Just how much longer until Hibiscus Wit is declared an official World Beer Style?
MateVeza Morpho Herbal Ale is the latest yerba mate beer from MateVeza and pours a distinct shade of pink. I’m wondering if Hamburger Mary’s in Chicago will bring its Hibiscus Wit to the Great American Beer Festival next week. There are several others breweries that use a measure of hibiscus in the recipe, although it’s hard to imagine any of their beers during out pinker than 2nd Shift Hibiscus Wit (pictured above as it was poured at the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival in June).
Hibiscus adds a nice herbal note to a wit beer, at least when its used well. But it’s the color that could make hibiscus beers the next Blue Moon White Pink.
And of course I’ll be hoping this paves the way for purple beers.
The Braustelle brewpub in Koln uses hibiscus in one of their beers. They call it Pink Panther IIRC…
In Italy there are a few examples of pink light beers: L’Olmaia Karkadè (an ale brewed with er… Karkadè, so partly Hibiscus), Via Priula Rosa (a wit brewed with fresh raspberries), and Italiano Fleurette (an ale brewed with roses, violets and elderberry juice).
Pink is the new hoppy?
Is hibiscus the ingredient that makes the “zinger” herbal teas from Celestial Seasonings? Um… my palate may not be developed enough to appreciate hibiscus beer.
I was just scribbling the other day about 2nd Shift’s version. I want to hate it for the obvious reasons, so its goodness annoys me.
I’ve been trying to brew a high concept beer for a couple years now. The idea came from a (slightly blasphemous) name: Krishna. The idea was a blue IPA (the blue god, India pale ale, get it?). A bit of fruit to throw color and maybe the tiniest essence of fruit, but essentially a nice, moreish IPA.
I started with blueberries because, you know, I’m colorblind and didn’t read people like Randy Mosher. The result was predictable and predicted: a pink beer. A quite attractive pink beer, something along the lines of pink lemonade. And very tasty!
Now I’m thinking of changing the name to Jaipur IPA, after India’s “pink city.” Alternatively, I gotta figure out how to turn a yellow beer blue. Suggestions?
Jeff – You might also want to rethink the name. Once you visit the UK you will realize Thornbridge Jaipur IPA belongs in your book and pretty much now “owns” the name.
I think I’ve had something like 7 or 8 Hibiscus beers this summer alone.