Beer of the Week: Honey Ale

From the Beer Writer: As our recent, short-lived break in atmospheric river flow hinted at, it’s springtime. The birds are chirping and the bees are buzzing, with the latter pollinating plants all across our suddenly verdant county as they truck nectar back to their hives. The result of their hard work will come in the ooey-gooey form of one of my favorite ingredients of all time…honey. Earthily sweet with whispery notes of terroir tracing back to individual floral origins, there’s nothing quite like it. As much as I enjoy eating honey on everything from biscuits and baklava to fried chicken and pizza (there’s a trend I’m all in on), one of its best uses is as an ingredient in beer. Though honey ales were more common in the latter part of the 20th century, a handful of local breweries produce the style, including Escondido’s Jacked Up Brewery. Their aptly named Honey Ale is a year-round beer, but with a floral bouquet, plus flavors of lemon and thyme leading to an earthy back-end saccharinity, this unfiltered offering pairs perfectly with spring. Give it a whirl with traditional Easter and picnic fare…or maybe some pizza drizzled with hot honey. OK, now I’m hungry.

From the Brewer: “Our Honey Ale is a year-round favorite at our taproom here in North County. A traditional Czech-style beer, it’s made using Saaz hops in combination with locally sourced wildflower honey. The hint of honey is soft versus overwhelming, and the beer is super-crisp and refreshing with a good amount of carbonation. Being a lighter beer, it’s one that most can enjoy. I actually started brewing it when we first opened our doors in 2017 and its simple name is an extension of Jacked Up’s vintage 1940s thematic. Back in those days, beers were named for their styles. It’s super-simple, but we like the concept. We also like the can-art for this beer, which was done by a local artist Matthew Perdoni , who threw in a ‘M+C’ on the label for me and my wife Caroline.”—Michael Poulson, Owner & Brewer, Jacked Up Brewery