You may know about our gigantic 5,000-plus barrel facility, where we age world-class stouts, year-round favorites like Bourbon Barrel Quad, and perennial hits like Rye-on-Rye. But few are aware of our smaller facility — just down the street from the brewery — where we house wine puncheons, an antique amphora, and a handful of beautiful foeders. This unassuming brick building is where our sour beers come to life.

The two newest beers to come from our sour program have been in the works since the summer of 2018 during a visit from our good friend Cory King, founder, and owner of Side Project in Saint Louis, MO. Along with our own Ryan McNeive, and the rest of our barrel team, they created a base beer that begins with a medley of malts (pale, wheat, and dark) that gives the finished product a dark brown color. Fermented with a mixture of a Belgian Abbey yeast, Boulevard’s Brettanomyces, and Side Project’s Brettanomyces, the beer was aged for two years in an upright oak foeder that previously held Brunello di Montalcino (a red wine from Tuscany). When it neared completion, we added black currants and sweet cherries to half the batch to create a second take on this stellar sour.

The result, at long last, is these two companion bottles that showcase the magic of sour beers. The Foeder Saison Ale with Brettanomyces bursting with aromas of tart raspberries, plums, and a heavy brett funk pours a brilliant walnut color. Each sip begins with a bright acidic punch, then mellows into an earthy roasted malt finish — and every taste is more complex and tantalizing. The Foeder Saison Ale with Black Currants and Sweet Cherries is enhanced with fruit adding a more pronounced berry character as well as waves of both raisins and passion fruit.

Both beers will be available exclusively at the Tours & Rec Center Gift Shop on July 1st beginning at 1pm when we open our doors. Each beer is $18.99 per bottle, two bottles per person, per transaction of each beer.

Foeder Saison Ale with Brettanomyces

ABV: 9.0%

Foeder Saison Ale with Black Currants and Sweet Cherries

ABV: 7.9%

Pairing ideas: A fancy meat and cheese board with all the accouterment, St. Louis style pizza from a Kansas City restaurant, or pair both beers side by side.