We’re grateful to head brewer Alex Albers and the team at Destihl Brewing for sharing this homebrew-scale recipe for their pickle beer—a kettle-soured gose blended with a customized version of SuckerPunch’s flavorful brine.

Some brewhouses are forever, even if they don’t stay put—and more than a few have traveled their way around the country and even around the world. At each location, that unique set of equipment and the brewers who use it must form a connection that inevitably affects what we drink.

**Aroma:** “Some malt sweetness of caramel, biscuit, melanoidin malt, and toast up front. Next up is the dark fruits, including cherries, raspberries, plum, and raisin. The woody spice from the hops warms with light, pleasant spicy notes, and a hint of lemony tartness.” **Flavor:** “Sharp sour up front, with a bit of metallic character. Lemon juice sour notes are followed by malt notes of biscuit, toast, and a hint of caramel—a dark malt background that keeps the acidity in check. The finish is a bit tart and lingers.” **Overall:** “Interesting concept, but the strong metallic character and acidity make this a hard sell. The fruity complexity is amazing, with a sangria-like or mulled wine fruit character. There are individual characteristics within this beer that are nice, but the sum is slightly less than those parts.”

“Muted aroma of lime, guava, tropical fruit. A note of grassiness and mint. Herbal, grassy, and minty notes become prominent in the flavor with light mango and guava. Heavier on the citrus/pine hop character than on the tropical fruit. Quite bitter, light bodied.”

Chill Plate bottle cap quiz from the Dec-Jan 2019 issue of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®. Can you identify all the brewery bottle caps below?

“Intensely hoppy aroma of green hops, watermelon, cotton candy, lemon, slight pepper, and white tea. Lots of hops in the flavor profile, too: resin, melon, white ice wine. A grainy sweetness plays well with a fruity alcohol character.”

Complex aroma, mixing West Coast dank with bright citrus and rich stone fruit. Instead of nice, subtle tastes to complement the aroma—rich, almost umami maltiness. Distinct sweetness balances diverse fruity flavors and hop-bitter dankness. Malt sweetness lasts.

“Bright cinnamon, dark chocolate, peppery spice, vanilla create an inviting aroma. Sip is bitter dark chocolate and spicy cinnamon, complemented by just enough chile-like heat. Complementary vanilla notes emerge mid-palate, linger into the finish.”

**Aroma:** “Strong *Lacto* with light citrus and pineapple, a touch of pear, and a bit of a briny Kalamata olive note up front. The earthy funk isn’t quite barnyard and comes through as grapefruit and tangerine, but is quickly overshadowed by the lactic tartness.” **Flavor:** “Tart and fruity, aggressively acidic and mouth puckering, with some backend sweetness to provide a bit of balance, but it’s still skewed toward acidic. The hops bitterness is assertive with some citrus notes that lean toward lemon juice, grapefruit, and vinegar.” **Overall:** “This is a *Lacto*-forward beer with a touch of dry hopping to bring out some of the fruity notes. The aggressive sourness clashes with the hops and could be too acidic for some but might be right up someone else’s alley if they’re looking for something a bit different and assertive.”

Destihl Brewery started as a small-town brewpub, but it was sour beer that put them on the map in the late 2000’s. In this episode, Founder Matt Potts discusses how they’ve developed these different beers, from traditional to kettle sours.

Roast aroma—chocolate, coffee—with vanilla sweetness, rye spice, caramel, raisin, and oaken spirit. Strong espresso and dark-chocolate flavors; spicy rye adeptly complements sweet marshmallow and caramel-like vanilla. Full body.

“Copper color with a high head that retains well. Somewhat muted aroma of light caramel with richer graham-cracker notes. Low notes of black cherry and date appear with some warmth. Light pine-like hops, almost an afterthought. Very rich malt and malt esters dominate the flavor. Carmel, toast, and hints of pipe tobacco. Light cherry, date, fig, and low prune esters. No hops, just backing bitterness—it’s malt-forward all the way. Finishes medium-sweet, well restrained, with malt fruity flavors lingering awhile. Lovely beer, great balance.”

