Stillwater “Premium” May Be One Of The First Canned Brett Beers

Strumke terms his beer a “post-Prohibition ale.” The formula includes corn as well as hop varieties such as Cluster and Northern Brewer that have been widely used for bittering but rarely utilized for their aroma as in this beer. (“Cool, minty, herbaceous” is how Strumke describes it.)

Premium is fermented with a saison yeast and a strain of Brettanomyces, a wild yeast that imparts flavors often colorfully described as “woodsy,” “wet saddle” and “horse blanket.” While many craft breweries have experimented with Brett, Strumke is almost certain that this is the first Brett beer in a can.

Strumke, however, takes a light touch in his beers, not letting any element become too aggressive. Premium has “the body and look of something like PBR, and it’s insanely drinkable,” he says.

Premium is available in 22-ounce bottles and kegs. Strumke hopes that four-packs of 12-ounce cans will be on the market by the end of this year, or “as soon as possible.”
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