Robin Shepard
Lakefront Brewery co-founder Russ Klisch displays several of the new Bridge Burner bottles.
At the World of Beer Festival in Milwaukee last month, I discovered a new brew from Milwaukee Bridge War. When you drive the downtown today, you'll notice that several main bridges crossing the Milwaukee River are at angles, a lasting impact from the bitter rivalry between the founding fathers of Kilbourntown and Juneautown, the two settlements that eventually fused to become Milwaukee. In 1845 the disagreements between the two reached a peak and mobs on both sides burned and destroyed connecting bridges over the river, hence the name of this new brew.
Bridge Burner is a full-bodied amber-colored ale, made with a long 12 week cellar rest that increases its strength. At $4-5 a bottle it might seem a little pricey, but it's well worth it.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Light, yet firm floral nose.
- Appearance: Deep copper to bronze with reddish tints. A thick bubbly tan head.
- Texture: Full-bodied and round.
- Taste: Smooth, assertive caramel maltiness. A hoppy, resiny, background offers complexity to the flavor profile.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Mostly malty with a alcohol warmth that builds over the course of a bottle.
Glassware: The high alcohol content and assertive malty sweetness make this an ideal beer for a brandy snifter or small tasting glass. This beer should be sipped to appreciate, even allowed to gently warm to bring out the malty tones.
Pairs well with: The maltiness of this beer would go well with a heavy BBQ entrée. However, Bridge Burner is also great as an end of meal companion. It will match very well with treats like cheese cake and crème brulee, or it will even stand up as a dessert all by itself.
Rating: Four Bottle Openers (out of four).
The Consensus: B+ (very good) from Beer Advocate and a 94 from
