Barkerville Brewing- Aunt Florence Gruit

Barkerville Brewing- Aunt Florence Gruit Review

For the third year in a row, B.C.’s only all-female-run craft brewery, Barkerville Brewing in Quesnel,  hosted their annual collaboration brew day in honour of International Women’s Day. It was brewed on February 21st, making the beer launched and available on International Women’s Day – March 8th. Onboard to help her out were women from Crossroads Brewing, Bulkley Valley, Wheelhouse Brewing, and Gambrinus Malting.

For the first two years, under the leadership of head brewer Erin Dale, Barkerville Brewing, was part of the Pink Boots Collaborations around the world using the designated Pink Boots hop blend, with proceeds going back to the Pink Boots Society. But this year was different!

This year’s International Women’s Day collaboration brew is one Erin has been working on for several years. She created and brewed a gruit, a non hopped beer, made during the Middle Ages where dried herbs are used to spice and preserve the beer. She chose rosehips, yarrow, juniper berries, and chamomile to the brew to create a gruit that can ease the symptoms of PMS, mostly for women, but for men too! The beer was named after Florence Wilson, a woman who helped shape Barkerville during the Cariboo Gold Rush.

The beer pours a warm coppery/mahogany, with just a thin tan coloured head and light carbonation. The aromatics are very botanical, with a hint of fruity tartness. The taste is a blend of apple from the chamomile, a hint of licorice and sweetness from the yarrow, sweetness, berries, citrus, and tartness from the rosehips and a hint of pine and pepper from the juniper. An interesting blend of herbs used to aid in circulation, regulating hormones, and stress making for a tart and fruity ale. It finishes dry, yet is very refreshing. A nice alternative for summer sipping.