Steamworks to Release Pumpkin Spruce

DURANGO, Colo. — Always looking to celebrate the seasons, Steamworks Brewing Co. has developed a special firkin recipe with a nod to autumn. The brewpub will roll out a “Pumpkin Spruce” firkin as part of Firkin Friday, its monthly showcase of unique hand-crafted beers. The keg will be tapped at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, 2014.

“Our unique, seasonal Spruce Goose Ale served as the base for this rich and tasty holiday firkin,” said Steamworks Brew Master and Certified Cicerone┬« Ken Martin, noting that this year’s Spruce Goose craft beer was brewed with fresh spruce tips harvested from Ophir Pass in the San Juan Mountains.

“We roasted a locally grown Chimney Rock pumpkin sprinkled with brown sugar and spices,” added Steamworks Brewer and Certified Cicerone┬« Spencer Roper. “Then added the caramelized mixture to this year’s batch of Spruce Goose.”

The result is expected to be a craft brew with hints of pumpkin pie or perhaps banana bread, given the candy-like quality of the spruce beer base. The Firkin Friday brew is always a unique offering.

A firkin is an old English unit of volume, typically a wooden cask equal to approximately one-quarter of a regular barrel, or nine/ten gallons. The word “firkin” is derived from the Middle Dutch word vierdekijn, which means “fourth” as in one-fourth the size.

Firkin beer is cask conditioned, and in the process the yeast transforms the sugar into alcohol within the cask, and carbonation results from the trapped carbon dioxide occurring as a byproduct. Firkin beer is unpasteurized and unfiltered and served at cellar temperature – cool but not cold.

Steamworks initiated its Firkin Fridays to introduce unusual, specialty craft beers to patrons, and augment its regular, award-winning offerings. Steamworks, open 11 a.m. to closing seven days a week, is located at 801 E. Second. Ave., Durango (970.259.9200). For further information, visit www.steamworksbrewing.com.