Robin Shepard
Jessica Jones pouring beer into a class at the Giant Jones taproom.
Jessica Jones, pouring last year's special anniversary beer.
Giant Jones Brewing is marking its eighth year in business and brewmaster and co-owner Jessica Jones decided to celebrate with something unexpected: a malt liquor. Jones describes it as coming across as a cross between a Pabst Blue Ribbon and a Belgian tripel.
Jones was shooting for 8% ABV, to mark the brewery’s 8th anniversary. And Giant Jones American Extra Pils comes close to that, at 7.5%. “People have been asking me to make a certified organic malt liquor since we opened, and I find that hilarious — worth a try,” says Jones.
Careful thought went into sourcing ingredients. For hops, Jones turned to Harmony Valley Farm near Viroqua for a wild heirloom variety that grows along the farm’s fence rows. Jones traveled there to harvest the hops herself last fall. The grist was composed of yellow corn from the Hughes Farm near Janesville. Corn is a common ingredient in malt liquors; it keeps the body light and doesn’t add much flavor. Even though Jones’ take is bolder and stronger than common brands, it remains crisp and clean; the hops shine with hints of black currant, grapefruit and woody mint. The beer went on tap June 13 during the brewery’s anniversary party ($9/10-ounce glass and $8/500 mL bottle).
Also celebrating a birthday this month is The Lone Girl Brewing Company. For its 10th anniversary it released Lone Girl Anniversary Ale, a sour blended with a pale ale, roughly 50/50 of each. Brewmaster John Russell admits this beer is “a little weird.” The sour tartness separates it from average pale ales, coming in part from Russell’s choice of fruity Strata hops to combine with the sour ale side. You can pick up sharp lemon tartness and touches of melon and grapefruit. It’s on tap at the Waunakee and Madison locations ($6.50/pint and $10/12-ounce, four-pack).
In Beloit, G5 Brewing marked its 7th anniversary in May with seven new beers. Brewmaster Tim Goers has added a pilsner called Wisconsin Skyscrapers to his regular lineup of canned beers ($4/pint and $14/16-ounce, four-pack). The name is a tribute to Wisconsin farm silos. This beer is well worth a road trip south to experience it in the taproom, where it’s served from a side-pull tap handle that helps the floral aroma of Saaz hops emerge from the glass.
Pilsners are common, the most popular beer style the world over. When one stands out it merits attention. Mark Knoebl, brewmaster at the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub in Mount Horeb, recently released a French pilsner under the name Biere de Hopsburg ($6.50/pint and $8/bottle). “Hopsburg” is the nickname that Knoebl gives to his rotating tapline featuring beers that showcase different hops. His distinctive approach to a pilsner features Strisselspalt and barley hops, both from France. This is a medium- to full-bodied pilsner with a rich maltiness and herbal spicy hop character. This beer originally came from Knoebl’s home kitchen. The beer does not fit neatly into strict pilsner guidelines, though there’s still a pilsner there — it made me think about what the pilsner can be with a twist.
Sheboygan’s 3 Sheeps Brewing Company has been selected by the Wisconsin America250 Commission to make the state’s official U.S. semiquincentennial beer. The brewery’s Stay Golden has been tapped for the honor just in time for 4th of July celebrations. Brewery owner and brewmaster Grant Pauly says he is pretty proud of that beer because it reminds him of the beers from Wisconsin’s former Kingsbury Brewery, and especially its flagship lager called Kingsbury Pale that was marketed as “The Aristocrat of Beer.” This year marks a special anniversary of sorts for Pauly. His great-grandfather purchased the Kingsbury Brewery in 1926, and the family ran it until 1960. Stay Golden is a clean-tasting lager with light grapefruit bitterness from Cascade hops and is good for a summer day at 4.5% ABV ($15/12-ounce,12-packs).
