Get to Know: Gose Añejo
Following French 75, we have another cocktail inspired beer coming to you in this release – Gose Añejo. This beer was created in collaboration with the fine folks over at McKenzie River Trail Run as part of their 50th anniversary celebration and represents our first time working with tequila barrels so it has been a really exciting project for us! And like most people do with their first exposure to tequila, we thought we’d stick to the classics by modeling this beer after a traditional margarita.
In our case, we were able to source some freshly emptied Extra Añejo barrels from Suerte Tequila that, upon arrival, had a wonderful smoky and spicy aroma that we knew would add a great depth to our beer. As a quick tequila lingo primer – the vast majority of the spirit produced never touches oak and is sold as “silver” or “blanco,” while only higher end tequilas are aged to create a smoother, more complex flavor. “Reposado” tequila is aged for less than 1 year, “añejo” for less than 3 years, and “extra añejo” is anything beyond that.
To create the base of the margarita, we brewed a slightly adapted gose recipe, thinking that the mild acidity and saline character would be a great starting point. In the margarita spirit, we supplemented our malt bill with a dose of pure blue agave syrup and added a heavier dose of Oregon harvested Jacobsen Sea Salt than we normally would to make sure we got the right amount of salinity. Once done with primary fermentation, this beer spent the next several months resting in our tequila barrels, which gave it an amazing earthy, smoky depth. As a final touch, on blending, we added lime and orange zest to play up the citrusy notes that are the cornerstone of this classic cocktail. I love a good margarita and will happily say that we couldn’t be more pleased with the final beer representation of one of my favorite cocktails!
So crack open a bottle of our new Gose Añejo on one of these hot summer afternoons, close your eyes, and picture yourself on a beach in Mexico!
¡Salud!
