New Beers This Week

So this week we have two American craft brews with a wine influence. As brewers seek out ever more creative ways to make beer, some have incorporated wine-making techniques or even used wine in their recipes.

First up, we have the Allagash Victoria Ale. Allagash Brewing Company is located in Allagash, Maine and specializes in Belgian-style beers. You may have seen their Allagash White before, which is their most popular beer (compare to Blue Moon, another Belgian-style white ale, and it's a knockout for Allagash). It's no exaggeration to say that Allagash makes Belgian-style beers as good as the real thing. They also have some innovative beers of their own creation, such as the Victorian Ale. It's sort of a cross between a Belgian Pale Ale and a wine. They crushed Chardonnay grapes on site and brewed the beer with the juice.

Next up is Delaware's Dogfish Head Brewery with the Red and White Ale. This beer starts out as a Belgian White Ale brewed with coriander, orange peel, and Pinot Noir juice. It is then aged in used Pinot Noir oak barrels.

Beers like these are one reason I love the American craft beer scene so much - the innovation. American brewers are not afraid to experiment and come up with what are basically entirely new beverages. Bravo to Allagash and Dogfish Head for leading the way.