Jester King Announces Farmhouse Ale Co-Fermented with Blanc du Bois & Gewurztraminer Grapes

From Jester King:

We’re pleased to introduce our Farmhouse Ale Co-Fermented with Blanc du Bois & Gewurztraminer grapes!

This fermentation blurs the lines between wine and beer by simultaneously fermenting grapes and grain. We took whole cluster Blanc du Bois grapes from the Texas Hill Country, foot stomped them to combine the microbes on the skin of the grapes with the juice, then allowed an ambient fermentation with native yeast to begin. We then added unfermented beer brewed with well water, local grain, and a blend of fresh and aged hops, which fermented naturally with the yeast from the grapes. Shortly thereafter, we added Gewurztraminer from Willamette Valley, Oregon to the fermentation as well. We let the blend ferment to dryness in stainless steel 100% naturally without the introduction of any commercial yeasts or other cultures.

We’re quite proud of the resulting marriage of beer and wine, which has bright tropical fruit aromas on the nose and soft stone fruit and honey character on the palate. It’s quite dry having fermented to completion with native yeasts. Naturally effervescent through bottle refermentation.

Farmhouse Ale Co-Fermented with Blanc du Bois & Gewurztraminer is 6.4% ABV. It began fermentation last August during the grape harvest and bottled this January of 2020. We’re releasing it today at our restaurant — Jester King Kitchen! It’s available by the glass and in bottles to go. We have about 1,100 bottles (750ml/$24) with a bottle limit of four.

Art by Josh Cockrell

Photos by Granger Coats