today. To the journey of farmers growing the wheat, the hops, and the spices. To the bees foraging for nectar, the citrus ripening under the sun. Then, bacteria, slowly ferment and transform until the beer is done. Finally, the consumers savor the beer from the first pop of the can opening and the very last sip. That’s the timeless tale of beer.
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