Mikkeller & Samuel Adams Announce International Collaboration Beer: Bugs & Berries

Bugs and Berries is an American wild ale brewed with a wheat base and wild yeast strains with an addition of sour cherries from Denmark and strawberries from New England. In Denmark, the brewers visited the cherry orchard and wine farm, Frederiksdal Estate, to collect wild yeasts and cherries. In the U.S., the yeasts come from New York, and the strawberries from a variety of strawberry patches in New England.

“When we decided to bring the Copenhagen Beer Celebration to Boston, we knew we wanted to offer craft beer fans something extra special, & wanted a partner in crime that shared our same passion for innovation and experimentation in beer,” said Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, founder of Mikkeller.  “One of the things we wanted to focus on as part of the collaboration was the role that the different wild yeasts would contribute to the fermentation, which is part of the inspiration for the name Bugs & Berries. We look forward to making this unique & complex beer available this September, made from the best raw material ever: ‘curiosity.’”

“Much like Samuel Adams in the U.S., Mikkeller has been an innovator & pioneer of the Nordic craft beer movement for years. And like myself, they got started by brewing crazy experiments in their kitchen,” said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams. “Together we’ve had a lot of fun experimenting over the past few months with different ingredients and in the spirit of collaboration we’ve sourced ingredients from both countries making this beer a true international collaboration.”

Additional Details About the Brew

Yeast is a critical component in beer and converts the sugars from grain and fruit into alcohol. The wild yeasts, or “Bugs,” in Bugs & Berries were carefully harvested and underwent thorough analysis before being sent. During the review, the brewers chose the strains and organisms that would produce the most desirable, pleasant and interesting flavors and aromas.

The resulting beer pours like a hazy wheat ale and tastes tart and fruity from the combination of wild yeasts, sour cherries and strawberries.

Availability: This limited release brew will only be available for a limited time in September during CBC and at the Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston.

And here’s the actual label: