Oregon Fruit Products Creates New Grapefruit Puree for Craft Brewing

SALEM, ORE AUGUST 27, 2015 –

Oregon Fruit Products LLC today announced the company’s 14th addition to its Oregon Specialty Fruit purees made for the craft beer market. The new grapefruit puree adds a touch of tart, citrus flavor to a variety of fruit beers, ciders, meads, and other fermented beverages. The velvet-smooth puree consists of 100% Ruby Grapefruit juice and grapefruit pulp, with no added sugar, preservatives or additives.

“We’re seeing strong growth in our fruit puree business, all fueled by craft brewers who are seeking innovation with new flavor profiles,” says Chris Sarles, CEO of Oregon Fruit Products. “Because our purees are made with the highest quality fruit and processed into aseptic packaging, brewers are finding it a very convenient and more consistent alternative to fresh or frozen fruit.”

Aseptic products are flash heated at ultra-high temperatures for a very short time to minimize microbes in the fruit puree. The product is cooled quickly to maintain the best fresh fruit flavor and color. The entire process is closed, with the package filled and capped in a sealed environment, without letting any contamination enter the system. The majority of Oregon Specialty Fruit purees have a shelf life of 18 months in ambient temperature.

Oregon Fruit’s grapefruit puree is already inspiring some creative brews across the country: White Street Brewing Company in Wake Forest, North Carolina has created a Session IPA dubbed “Grapefruit I-Plié,” made with Mandarina and Mosaic hops and fermented with grapefruit puree. In Nashville, Indiana Big Woods Brewing Company now has a “Kemosabe Session IPA” full of hop and citrus bitterness. Wicked Weed Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina is using Oregon Fruit’s puree for a Grapefruit/Honey Gose-inspired Ale to be released late 2015, while sour beer consumers will look forward to trying the barrel-aged grapefruit beer next year that Green Bench Brewing Company in St. Petersburg, Florida is crafting.

“When one of our brewers asked me to source a grapefruit puree, I immediately made the call to Oregon Fruit,” said Dan Kopman, founder of Schlafly – The Saint Louis Brewery in St. Louis, Missouri. “We add purees to our fermentations, and the real grapefruit puree developed by Oregon Fruit gave our Dry-Hopped Grapefruit IPA a distinctly fruity taste without adding unwanted sweetness.”

Oregon Fruit Products’ grapefruit puree is now available in 42 lb. bag-in-box, 425 lb (55 gallon) drums, and 2,300-lb. totes. The product is certified Kosher, made in the U.S.A., non-GMO, gluten-free and vegetarian. Oregon Fruit Products does not use, nor does it allow, any of the eight major allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat) in the products or processing areas.