In Beer In The News, Beer Me BC excerpts news from sources around the world of craft beer. Note that the opinions expressed within are those of the original source and not Beer Me BC.

Sockeye Salmon Run Spawns New Crannog Ales Brew

CrannogAles SalmonRun

September 12, 2014
Press release from Crannog Ales

Our Sockeye Ale combines warm caramel malts with the new “Sockeye” hop for a particularly clean and spicy ale representing the vitality of our salmon stocks.

These wild hops were on Left Fields farm at Crannóg Ales when the brewery started, and after several years of propagation, were tested to see what variety they might be. It turns out that all of the likely varieties, and all those the hops could be related to, have different properties than this particular hop. It is with great excitement, then, that the brewers have finally named the hop and are bringing it to their beers. Named “Sockeye”, in honour of the Adams River Sockeye salmon run, this hop is richly spicy and slightly floral with a truly distinctive aroma. Lupulin is bright and plentiful, this hop is best used right away for peak aromas.

“It’s really fun to design a beer specifically around the Sockeye hops. They have a particularly spicy aroma, which I’m laying over a lot of warm Caramel malts to bring up the red colour of the salmon and balance the spice,” says Brian MacIsaac, alesmith and owner of Crannóg Ales.

Left Fields has been Salmon-Safe certified for several years, meaning that the farm keeps groundwater clean and safe for fish. It’s an important piece of the farm and brewery’s overall sustainability on the planet. Both farm and brewery are also certified organic, dedicated to keeping food systems free of genetically engineered products and supporting the ecosystems within which they farm.

“We hope that the salmon will make it through dangerous waters and make it safely to the Adams Lake spawning grounds, that we can save our wild species and the clean ecosystems of which they are such a vital part,” says Rebecca Kneen of Left Fields.

The Adams River salmon run is the largest Sockeye spawn in North America, and 2014 is a peak year for returning salmon. All over the Pacific Northwest, salmon are a vital part of ecosystems, first nations food supply, as well as feeding bear and eagles, creating nutrients for trees along the riverbanks, and feeding trout and everything that in turn eats the trout and the salmon.

Spawning Sockeye Ale will debut during the “Salute to the Salmon” on October 4 at the brewery. T-shirts designed by Crannóg’s brewer, Brian, will also be available in his signature contemporary Celtic style.

The Sockeye ale benefits the Adams River Salmon Society and Salmon-Safe BC, along with the Yuct Ne Senxiymetkwe Camp.’ Fish like a drink too!’

Comments

  1. mikescraftbeer
    mikescraftbeer 18 September, 2014, 21:26

    That is awesome that they had a new wild style of hops. I hope I can get my hands on a glass or two of this ale.

    Reply this comment

Write a Comment

Click here to cancel reply.

<