Allagash Brewing’s Little Brett Returns

PORTLAND, ME, — An Allagash Brewing Company favorite, Little Brett, is returning for another limited release. Allagash Little Brett is fermented with 100% Brettanomyces yeast and hopped and dry-hopped exclusively with Mosaic hops.

“Just those two ingredients give Little Brett its notes of pineapple, citrus, and even a little bit of tartness,” said Jason Perkins, Brewmaster at Allagash.

Beyond the flavor, Little Brett actually happens to be the lowest calorie beer that Allagash brews. It has 124 calories and 7 grams of carbohydrates per 12 oz. bottle all while coming in at an ABV of 4.8%.

This earned it a Men’s Health’s Low-Calorie Beer award, as well as a spot as one of General Health Magazine’s Best Low-Calorie Beers.

“Out on the patio on a nice day, this beer is just awesome,” said Rob Tod, founder/brewer at Allagash. Eater put it well by saying, “[there’s a] palate-enlivening tartness… [which makes] Little Brett ably suited for sunny-day drinking” while Paste described it as a “fresh take on what a low-ABV beer can be.”

Getting all that flavor into such a small beer is not easy. In fact, there’s not much about this beer that’s simple from a production side.

“Low-ABV beers in general are more challenging to brew well,” said Perkins. “In smaller beers, every ingredient tends to stand out. Finding the right balance can take a lot of fine tuning.”

Brettanomyces yeast presents another brewing challenge. It differs from typical brewers yeast (saccharomyces) in that it often takes months to ferment, rather than weeks. It can also be finicky in in its fermentation patterns, something the brewers at Allagash have become quite accustomed to wrangling.

“The beer is really process-driven,” said Evan Culver, the brewer behind Little Brett’s original recipe. “Getting the brew, fermentation, and dry hopping right is what really brings out that range of flavors.”

Little Brett will begin shipping out on 5/29 in 12 oz. bottles and 5.17 gallon kegs to all Allagash Brewing Company’s areas of distribution: ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, DE, RI, NY, NJ, SC, NC, GA, CA, MD, VA, DC, Chicagoland, and Philadelphia.

ABOUT ALLAGASH BREWING COMPANY

Founded in Portland, Maine, by Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing Company is dedicated to crafting the best Belgian-inspired beers in the world. Since 1995, Allagash has focused on giving back to the community—and state—that has supported them along the way.