Fathers Day

For Father’s Day a crew of us—Luke and Larry Gottlieb, Ian Revo, and my dad and I—drove to Denver to see the Rockies take on the Brewers (a good opponent to mention on a beer blog). The game ended with an 8 to 7 win over the Brewers after the Rockies nearly blew it in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded and the Brewer’s star batter at the plate. We were all up on our feet, and the stressful ending duel had us craving something cold to ease our nerves. We left the stadium and went to the Falling Rock Tap House and with around 200 beers on the menu we knew we were in for a treat.

The first thing I do when I arrive at a beer bar is look for sour beers, and more specifically any brewed by Russian River—perhaps my favorite brewery. I am almost always out of luck because even if the manager is savvy enough to sell any of the Russian River beers, they are almost always out of stock. This time however I struck gold; not only did they have five Russian River brews, but they also had two of their sours I had yet to try—Supplication and Consecration. I had only seen these beers once before when I was strolling through a Whole Foods in San Francisco, but I was too hung-over and neglected to buy them—my only regret in life. This night however was my night of redemption, and I drank them both. Phenomenal. After having looked through a hundred or so bar menus and searched countless liquor stores, I finally experienced beer nirvana.

Supplication is fermented by two strains of bacteria—Lactobacillus and Pediococcus—and two strains of yeast—Brettanomyces and Saccharomyces. This blend of yeast and bacteria create a delightfully sour and dry beer. On top of the microbiotic medley, Supplication is also aged in Pinot Noir barrels for over a year with sour cherries added at some point during fermentation. Complex, light, and smooth.

Consecration is fermented by the same strains of bacteria and yeast as used in Supplication, but due to its higher alcohol percentage some of the bacteria do not survive the entirety of fermentation, which leaves a slightly sweeter profile. Currants are also added to this beer to add to the dynamic flavor. Although stronger than Supplication, it is equally as drinkable and delicious. These beers are among the best sours I have ever tried, and I am definitely considering blowing a day’s wages to buy a case to drink on special occasions.