During the week of February 24, Sprecher Brewing Company will release the 2014 batch of "Beyond" Braggot, a style of mead made with honey and barley malt.
Braggot, sometimes called bracket or brackett is said to be one of the oldest fermented beverages, originally pioneered by the Vikings and later mentioned in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, which were written in the late 1300’s.
Sprecher Brewmaster Craig Burge’s braggot contains the same local Wisconsin honey he uses for Sprecher sodas, along with barley malt and plenty of Cascade and Centennial hops. The limited edition brew is made in three separate brews with over 50 percent honey and four different yeast cultures. The current batch of "Beyond", which comes in a distinctively colored copper bottle, has aged for 18 months and will be released in three separate batches, one batch of roughly 400 cases in each of the next three years.
According to Burge, "Beyond" has a great balance of many flavors, including, "sweet and dry honey mead notes followed by the big fruit character of Belgian Barleywine." He also notes that the braggot can be enjoyed now, but that it ages well if stored in a cool and dark location.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
