Part of the adventure of being a partner in a beer-centric business like the Cedar Mountain Canteen is exposure to new brewers and their offerings. That, of course, includes a requirement to become familiar with their wares so we may provide recommendations to our customers.
Full disclosure… I’m a hop guy. IPAs and hoppy pale ales of all sorts are what I gravitate to. When we decided to bring Fonta Flora beers in, their IPAs were of particular interest to me and they didn’t disappoint. We do have a number of customers that have a leaning towards stouts and wits. We brought in Fonta Flora Whippoorwill to see if it might fit that area of interest.
I girded myself for the “I’ll try it to know what I’m talking about but herbal wit is not likely to be something I’d choose left to my own devices” obligatory tasting. Tasting FAIL! It’s fantastic. The earl grey tea and coriander take on some properties one might expect from hops and the oranges bring in the, now common, citrus attributes many IPAs have adopted. That all in a 4.5% ABV that makes it even more accessible. In my case, the 16oz serving made it an excellent share with dinner. I’m sure a little more “research” will reveal good food pairings this seems to scream for.
