Brewers are always looking at ways to stand out in an increasingly crowded and competitive field. This often means using local ingredients to boost the flavor of a recipe. And for one Florida brewery, this means using the abundant freshwater sources not far from the taproom.
Originally, the brewers at Marker 48 Brewing in Weeki Wachee, Florida, thought about trucking in water from a local river or spring to brew a batch of beer, but the logistics proved difficult.
So 4 years ago, they decided to take an imperial IPA recipe, load it into a barrel, and sink it in a local freshwater spring for a few weeks to see what would happen. Marker 48 had hoped to dunk the barrel in a spring inside a state park, but logistics kept that from happening. So, they relied on the kindness of friends who just happen to have springs on their property.