May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. What better way to celebrate than with a beer from DC’s Bluejacket, which employs Tim Liu, and Lost Generation, co-owned by Anne Choe. This is the third iteration of Briefly Gorgeous, a 5% ABV saison that incorporates Sichuan peppercorns and yuzu in addition to water, malt, yeast, and hops.
DC Beer Patreon members can get 10% off 4-packs of this beer at The Brew Shop for the rest of May. Tasting notes come by way of The Brew Shop’s Julie Drews: “Saison can sometimes be such a yeast driven beer that it leaves room for little else, but Briefly Gorgeous turns that notion on its head with the additions of green and red Sichuan peppercorns, yuzu, and a Motueka dry hop, all of which serve to complement the yeast character and drive additional pops of lemon, citrus, and fresh white flowers. At once complex and easy to drink, Briefly Gorgeous is a true treat, and the perfect thing to usher in the warm weather.”
You get a slight tingle from the addition of DC’s own 50Hertz Tingly Foods green and red Sichuan peppercorns, which also add a faint nutty note to the beer, think tahini or sesame oil. They play very well with the lime notes from Motueka hops and yuzu’s citric acidity. “The inspiration for the beer came from the bright, intensely aromatic citrus character of green Sichuan peppercorns. We built the beer around those flavors, using green Sichuan peppercorns alongside yuzu and Motueka hops to amplify the vibrant citrus notes,” Liu tells us. “We then added red Sichuan peppercorns to bring the signature ‘mala’ tingling and numbing character…. One of our favorite beers we’ve made in the last few years, this is a beer that feels truly unique.”
Choe also notes the balance between the peppercorns, yuzu, and hops, adding that the beer is named for Ocean Vuong’s debut novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.
Lost Generation isn’t done celebrating AAPI Month. They’ve also collaborated on a new batch of their sour, Asian Glow, with Jinson Chan from the High Side and Sojourn Fermentory, and a lager called Love, Umma, brewed with toasted rice and ginseng (4.8% ABV). Ten percent of all proceeds from the lager are donated to Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate.
