Pelican Brewing Company Concludes Its 25th Bird-Day Collaboration Series with Hutch Kugeman of The Culinary Institute of America

PACIFIC CITY, Oregon – Pelican Brewing Company’s yearlong 25th birthday celebration raises one last glass with the release of Bird-Day Volume IV, an innovative culinary-inspired dark ale featuring Ancho chiles. This seasonally appropriate beer integrates rich, fruity aromas, deep caramel notes, and earthy Ancho chiles to create a flavor complexity while adding a tingle of spiciness to the warming finish. Pelican collaborated with New York-based alumni Hutch Kugeman of The Culinary Institute of America to showcase Pelican’s culinary approach to creating great beers.

Collaborating on Bird-Day Volume IV with Pelican Brewmaster Darron Welch was an opportunity to bring Hutch’s culinary knowledge to the forefront of the beer creation process to create a harmony of flavors. “I always approach things with flavors of three, so three distinct flavorings,” shares Hutch. “From the malt, you get that raisin sweetness, from the yeast you get that fermentation character, from the Ancho’s you get the earthy flavor that balances it all out, to create a harmony of flavors, but also great depth in the flavors.”

ABV: 8.7%| IBU: 25 | PLATO: 19º

Additionally, this final collaboration speaks to Pelican and Darron’s passion for teaching and sharing of industry knowledge. “It feels gratifying knowing that I was able to play a small part in Hutch’s career, and some of that knowledge is being passed forward. It’s reassuring to know that the future of food arts and brewing is in good hands,” says Darron. Hutch is the Head Brewer for the Brewery at The Culinary Institute of America and teaches culinary students the art of beer and how to create culinary experiences that complement the craft beer world.

Bird-Day Volume IV concludes Pelican’s four-part alumni collaboration series featuring collaborations from prominent Pelican Alumni, including Whitney Burnside of 10 Barrel Brewing, Ben Love of Gigantic Brewing, Jason Schonemann of Steel Toe Brewing, and Hutch Kugeman of The Culinary Institute of America. For Darron, these four collaborations were just a small showing of the people who have created a permanent mark on his 25 years at Pelican Brewing. “My only regret for the Bird-Day series is that we only had four spots, and we have so many fabulous Pelican alumni. We’ll have to just do another series,” says Darron.

Bird-Day Volume IV is now available in 500 mL bottles at your local bottle shop, on draft at Pelican brewpubs, and through Pelican’s beer subscription service called the Bird-Day Box.

About Pelican Brewing Company

Pelican Brewing Company was born at the beach in 1996. Here, in front of a rundown old building at the water’s edge, stood three enthusiastic young folks whose thirst for great beer overshadowed their understanding of what it would take to build a brewery. They did it anyway. Thanks to the vision of founding owners Jeff Schons, Mary Jones and brewmaster Darron Welch, Oregon’s only beachfront brewpub became one of the state’s most popular destinations. And now, 25 years later, Pelican Brewing Company is an iconic beach brand and one of the most decorated craft breweries in Oregon. Pelican has been honored with more than 450 awards, including the prestigious 2015, 2016, 2017 Australian International Beer Awards Champion Medium International Brewery; 2014 World Beer Cup Champion Small Brewery; 2013 Great American Beer Festival Large Brewpub of the Year. Why? Pelican brews are playful, but not frivolous. Brewed with purpose, passion and a deep respect for the craft. Pelican operates brewing and brewpub facilities in Pacific City, Cannon Beach, and its state-of-the-craft brewery in Tillamook, Oregon where it brews 40,000 barrels of award-winning beer annually and distributes to six states. Pelican’s vision, its beer and values were born at the beach, where the team wakes up each day in a place that reminds them that amazing is possible. Cheers, Fellow Fanatics! 

For More Information:
https://pelicanbrewing.com/bird-day/bird-day-vol-iv/