Beer Philosophy

At its core, beer is a fermented grain beverage. Steep grain in hot water, drain off the liquid, add some hops for flavoring, and let the yeast transform that sugary liquid into something magical. Since Duke Wilhelm IV codified Bavaria’s list of approved brewing ingredients in 1516—barley, hops, water, and later yeast—beer has remained centered around these four ingredients. It’s the brewer’s job to take these ingredients and turn them into beer, preferably a beer we enjoy drinking. But how do we brew something that tastes good?

Well step one is to be consistent. Perfecting our control of the brewing process means we get the exact flavors we expect every time. This is the technical part, so I’ll spare you the lectures on water chemistry and data analysis tools, but only when we can reliably hit those precise flavor targets does it become meaningful to start thinking about which target we want to hit. With the process well in hand, we can start to think about the recipe.

Each of the great brewing traditions has crafted their beer in slightly different ways, with the ingredients at hand, the technology available to them, and for their own generation of palates. Hundreds of beer styles and sub-styles have been created to identify the fruits of this labor. To us, the common thread that ties together the great beers—the ones that have stood the test of time—are not in the individual hops or malts or yeast strains used. It is in the way those elements are composed: each of the individual notes working together, building a cohesive yet layered symphony that provides plenty of complexity to listen for as you continue to enjoy the beer pint after pint.

Many of us are accustomed to describing strong beers in this way. English barleywine, Belgian quadrupel, or Baltic porter are often admired for their depth and elegance. But these principles apply just as well to their lower ABV brethren. There’s no reason we can’t brew a Kölsch that combines the delicate white grape-like esters of the style’s signature yeast, with a light dash of pine and peach from Yakima-grown hops, and the inviting breadiness unique to authentic Bohemian pilsner malt. As beautiful in our time as those beers were in theirs. To us, the puzzle of bringing this world class level of composition, balance, and depth to everyday beers is a quest worth pursuing.

As brewers and artists, we hope to brew something unique and beautiful. We want to create something that is a technical masterpiece, and contributes something to the ongoing evolution of beer as an art form. But at the end of the day, our primary responsibility is always that the beer just tastes good. When you crack a beer at the top of a mountain, or order another round at the pub with your friends, we want that first sip to be the moment the clouds open up, the sun shines down, the angels sing, and something about that beer lets you know that you’re loved. We’ll figure out how to make that happen, you just enjoy the beer.

-Evan Watts