Cementing the Idea of Wild Yeast Brews

Akira Dann set out to capture magic in a bottle by using local wild yeast for Concrete Jungle Brewing Project’s Hokkaido Saison. So she plucked white nectarines from a friend’s backyard, foraged mugwort in Rose Valley and got to work. Dann made several batches of homebrewed beer to build up the strain so it’d be strong enough for a commercial-brewery-size batch, she says.

“After building up yeast strains for wild-brewed sodas and observing their varied flavors and aromas, I noticed how unique they are from season to season,” says Dann. “I wanted to see if I could wild capture a yeast strain that would add a memorable quality to a classic saison recipe.”

Named for the second-largest island of Japan, the Ventura brewery’s golden, hazy brew also features dry-hopped Sorachi Ace hops, developed in Japan. Dann calls the resulting wild-fermented brew a “celebration of springtime.”

“By using locally harvested yeast, this is a cup of the season.” It’s like a hummingbird, Dann adds, which “visits flowers, spreading wild yeast from plant to plant and pollinating along the way.”

Sorachi Ace hops add a wisp of dill, coconut and lemon notes to the saison’s bright fruit notes and spicy aromatics. Concrete Jungle’s beer guru, Erik Santos, is blending the saison, now available on tap, for a sour version aged in American oak white-wine barrels, which is expected to be released late spring.

As a crisp, bright beer, Hokkaido pairs well with like-minded bright and citrusy dishes. A springtime salad with lemon dressing, or a basil, lemon, mushroom dish, suggests Dann. “The herbal notes in this beer lend themselves to umami-featured dishes as well.” Reach for this beer when serving al pastor tacos, too.

For more info, visit ConcreteJungleBrew.com.