About The Beer: Woo Palm Beach

By Greg Carlson

If you’re like most miserably cold New Englanders, you’ve probably openly wondered how “winter,” which accounts for only 25 percent of the seasons, could possibly account for at least 50 percent - and probably a lot more! - of the entire goddamn year. Which it absolutely does. 

The answer is that “winter” isn’t really a season, but is merely an umbrella term that encapsulates two real seasons: Good Winter and Bad Winter.

Good Winter aligns neatly with the holiday season and is marked by charming snowfalls and cozy weather, and spirits lifted by cultural motivation to be well-fed, well-drank, and well-dressed. Following that is Bad Winter, aligning loosely with whatever effects of climate change we find ourselves in between January and May, marred by dirty snow banks and the sparing-yet-blinding low winter sun, spirits crushed by cultural pressure to publicly declare high-falutin’ goals, drink less, and lose some weight. 

What inevitably occurs during those long Bad Winter months is the overwhelming urge to get the fuck out to some place warm and happy, and it is in that spirit that we present Woo Palm Beach, our mango and orange sour ale.

Inspired by tropical climates and states of mind, Woo Palm Beach leaps from the glass with a vibrant aroma of sweet mango juice and orange, followed by our expected lactic, lemony tartness.

To get the aforementioned flavors and aromas, we started with a typical-for-our-sours grist of pale and wheat malt, and used our standard kettle souring process, which you can read all about in our My Blue Heaven post. The distinct rush of orange peel is imparted by the, well, 5 lbs of dried orange peel we add during the boil. We also add 10 gallons of mango juice during the post-boil whirlpool, which allows us to thoroughly mix the juice into the wort so we can accurately measure the gravity, because knowing a beer’s gravity and eventual ABV is an important quality control measure, even when brewing fruited sours! themoreyouknow.gif

In the end, Woo Palm Beach is not too sweet, boldly juicy and tart, and finishes dry and crisp. Despite being served cold like a normal beer, we hope it warms your heart during these cold, shitty months.