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FINE BEERS HANDCRAFTED BY WANDERING STAR

Available in 50L and 1/4BBL kegs, plus 10.8 gallon casks (firkins). Also 1/6BBL kegs by request.

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PRINTABLE TASTING SHEETS:      [FOR NYC, LI, ETC.]     [FOR MA & RI]     [FOR UPSTATE NY]

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MILD AT HEART
English Dark Mild Ale

Status: Year round
ABV: 4.4%
Introduction date: June 2011
 ‘Dark Mild’ English style session beer with the ABV and color of an Irish Stout but a nuttier, softer mouthfeel from crystal and chocolate malts, and a finishing dryness from aroma hops. Brewed for drinkability to extract the maximum complexity and flavor from a relatively ‘light’ beer, warm fermented to accentuate dark fruit and roast malt notes. Conceived for cask and perfect served as a Real Ale. Hopped with Cluster and Perle. 29 IBUs.

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS: Dark meat barbecue plates, charcuterie, and any other unctuous dishes (this is a dry, palate cleansing beer with flavor strong enough to stand up to the food). Also a refreshing alternative to your morning coffee! Kegerator required for the latter.

       

ALPHA PALE ("XPA")
Summer Pale Ale

Status: Summer - Fall seasonal session ale
ABV: 4.4%
Introduction date: June 2011
 British-style Extra Pale Ale ("XPA") brewed for ‘sessionability’ with Maris Otter, wheat and crystal malts, U.S. and U.K. kettle hops (Cluster and U.K. First Gold) and a double dose of late hopping, first through a bed of whole Kent Golding hops in our brewhouse hopback, then after fermentation is complete, a cold filtration through a bed of whole hops in our “Lupulizer”. Not the same recipe as the original ’Alpha Pale’ test batch.

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS: Fish and chips, pizza dishes, chicken wings and other summer favorites; also cheese plates, especially soft cheeses.

       

ZINGARI
Belgian Witbier

Status: Year round
ABV: 5.0%
Introduction date: October 2011
 'Zingari' is Italian for gypsies, and this name perfectly captures Wandering Star's take on the Belgian Wit style. Brewed with 50% six-row barley and 50% malted and unmalted wheat, the beer is subtly spiced with lemongrass, cardamom, fenugreek, and coriander. The result is a refreshing 5% ABV beer with a zingy citrus zest.

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS: Asian dishes, seafood, salads, berries-and-cream desserts such as strawberry shortcake, milk or white chocolate.


       

THUNDERBOLT
American I.P.A.

Status: Occasional
ABV: 6.0%
Introduction date: February 2012
 A premium IPA made with UK Maris Otter and crystal malt to balance the kettle hop bill, with an added dry hop charge to add a genuine IPA finish. Popular and easy to drink. Named after the famous ‘Thunderbolt’ ski race held down the ungroomed slopes of Mount Greylock each year.

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS: Great with varieties of spicy foods such as Mexican or Thai dishes, but also with sharp cheeses such as aged Cheddar.


       

RAINDROP PALE ALE
American Pale Ale

Status: Year round except spring
ABV: 6.2%
Introduction date: June 2011
 Our flagship beer, brewed with Floor-malted premium U.K. Maris Otter pale malt, plus crystal and chocolate malts, to balance an international kettle hop bill of West Coast (Palisade - for bittering / flavor) and New Zealand Nelson Sauvin (flavor / aroma) hops, with an added hopback charge of whole U.K. Kent Golding hops to add a unique late hop finish. A true ‘hybrid’ Premium Pale Ale blending worldwide ingredients and brewing techniques for a nuanced, complex brew. 44 IBUs. The name was inspired by a New York Observer newspaper article describing Alex Hall as having "a face like a raindrop"!

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS: Latin dishes, fish and chips, curry and other assertively flavored foods; also sharp cheeses such as Vintage Cheddar.


       

BERKSHIRE HILLS 01201
Saison

Status: Seasonal
ABV: 6.3%
Introduction date: October 2011
 A classic Belgian Saison brewed using Brasserie Dupont yeast, and fermented at traditionally stratospheric temperatures - reaching 98F during primary fermentation! As an ironic nod to the Massachusetts ABCC's recent attempt to force farm brewers to use mainly MA-grown ingredients, the beer uses pilsner and wheat malts from nearby Valley Malts of Hadley, MA, as well as local unmalted wheat and spelt. The result is a quenching, complex, and aromatic light amber beer with a deceptively high 6.3% ABV.

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS: Barbecue pork or brisket, wild mushroom risotto, plus any other pungent and complex savory dishes; also a very good match with washed rind cheeses.

       

BASH-BISH-BOCK
Single Bock

Status: Year round
ABV: 6.6%
Introduction date: July 2011
 A refreshing amber colored Bock brewed with German malt and noble variety hops, and a Munich lager yeast. Cool fermented and lagered to maturity, this beer is smooth, satisfying and malty without being cloying – aiming at the drinkability of a Sierra Nevada Glissade but to a genuine Single Bock style. Named after a Native American princess who met her end over the eponymous Berkshire County waterfall - the highest in the state of Massachusetts.

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS: Traditional German dishes such as bratwurst and sauerkraut; blue cheeses; dark chocolate or toffee or caramel desserts.

       

BERT'S DISQUALIFIED IMPERIAL STOUT
Russian Imperial Stout

Status: Occasional
ABV: 9.5% (2011 batch was 8.6%)
Introduction date: June 2011
 Berkshire County homebrewer Bert Holdredge won the ‘Brewers Choice’ prize in the 2011 New York City Homebrew Competition with this recipe (the prize was for a commercial batch to be brewed on our system) – but was disqualified from the official BJCP competition since he’d forgotten to remove a label from a bottle. A dangerously drinkable pitch-black stout with rich chocolate and peat smoke notes, and just a hint of alcohol warmth.

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS: Bacon dishes, forest fruits, blue or other funky cheeses, dulce de leche, creme brulee.

       

RUDE MAN
English Barley Wine

Status: Occasional
ABV: 10.6%
Introduction date: February 2012
 A perilously strong, rich amber English barley wine made with phenomenal amounts of Maris Otter malt and Target, Progress, First Gold and Challenger hops. 44 IBUs. Brewed in October 2011, this beer will mature for years but is already smooth, complex and fruity with a substantial hop and alcohol structure to allow for graceful ageing. Named after an ancient, giant (180’ tall) fertility symbol cut into the chalk downs of S.W. England – bearing neither the mug of beer nor the strategically placed Wandering Star…

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS: While barley wines are fantastic alone as a closing sipper to any evening, they are also typically great with boldly flavored foods such as stinky (such as Stilton and blue) cheeses, charcuterie, olives and dark chocolate.


       

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© Wandering Star Craft Brewery, 2011-2012.

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