**Aroma:** “Malty and oaky. Boozy. Sweet, spiced caramel goodness with notes of cinnamon and clove. Some hoppiness, but it’s in the background. Wine-like fruity alcohol aroma. Some vanilla and oak peek through.” **Flavor:** “A malty toffee sweetness and a red fruit character (strawberry, cherry, merlot) that has melded into a single character. The alcohol is present but warming and creamy. The oak character that comes across a bit spicy in the aroma is better integrated and complementary now. Hop bitterness is fresh, resinous.” **Overall:** “An enjoyable beer with lots of complexity. Very fruit forward and perhaps dangerously drinkable.”

Rich nose of vanilla, treacle, roast nuts, chocolate-covered cherries, oak, raisin liqueur. Sweet, warm, fruity flavor—caramel, roast, wispy cotton-candy, dark chocolate, burnt sugar, espresso. Big, lush mouthfeel. Warm, prickly finish, lingering pome fruit.

“Slightly grainy, fresh-baked bread nose, followed by restrained and balanced banana and clove. Subtle sweetness mingles with floral and pepper-like spicy bitterness in the flavor with a nice soft mouthfeel to support it. Finishes quite dry as the bitter side outbalances the sweet notes.”

**Aroma:** “Big on coriander, with some mild pepper spice and citrus aromas of orange and tangerine. Tart with a bit of funk and moderate acidity on the nose. A hint of salt, sweet pale malt aroma, and some earthiness.” **Flavor:** “Complex, unique tartness up front, with hints of lemon juice, which works surprisingly well with the moderate level of salt. Nice, soft malt background that balances the tartness, and no hops bitterness. Huge coriander, with a SweeTarts mix of malt and sour, and a big salty kiss that lingers into the aftertaste. Every sip hits pretty strong, but some of the other notes have to build to be noticed, like the phenolic spiciness and ester complexity.” **Overall:** “Fairly balanced and well-done, although a bit heavy-handed with the salt. Lots of balanced complexity, with tartness that’s supported by a tasty base beer.”

“The laundry list of ingredients could easily go wrong, but this strikes a complex balance between the sweet, sour, and spice notes quite well. Cinnamon adds depth to the fruit, with vanilla rounding out the finish, keeping sweetness in check.”

**Aroma:** “The mix of underripe berries, lemon juice, and lactic tartness add an intriguing complexity. There’s a hint of sulfur, toasted malt, and Cheerios.” **Flavor:** “The raspberries have a medium-to-low fruit flavor, and despite the distinct smell, not as strong as expected. Medium-high funk with a slight vegetal note and faint sulfur. Strong acidity distracts a bit from the fruitiness. Finishes dry with a hint of lingering tartness and very little bitterness.” **Overall:** “The noticeable sulfur and THP are a bit distracting, making it hard to get any more complex notes that this beer may have. The raspberry flavors are tart and strong, making it a great thirst quencher, even if those flavors are distracting.”

**Aroma:** “Thick chewy vanilla, moderate rich dark chocolate, touch of roast, moderate vanilla, woodsy earthiness. Strong coffee provides a nice backbone. Coconut and dried fruit add some nice complexity. Smells sweet and inviting with some mild alcohol.” **Flavor:** “Tastes like a fresh brownie hot out of the oven with the same thick chewy vanilla and chocolate present in the aroma. It is creamy, with just enough carb to make everything pop. Strong coffee notes, moderate sharp roast, caramel sweetness, and oak tannins. Coconut and spicy alcohol round it out.” **Overall:** “Good full-bodied imperial stout with a touch of warming, light barrel complexities, and a bit of oak tannins. Loved it. It hits all the right notes without being overpowering or heavy-handed. A very balanced beer.”

**Aroma:** “Light lemon and grapefruit with moderate sourness and slight lime/orange notes. Lovely burnt honey, cherry, wood, tobacco, and vanilla. As it warms, fun *Brett* aromas open up and more dark fruit notes come out with slight banana phenolics.” **Flavor:** “White wine grape and sharp lemony sourness. Slight vanilla note and touch of coconut sweetness extends into the linger. Malt character is outrageously complex and well-balanced. The fruit is very subdued with notes of passion fruit. High sour notes create a bite and puckering. After it warms, there is a plum and soy sauce–like notes.” **Overall:** “Acid balance and malt profile are good. As a fruited beer, the fruit is pretty well hidden into a delightful sour beer. After the initial sour bite, there’s an interesting milk sweetness, and perhaps vanilla that blend together to leave a satisfying aftertaste. This is solid.”