Let me clarify: Rosé BEER All Day.
Yes, rosé beer. It’s a thing.
As the popularity of rosé wine has skyrocketed in recent years, brewers have begun to take notice, introducing rosé-inspired beers that effuse similar qualities: delicate fruitiness, quenching acidity and a crisp dry finish. The base beer can vary, but most brewers start with a sour such as a Gose, Berliner-Weisse or wild sour to have a base of acidity on which they can build. From here they must determine how to impart the vinous qualities. Berries, citrus fruits, flowers and wine grapes from the vitis vinifera species are all common additions. By re-fermenting, co-fermenting, or infusing with these ingredients the brewer is able to create rosé-like flavors. Fruity and session-able with a tart, dry finish, these beers are an excellent choice for sour-drinkers and rosé-lovers alike! Take a look at some of our France 44 favorites:
Crooked Stave Sour Rosé—$12.99/6pk Cans
Sour Rosé undergoes primary fermentation from Crooked Stave’s mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria before a secondary fermentation on raspberries and blueberries in large oak foeders. Fruit contact can be upwards of three months. Funky, earthy berry patch aromas are foreplay to the arousing palate of under-ripe, tannic berry notes, persistent acidity and definitive dryness. The wild-influence of this beer is its shining characteristic.
Firestone Walker Rosalie Rosé Beer—$9.99/6pk Cans
Born from a brewery rooted in wine. Firestone Walker brewed its first beers on-site of the Firestone winery, fermenting them in wine barrels. Possibly the most vinous of our line-up, Rosalie is the result of wort co-fermented with locally harvested Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Muscat grape juice and then kissed with hibiscus. The base beer is lightly soured and made from pilsner malt and a restrained hop bill, allowing the grape qualities to shine through. It is truly a bridge between the worlds of beer and wine. It’s the most Rosé tasting beer of our lineup.
Odell Sippin’ Pretty Fruited Sour Ale—$9.99/6pk Cans
Not actually named a “rosé beer,” but it exemplifies all the same qualities along with an entrancing rosé-hue. The super-fruit combo of guava, açai, elderberry and Himalayan pink sea salt brings floral citrus aromas, pops of juicy fruit and twangy tartness. You can practically taste the vitamins in this fruity sipper!
Other Beers of Note: Fair State Roselle Hibiscus Sour Ale, Surly Rosé Lager, Firestone Walker Bretta Rosé, Mikkeller Raspberry Blush & Double Blush
