ST. FRANCIS, Wis. — On Saturday, April 21st at 11 am St. Francis Brewery will release Belgian Sunrise in Chardonnay Barrels, a Belgian-style Blond ale brewed with apricots that has been aged in Chardonnay barrels for several months. It will be available in 22-ounce bottles for $11 and on draft as well. The 7% ABV ale is light and refreshing, with a delicate yet complex flavor profile reminiscent of a sparkling wine. The beer has a hazy golden hue, while the aroma and flavor are a bouquet of tart apricot, sweet malt, yeast phenolics, honey, light oak, and Chardonnay character.
“I’m always looking to make something unique that you can’t already find out on the market,” said Matthew Hofmann, St. Francis Brewery’s Brewmaster. “The response from our first barrel-aged beer release was overwhelming and I cannot wait for people to try this new creation!”
As with the first special release, there is a very limited quantity of bottles. In an effort to get the beer in more peoples’ hands, the limit is being lowered from 4 bottles to 2. To avoid the line and ensure a bottle can be purchased, one can join the brewery’s Mug Club. For this and all future releases, members will have the ability to reserve one bottle prior to the public release, which is in addition to the many other perks of membership.
“We ran out of bottles of Snuggle Bunny in 30 minutes and many people were unable to buy bottles who came by shortly after we opened,” said Hofmann “We learned from that experience, so we are adjusting the bottle limit for this release since we didn’t have time to increase production of this beer.”
The next two in the trilogy will be Belgian Sunset, a Belgian-style Amber ale brewed with sweet cherries aged in Merlot barrels and Belgian Eclipse, a Belgian-style Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels. They will be released in July and October respectively.
About St. Francis Brewery and Restaurant
St. Francis Brewery & Restaurant has been serving heavenly food and sinfully good beer to the St. Francis and Milwaukee community since April 2009. As a locally owned business, our restaurant creates a warm, family-friendly dining experience. Our full menu offers something for everyone with several unique items made with our artisanal beer or hand-crafted soda. Brewmaster Matt Hofmann creates traditional, as well as unique seasonal and experimental beers to try each month. Please see our website, follow us on social media or join our mailing list to stay up-to-date on the newest beers to try.