Russian River Supplication

The beer inside this bottle took more then a year to make- a reasonable length of time for fine wine but not for beer. This is, in fact, a brown ale aged in used pinot noir wine barrels. During the barrel aging, sour cherries, Brettanomyce, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus were added to each barrel, imparting a nice cherry flavor and sourness. While most winemakers and brewers cringe at the idea of adding Brett and bacteria to their wine or beer, our brewer Vinnie Cilurzo embraces these unusual ingredients in beer, despite his winemaking background. Ironically, Vinnie decided his winemaking days were through when he discovered it only takes just twenty-one days to make beer. Years later, it takes him over a year to make this beer! Supplication is refermented in the bottle to create its carbonation- a process commonly used to make Champagne and sparkling wine. Spent yeast forms a thin layer of sediment in the bottle, adding yet another layer of complexity and flavors. Pour slowly as to allow the natural yeast sediment to remain in the bottle. Sup-pli-ca-tion, 1. to ask for humbly or earnestly, as by praying. 2. to make a humble entreaty to; beseech.