Faro

Faro is one of the lesser-known branches on the lambic family tree, but it’s an important one nonetheless. The word “Faro” was originally used to reference a lighter version of lambic, and first appears in Brussels around the first quarter of the 18th century. By the mid-1800s, Faro was being made by blending second runnings (Meerts) and lambic to create a lower ABV product. The production of Faro has since evolved, and what we see labeled as Faro today is typically a lower ABV lambic-based beer that’s been sweetened. Because of this sugar addition, modern Faro is not a shelf stable product and is only bottled using artificial sweeteners or pasteurization. If served out of a cask in a bar or taproom, it is frequently dosed with Belgian candi sugar and served before refermentation can occur.

Our own wort production, fermentation, and blending is guided by the lambic brewing tradition, so it’s that history that we typically look to and draw inspiration from when making new beers. With a maturing stock of Meerts and spontaneously fermented barrels, we see blending the two as a logical progression and one we’re in a unique position to pursue. Our take on Faro is primarily inspired by the older 1800's methodology and brings together Meerts and 2 and 3 year-old Méthode Traditionnelle (M.T.) barrels in a 50/50 proportion. Although the selected M.T. barrels exhibit sweet oak and apple cider characteristics, there is no added artificial sweetener or unfermented sugar in this beer. As a nod to contemporary Faro production, we used amber Belgian candi syrup to bottle condition, but this sugar has been allowed to fully referment in the bottle to produce carbonation, a hint of color, and subtle dried fruit and caramelized flavors.

ABV: 5.0%
Yield: 772 750mL bottles, 14 kegs

De Bij

After blending “Four Winters” in the fall of 2017 (our upcoming MT3 blend), we selected three additional barrel, one per year from the same coolship batches as were selected for Four Winters, to blend together to form the base of De Bij. The beer was then refermented with 5 lbs/bbl of apple blossom honey (from Staude’s Apple Blossom Acres in Watertown, WI), before being conditioned in the bottle with more of the same honey for nine months prior to release.

The result embodies the typical complexity of a three-year blend, but also provides a crisp fruity funk and delicate floral honey notes that linger pleasantly on the palate.


Yield: 100 magnums, 426 750mL, 205 375mL

Honey Conditioned Meerts

After three months of fermentation in our 40hL French oak foeders, we conditioned our base Meerts in the bottle with apple blossom honey from Staude’s Apple Blossom Acres in Watertown, WI, which contributes subtle floral and fruity characteristics to the beer.


Note: More will be coming in November.

Yield: 168 bottles, 1 keg

Oude Suiker

For the first release in our “Oude Suiker” series (spirit barrel-aged spontaneous beer), we began with an exceptionally expressive Méthode Traditionnelle barrel that had aged for 30 months. The beer was then transferred into five freshly dumped 10-gallon brandy barrels from Old Sugar Distillery and allowed to rest for an additional year. The small format barrels afforded their contents increased contact with the spirit-soaked oak, which infused notes of vanilla and caramel into the already mature base. Over the course of a year, evaporation in the barrels further concentrated those flavors and intensified the complexity of the beer, giving way to an immensely decadent spontaneous beer.


Yield: 111 750mL, 145 375mL

Release Details: 750mL bottles will be sold to Magnum Club only, and 145 taproom bottles will be available for on-premise consumption beginning the release weekend.

Plum Meerts

After three months of fermentation in our 40hL French oak foeders, we refermented Meerts on over 2 lbs/gal of purple and red plums for an additional six weeks prior to packaging.

Yield: 574 bottles, 6 kegs