Name: Perennial Artisan Ales
Location: St. Louis, MO
Website: http://www.perennialbeer.com
Type: Production brewery
Available in DC Market: Yes
What you need to know: Perennial is a small batch brewery out of St. Louis. You may know them in DC as the beer you order that is always out of stock because it is so popular that is goes thisquick. With American- and Belgian-inspired brews all the way from the very light peach Berliner and the Saison de Lis to heavy hitters like Abraxas, Perennial is putting out a quality product on all ends of the spectrum. Purists may find this brewery a little hard to relate to, but for many in the American craft beer scene, this brewhouse in St. Louis is pushing out a lot to be interested in.
Beer #1: Aria (Belgian ale / 7.2%)
In Their Own Words: "A Belgian style ale that pours bright with an egg shell cap that leaves sticky lacing above the sunset orange color. Our primary Belgian yeast strain is accompanied by Brettanomyces Bruxellensis for two fermentations that create deeper aromatics of stone fruit and farmhouse pollen and flavors of honey and green tea. Perennial Artisan Ales is a small batch craft brewery dedicated to producing unique, premium beers. Our beers are brewed with the experimental, seasoned craft beer drinker in mind."
Food Pairing: English Pea and Porcini Crostini, Fava Bean (A rustic puree of fava beans and English peas, served on toasted baguette and dusted with porcini mushroom powder.)
Our Thoughts: Let me get one thing out here quickly and first: Aria is a beautiful beer. Delicate but assertive. I don't think this beer needs a food pairing. It's an experience enough on its own. But sure, there's enough interesting here with the umami from the mushrooms, malt from the bread, and brightness from the peas to keep things going. But Aria is a great beer and a hell of a flagship.
Beer #2: Regalia (American wild ale / 8.5%)
In Their Own Words: "Inspired by the rustic farmhouse-style Saisons of Southern Belgium, Regalia is brewed with barley, wheat and spelt and fermented with Brettanomyces. A sturdy malt character supports the complex array of flavors that the yeast provides, and will continue to develop over time.
Food Pairing: Thyme roasted quail legs (Quail legs basted with olive oil, roasted thyme and cracked black pepper.)
Our Thoughts: Super excited about this beer, but unfortunately not so in love with the pairing. So much will be dependent on the Brett character of the beer. If it expresses as more of a spicy, crisp character, this will work well because it'll cut through the fat of the quail and marry well with the herbs and pepper. If it's more of a funky/barnyard character, I could see the thyme really clashing with the beer. Time will tell, but this is definitely a beer you'll want.
This profile is a part of the DCBeer.com SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2014 SAVOR participants.
