Alaskan Brewing Pilot Series Birch Bock Coming Mar 1st

Good news for people in the distribution territories for Alaskan Brewing…

For the full details…

Alaskan Birch Bock is a Doppelbock-style ale brewed with Alaska birch syrup. Adapted by Munich brewers from a 14th century ale recipe from the town of “Einbeck,” the bock style traditionally features a toasted malt flavor, low hop bitterness and lager-like dryness in the palate. Doppelbocks are a bigger and slightly sweeter version of the style.

AAlaskan Birch Bock is a tawny, copper-colored ale with slight off-white lacing. Lightly toasted and caramel malts highlight the aroma with noticeable undertones of birch, figs and spun sugar. The flavor is also lightly malty with a delicate earthy or floral sweetness at the front that develops into a soft but not cloying mouthfeel. The birch syrup adds a subtle woodsy and sherry-like character that mingles with the hop bitterness to create clean and dry finish that nicely masks the spice of alcohol in this medium-bodied beer.

The 2-3 week tapping window and time-consuming boiling process of Alaska birch syrup make it a truly rare and gourmet ingredient used in Alaska for everything from pancake syrup and hard candies to a unique sweetener for ice cream, sauces and beer. While the rich and spicy notes of birch syrup added complexity to Alaskan 25th Anniversary Perseverance Russian Imperial Stout, this distinct ingredient is the showcase flavor in Alaskan Birch Bock.

Alaskan Birch Bock is made from glacier-fed water, a blend of Pacific Northwest hop varieties, premium two-row and specialty malts and birch syrup from the Alaska Birch Syrup Company and Kahiltna Birchworks.

The earthy sweet notes of Alaskan Birch Bock pair well with dishes that marry a variety of flavors, especially the sweet and salty. Fresh apple pie with a slice of smoked Gouda, cinnamon chocolate torte or a fruity spice cake are excellent dessert choices, while appetizers of sweet potato fries or a soft white cheese fondue would match up well to this richly malty brew.

The Alaska paper birch, with its narrow, white trunk and light green foliage is a valued species for moose and man alike in the boreal forests of Alaska’s interior. The Alaska moose feeds on the resilient and papery bark to survive the harsh, 60-below winters while Native Alaskans prized this water-resistant bark to cover the exterior of their hunting canoes. Birch trees produce abundant sap in April and May, 80 gallons of which can be boiled down to one gallon of thick, molasses flavored birch syrup, used to flavor this uniquely Alaskan brew.