DRIFTWOOD, Texas — Vista Brewing is excited to announce the release of collaboration wine-beer hybrid ales over two years in the making. The brewery worked with local wineries William Chris Vineyards and Lewis Wines to source fresh, Texas-grown wine grape juice, as well as wine barrels, for this unique project. The series is available for tasting and to-go at the brewery and will be showcased at two upcoming events.
Oenobeers, or wine-beer hybrid ales, are a new trend in the brewing industry with a broad interpretation. Vista Brewmaster Pat Korn’s take on this style draws on his 25 years of brewing experience and strong relationships with Texas winemakers. Within 60 miles of Vista Brewing are over 60 wineries, where the brewery sources barrels for its award-winning barrel program. Korn’s goal with the Oenobeer Series is to take Vista’s barrel-aged wild ales and match them to a grape varietal that will complement and enhance the original beer and let the grape shine through.
The 2020 Series includes three products, each a unique sour ale showcasing the local grains, house-aged hops, Vista’s aquifer-fed well water, wild mixed cultures and Texas-grown grape varietals. Each of these small batch beers began in 2018 with locally grown and malted grains from Blacklands Malt in Cedar Park, TX. During the wine grape harvest of summer 2019, juice was added to the barrels less than 24 hours after harvest and allowed to co-ferment for an additional 14 months. These oenobeers average approximately 15% grape juice.
“Through barrel fermentation, more barrel aging, and the flavors produced from fermenting two very different sugars with the same yeast; we arrive at an extremely unique and Texas-inspired beer,” says Korn.
Hye — Texas Wild Ale with Picpoul Blanc Juice from William Chris Vineyards Timmons Ranch, Texas High Plains. Light golden color with aromas of apricot & vanilla. Soft mouthfeel with fruity esters and balanced acidity. 8.3 % abv
Glen Rose — Lambic-Style Ale with Roussanne Juice from William Chris Vineyards, La Pradera Vineyard, Texas High Plains. Deep amber color with aromas of white grape, pineapple, kiwi. Dry & sour with subtle minerality. 8.7 % abv
Travis — Brett Ale with Cabernet Sauvignon Juice from Lewis Wines, Tallent Vineyards, Mason County, TX. Rich crimson color with aromas of red grape, plum, and blackberry. Sour & dry with cherry, leather, vanilla. 9.2 % abv
Beer and wine drinkers alike are invited to sample the Oenobeer Series on draft at the brewery in Driftwood for a limited time. A flight of three 4 oz. pours is available, as well as 8 oz glasses. The 2020 Oenobeer Bottle Set (3 x 500 ml, $45) will make a great gift for the beer or wine collector; these beers are expected to age and mature in the cellar for 5-10 years. All draft and bottles will come with an educational card with tasting notes and more about the oenobeer-making process.
Furthering its commitment to local partnerships and ingredients, Vista Brewing also recently released its first-ever series of barrel aged products in collaboration with Texas craft distillers. These are also available for tasting and to-go at the brewery:
- Desert Skies Sotol Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Ale Botanical / Bourbon / Leather 8.9% abv / 500ml bottle. Vista’s house saison aged in fresh barrels from Driftwood neighbors Desert Door Texas Sotol, located 5 miles away.
- Fireside Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout Cocoa / Marshmallow / Whiskey 11.6% abv / 500ml bottle This smooth and boozy ale was aged for over a year in freshly-dumped Balcones “1” Texas Single Malt barrels from Balcones Distilling in Waco, TX.
- Bourbon Barrel-Aged Middle Trinity Belgian-Style Tripel Toffee / Vanilla / Bourbon / 13.8% abv / 500ml bottle. A transformation of Vista’s popular Belgian-style Tripel through almost a year in freshly-dumped Ghost Hill Bourbon barrels from Dripping Springs neighbors Treaty Oak Distilling.
Vista is hosting two events offering an in-depth oenobeer tasting experience. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
Sip & Stroll: Sunday, Dec. 6 from 4 – 6 pm at Vista Brewing
- A safe & social distanced outdoor pairing experience. The progressive walking experience will take you around the property enjoying samples of the three oenobeers paired with farm-to-table small plates. Talk with Vista’s team of Cicerone Certified Beer Servers about the barrel aging process and flavor profiles of each beer. You will also enjoy pours of each of the corresponding wine varietals used in the oenobeer-making process. Limited tickets available to maintain social distancing. Fire pits & live music. $40 per person, includes beer, wine and food. We’ll have fire pits and live music going! TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE
- Dec. 17th: Oenobeer Virtual Tasting –Guided Wine-Beer Hybrid & Barrel Aging Class Log on and join our Brewmaster Pat Korn for a guided tasting of our 2020 Oenobeer Series of barrel aged wine-beer hybrid ales. Great for a date night or beer-buds virtual happy hour! One ticket is enough beer for tasting for 2-4 people. Pat will lead us through tasting notes, barrel aging basics, as well as talking through the two-plus year process of creating these unique beers.Beer can be picked up any time between now and Dec. 17 at the brewery in Driftwood or our Bee Cave tasting room. Thursday, Dec. 17 from 6 – 7:30 pm on Zoom. $60, includes 3 bottles and guided tasting (great for two people!). TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE
###
ABOUT VISTA BREWING
Vista Brewing is a destination brewery in the beautiful Hill Country town of Driftwood, just southwest of Austin. The 21-acre ranch includes a brewery & Tasting Room, farm-to-table restaurant, 1-acre organic farm, apiary, live music and multiple private event spaces. Vista’s beer program celebrates traditional recipes using Hill Country ingredients, with a range of styles including easy drinking beer garden brews, unique collaboration projects and an award-winning wine barrel aging program. Vista also offers a curated selection of wine & cider along with a full lunch and dinner menu.
Vista Brewing was named “Best New Brewpub in Austin” from the Austin Beer Guide in 2018 and “Brewery of the Year” from CultureMap Austin in 2019. Vista won “Best Limited Release Beer” from the Austin Beer Guide for two years in a row for Rosanna (2018) and Stonewall (2019). Stonewall also took home a national Good Food Award, which takes into account local sourcing of ingredients and sustainable business operations.
Vista Brewing is located at 13551 FM150 W, Driftwood, Texas, 78619 and a new Tasting Room located at the Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave, Texas. Learn more at www.vistabrewingtx.com and on Instagram,Facebook and Twitter.
For More Information:
https://vistabrewingtx.com/