We have had a long-term friendship with Japan’s Hitachino brewery and always enjoy the unique and balanced beers by Toshiyuki Kiuchi (pictured at left from when he and his team visited Jimmy’s No. 43 after the tsunami that rocked Japan).This past weekend, we held our annual April Sours event, and we’re very excited to have several beers still on the menu, including Hitachino Nest Anbai, a Plum Wheat Gose, on draught.
Mr Toshi Kiuchi is using “unripe” (i.e. green plums) from his own yard, resulting in a high level of citric acid in the mash. These fresh green sour plums are added into the maturation tank for two months! Lots of wild yeast from the plums add to this beers unique flavor profile. Mr. Kuichi shares the basics of the brewing process:
- Brew special White Ale for Anbai ( 8% ABV)
- Add Japanese sour plums into special White Ale and soak for two months in cold temperatures
- Remove the sour plums
- Add salt
- Age one month with additional yeast added
In addition to the Hitachino on draught, we have a full list of other sour beers (we’re happy to recommend food pairings! sour beers go great with food!):
- Bell’s Oarsman Sour Wheat Ale (on draught)
- Finback’s Sunday Field Trips Saison (on draught)
- Cuzett Libations’ Grisett (on draught)
- Fantôme Hiver Saison (Belgium)
- Haandbryggeriet Krekling (Norway)
- Kerkom Reuss – a blend of 80% blonde ale (similar to Bink Blond) and 20% young lambic
- Monarchy Munchhausen – a 4.8% ABV Munsterland-style sour altbier
- Siren/Hill Farmstead Lemoncello – sour ale (lactic fermentation) with honey Imperial IPA with lemon (trying to recreate Limoncello in a beer)
- Evil Twin Come Again Sour (made in UK at Buxton Brewery)
- Ichtegem’s Grand Cru
- Leipziger Gose
- Tilquin Gueuze (Belgium)
- Quetsche Tilquin Special Plum Lambic (Belgium)
- Hof Ten Dormaal Zure Van Tildan Blond Sour Ale (Belgium)
- Del Ducato Chrysopolis – B. United
- Anchorage/Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Boreal – Belgian-style ale brewed with grapefruit peel, grapefruit juice, and peppercorns and aged in oak
- The Bruery Oude Tarte
- The Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
- Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial Dark Sour Ale
- Transmitter Brewing NY1 Sour Saison (last of the 2015 SMASH beers)
- Transmitter Brewing F4 Brett Farmhouse Ale
- The Other Half Veldrigen Love Farmhouse Ale
- Crooked Stave Surette-Provision Saison (Colorado)
Come by anytime or on Sunday for our special brisket fundraiser with Chef Jesse Jones and try one of these great sour beers.