Glendale, WI — On the week of February 24th, Sprecher Brewing Company will release the 2014 batch of “Beyond” Braggot, a style of mead made with honey and barley malt. Often considered the ancestor of all fermented drinks and the oldest brewed beverage, mead is steeped in history. Wikipedia notes that famed French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss “makes a case for the invention of mead as a marker of the passage ‘from nature to culture’.”
Wanting to create something other than an ale or lager, Sprecher Brewmaster Craig Burge decided to brew Beyond with the local Wisconsin honey he uses for Sprecher sodas, along with barley malt (thereby creating a braggot) as well as plenty of Cascade and Centennial hops. Limited edition Beyond was made in three separate brews with over fifty-percent (50%) honey and four different yeast cultures. Beyond has aged for 18 months and will be released in three separate batches, one batch of roughly 400 cases in each of the next three years.
Beyond is the color of wildflower honey, with a medium body and low carbonation. According to Burge, it has a great balance of many flavors, including, “sweet and dry honey mead notes followed by the big fruit character of Belgian Barleywine.” Burge notes that the braggot can be enjoyed now; it will also age well especially if stored in a cool and dark location. It is eleven percent (11%) abv.
Each batch of Beyond will have its own distinctively-colored bottle. The 2014 batch will be in a copper colored twelve (12) ounce bottle.
Maker of award-winning beers and gourmet sodas, Sprecher Brewing Company is Milwaukee’s first brewery since Prohibition. Established in 1985, Sprecher remains a leader in Wisconsin’s craft brewing industry. More information about Sprecher and on-line shopping can be found at: www.sprecherbrewery.com.