A beer made from wasp’s yeast — yes, wasp’s yeast — is one of the highlights of a group of beers brewed to celebrate Wild Beer Co’s tenth anniversary.
Wild Beer Co’s tenth anniversary collection
When putting together the anniversary box, Wild Beer Co wanted to make some unusual and unique beers, to push themselves and the perceptions of what craft beer is and can be.
Hence, the idea to make a beer using wasp’s yeast came about. Wasps are proven to play a significant part in the preserving of wild yeast throughout the colder months, and then helping to re-introduce it back into the wild when spring arrives.
“After much research and discussions with relevant people and entomologists, we managed to harvest a wild yeast from an abandoned wasp’s nest, which was found on the farm next to the brewery,” said the brewer. “It has been harvested over the last five months, and then finally used to produce this wonderful beer!
“Fresh apricots have also been added to bring a delicious and fresh note to the beer, and one that compliments a sweet natural honey flavour created by the wild yeast. This is truly a one-off beer that pushes the boundaries, and defines our way of thinking ‘discover flavour by nature’.”
The beer is called Enso, which means a circle that is hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create. It is also meant to represent the cyclical nature of life. That energy (in this case yeast), is not lost, but passed on.
“This has been the most involved beer I have ever made, and also the most enjoyable,” said Wild Beer Co’s lead brewer, Russ Sykes. “It has taken a number of years to research, but all worth it.”
Other highlights in the anniversary box include:
- Hay June (4.2% ABV): a hay harvested pilsner. “When we were approached by local chef Merlin Lebron-Johnson, from the revered Michelin star restaurant Osip, in Bruton, we knew we had to make something special for them to serve with their exquisite menu,” said the brewer. “Hay is actually at its finest in June, and the infusion gives aromatic notes of grass, fresh herbs, and cinnamon. The crisp, clean pilsner is a great beer to carry these flavours, for an experience not dissimilar to eating a cinnamon bun!”
- Double Deka (5% ABV): a ’10x’ chocolate milk stout. “We’ve taken our original Millionaire beer and enhanced the chocolate flavours to the next level and beyond! This beer is basically liquid chocolate in a can! With ten times more chocolate than the original, Double Deka is a chocoholic’s dream. The finest Valrhona Ghanain cocoa creates a velvety, smooth, and sweet finish that leaves you craving more.”
