It is often said, “It takes a lot of beer to make a great wine.” In the case of California craft brewery, Libertine, it takes a great wine to make an excellent beer. Libertine Brewing Company’s founder, Tyler Clark, has used this philosophy to hone in on finding where the worlds of wine and beer can successfully intersect.
Libertine has always tied its love of the Central Coast into beer by allowing the region’s natural microflora to join in the fermentation process through use of open-top vessels and propagation of proprietary wild yeast strains. The fabled Central Coast of California is also known for its expansive wine country, which provides plenty of opportunities for creativity and collaborations that truly showcase all that the region has to offer.
“There’s a real sense of pride in your region, that is so prevalent in wine, and it has really bled over to the brewing world,” Clark said.
The fermentation process can be interpretive and tribunal. Libertine has taken many creative freedoms in their approach while congruently paying homage to antiquated philosophies. Craft beer brewers can get a little more wild with their approach and take risks.
Libertine Brewing Company finds these creative risks through fruit from local ranches and their unique collaborations with farmers and wineries.
“I always get the most satisfaction when we collaborate with wineries and use their grapes and barrels to create unique brews,” Clark said.
Libertine has produced a handful of bottles that highlight the fruitful crossroads of beer and wine. One standout with a sentimental background is “Gary,” a wild saison that is blended with chardonnay. The grapes for the wine were grown on “Gary Vineyard,” which ties perfectly back to Clark’s father, Gary, an avid wine-drinker and lover of chardonnay. The bottle displays artwork from Gary’s 4-year-old granddaughter, Aubree, making all aspects of the beer a Clark family effort.
While blending finished wine with beer is a great way to intersect the two (and end up with an ABV on the higher side), there is also the practice of mixing in the first and second runnings of the grapes.
One of Libertine’s more famous wine collaborations is the recently released “Halter Saison”. This beer was born out of a collaboration with Halter Ranch in Paso Robles, CA. This time, the approach takes the incorporation of wine products to another level. Libertine’s wild golden ale was fermented with Picpoul Blanc grapes, a unique white grape variety, and then aged in Halter Ranch once-used barrels for twelve months. The utilization of wine barrels is one more way to bring the acidity and flavor of wine into the wild ales that Libertine produces.
This is a beautiful example of a growing positive relationship for both brewery and winery. “Our next Halter Saison is aiming to be better than the first” said Clark with the deep knowledge of how the Libertine Golden Ale is currently dancing with Grenache grapes in the oak barrels.
“Often times fruits can be used in multitude” Stephen Ruddy, Libertine Head Brewer, said.
Second runnings of Grenache grapes from Halter Ranch went on to create Libertine’s “Smashing Chains,” a funky Wild IPA. For this beer, fruity and hoppy notes are featured with a subtlety of spice and sweetness from the popular varietal.
Libertine’s newest beer, the “Gosé,” also makes great use of Grenache grapes, but this time from San Liege winery in Paso Robles, CA. The fusion of rosé citrus sweetness and classic gose saltiness makes this collaboration both palatable and unique. Libertine’s tart, golden, wild ale is transformed by the wine grapes, resulting in a blush pink ale that features red fruit, floral notes, and a subtle sea salt finish. The bottle release for the Gosé is taking place this upcoming Sunday, May 27, at the San Luis Obispo Libertine location. For those who have never experimented with a beer-wine hybrid, this bottle release is a great place to start.
There are many ways to blend the world of wine and beer, all of which Libertine is experimenting with and succeeding at. Clark admits that he tends to drink more wine than beer, but if these collaborations continue to blossom, he won’t have to choose between the two.