Robin Shepard
Moka Mon in a tulip glass on the bar at Lone Girl Brewing.
Moka Mon stays light in color despite its coffee flavor.
At The Lone Girl Brewing Company in Waunakee, brewmaster John Russell has released his take on a light colored coffee beer. Russell tackled the challenge of adding coffee to a golden beer. Coffee is more commonly found in black porters and stouts that already have a lot of dark malts and roasted flavors. In lighter colored beers, it can be difficult to keep the coffee as an accent in the aroma and flavor to the core beer, while keeping the color of the beer light. Ideally, the beer should have subtle flavors that remind drinkers of a stout in a beer that looks nothing like one.
Russell’s creation, Moka Mon! Jamaican Blonde Coffee Stout, has a wonderful coffee aroma, and light java background flavor with 5.5% ABV ($6.50/glass and $10/four-packs from the brewery). Russell collaborated with Madison staff from MOKA Coffee and tried several types of beans before deciding on a Jamaican blend. Drinking this beer in a tulip glass or snifter will bring out the coffee aroma even more. Russell’s secret for getting it right is placing whole beans in a steeping bag he hangs inside the fermenter with the beer. Ground beans could introduce darker, stronger coffee flavors, even becoming astringent.
If you are looking for a traditional Wisconsin bock, head over to the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub in Mount Horeb. Brewmaster Mark Knoebl recently tapped this year’s batch of Thor’s Bock. Knoebl’s inspiration came from Wisconsin’s German heritage and his love of old-school seasonal bocks made famous by the Stevens Point Brewery, Leinenkugel’s and the former Huber Brewery of Monroe (now Minhas Craft Brewery). Thor’s Bock gets those traditions right with its soft, medium body and biscuity caramel aroma and flavor. It finishes at a modest 6% ABV ($6/glass).
My recent visit to the Grumpy Troll also led to my re-discovery of Keller Brau, an unfiltered cellar beer that historically would have been served right out of the cask in which it was fermented. I reviewed Grumpy Troll Keller Brau in 2016, but since then Knoebl has changed the malt bill to make the beer darker, a little sweeter, and with a slight fruitiness. It is one of Knoebl’s best beers on tap right now and among my Grumpy Troll favorites ($6/glass).
G5 Brewing Company of Beloit is bringing back Cowboy Competition, a rye pilsner that has a heavy rye malt bill that gives it body and a dry spicy finish. The beer also features Hüll Melon Hops that lend hints of honeydew melon and strawberry to the beer. This sweet-spicy combination sets Cowboy Competition apart from other pilsners. The beer was initially offered a year ago and was featured in a national review of lagers by Craft Beer and Brewing magazine. “Once that happened, it was a no-brainer, we had to bring it back,” says G5 lead brewer Tim Goers. Cowboy Competition finishes at 4.9% ABV and is in four-packs ($15).
Wisconsin Brewing Company was recently approached by Harley-Davidson to develop a non-alcohol beer called Road King. It is based on the American pilsner style. Harley-Davidson has been interested in NA beers because many of its motorcycle clubs do not allow members to consume alcohol before or during club rides. Some Harley-Davidson dealerships have expressed interest in selling it in their bike stores. Road King should find its way into distribution this month.
In other happenings at Wisconsin Brewing, Lake Louie’s Dank Beast now has siblings. The imperial IPA was introduced a year ago in 19.2 ounce cans. This month two variants will hit shelves: Hazy Beast and Juicy Beast feature different hop bills that focus on tropical and citrus flavors ($3.50/19.2 ounce can, and $10/four-packs). My pick of these new monster beers is the Juicy Beast for its orange and citrus flavors.
The Potosi Brewing Company has teamed up with the UW’s Varsity Collective to make Varsity golden ale, 20% of the sales of which will be donated to NIL (name, image, likeness) opportunities for student athletes. “We’re all big Badgers fans and this is a way for us to connect with the community and the university,” says Potosi’s Maddie Fritz. The beer is made with Wisconsin-grown Cascade hops and finishes at a low 4% ABV. It is expected to start appearing on tap in mid-April with six-packs of 12-ounce cans ($10) in stores sometime in May. Varsity will be a new year-round beer for Potosi.
