Gotlandsdricka Batch 2

This weekend, when our tasting room opens at 4pm, we’ll be releasing our second batch of Gotlandsdricka — our farmhouse ale brewed with birchwood smoked malt, juniper, and Myrica gale, inspired by the traditional farmhouse ale once brewed on the island of Gotland, off the coast of Sweden.

When we first released Gotlandsdricka back in 2012, we were careful not to claim it was an authentic recreation of the historic style. We did this because, most importantly, the Gotlandsdricka made centuries ago would have fermented spontaneously, using just the ambient microorganisms from the land and air. While we still make no claim of authenticity regarding Gotlandsdricka, it’s important to note that our second batch, unlike our first, was fermented with our unique mixed culture of brewer’s yeast, native yeast, and native bacteria. This type of fermentation brings the beer closer to its historical roots, and in our opinion, yields better complexity and more enjoyable flavors and aromas.

Another difference between our first and second batch is that the birchwood smoked malt used to brew the beer was sourced and smoked locally at Blacklands Malt. Gotlandsdricka batch 2 is 6.9% alcohol by volume, has a finishing gravity of 1.003, and is 18 IBU. It was bottled on December 8th, 2014, and is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle conditioned. Like batch 12 of Wytchmaker, packaged on July 28th, 2014, refermentation in the bottle has led to more tartness, with softer carbonation, and horsey, funky aromatics. Finally, we were unable to source any Old Tom gin barrels this year, so there won’t be any Viking Metal on the horizon for 2015.