Robin Shepard
Each year, brewers from across the state collaborate in making Common Thread for Madison Craft Beer Week, choosing a different style each year — usually one that few other brewers make. This year’s Common Thread is a cranberry witbier.
What is it? Common Thread 2019 was made by roughly two dozen Wisconsin brewers for Madison Craft Beer Week.
Style: The main base beer to the 2019 Common Thread is a witbier or Belgian wit (white) beer. This style has a distinctive spiciness from additions of coriander and chamomile, sometimes with an accent of citrus from orange peel. The style is light- to medium-bodied, a hazy pale straw to light golden color, with a smooth or creamy texture from the wheat malt. Wits range in strength from 4.8 to 5.6 percent ABV.
Background: Previous Common Thread brews have been: Wisconsin/California Common (2012), Biere de Garde (2013), Bohemian pilsner (2014), Belgian tripel (2015), Gose (2016), a Baltic porter (2017) and an American pale lager (2018).
The 2019 Common Thread was brewed back in mid-March using a two-step process. First, Working Draft Brewery made about 275 gallons of kettle-soured wort that was transferred a few days later to Vintage Brewing in Sauk City where it was added to the base beer. A lot of attention was given to local ingredients for this year’s Common Thread. “We tried to be true to Wisconsin growers and processors by using their ingredients wherever we could,” says host brewmaster Scott Manning of Vintage Brewing. The beer’s recipe included Wisconsin-grown barley, rolled oats, flaked wheat, coriander, rose hips and cranberries. Nearly 12 gallons of cranberry concentrate went into making the 37 barrels of Common Thread to create a sharp, fruity tartness that blends nicely with the kettle-soured wort. The beer finishes at 5.4 percent ABV.
As host brewery, Vintage Brewing will have the honor of tapping Common Thread first. That happens on Thursday, April 25, at all of its locations and Tangent. It should be available throughout the city by April 26. This year’s Common Thread is also expected to hit limited regional distribution, reaching Sheboygan, La Crosse and Eau Claire.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Light cranberry with a subtle spiciness.
- Appearance: Hazy, yellow-orange color. A bubbly, light tan head.
- Texture: Light-bodied and bubbly.
- Taste: A modest level of fruity sourness with light notes of cranberry. There is also some fruity yeastiness with just a touch of floral tartness from the rose hips.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Light lingering tartness with a hint of coriander.
Glassware: Bars will be serving Common Thread in a variety of glassware during Madison Craft Beer Week. If given a choice, ask for a glass with an inward angle to focus the beer’s light cranberry and spicy coriander notes.
Pairs well with: lunch fare — sandwiches and salads. The beer has light fruity tartness that does well with lighter foods and what one associates with outdoor summertime meals.
The Verdict: This year’s Common Thread is a very approachable sour. Considering that it’s made with partially kettle-soured mash combined with cranberries, it could have been overpoweringly tart, overwhelming the beer in the background. But the result is very drinkable. There’s certainly firm, fruity, sour cranberry, but not so much that the wit’s spices of coriander and chamomile can’t be found. Hard-core sour fans may want more tartness; however, this beer falls in more middle ground and therefore it should appeal to a wide group of drinkers.
