Beer of the Week: Summer of 89°

Back when I was a co-host of The Indie Beer Show podcast, there was a short list of things I yearned for: solid guests with great beers, plus names and terms which would be easy to pronounce. That didn’t always happen. Some brewing industry professionals are shy or less than polished on air, and some beers are only OK or, sadly, not very good at all. But all that was surmountable. As a host, I could leverage my on-air personality to guide nervous guests or describe subpar beers without fabricating positive attributes or endorsing them. But when it came to difficult-to-decode proper names, all I could do was try my best and hope not to stumble. And stumble I did…a lot. There’s one episode I remember, in particular. It took place at White Labs’ on-site classroom, where my co-hosts and I interviewed the company’s head of education Erik Fowler (who has since moved on and is now co-owner of Allied Gardens’ Good Pressure Brewing). One of the topics we discussed was a new-on-the-scene strain of yeast called Kveik. I’d seen the word, heard it pronounced at least a half-a-dozen ways (none of which sounded or was confirmed to be correct) and, hence, avoided it like the plague. But on this day, I had to throw caution to the wind and confidently pronounce it on-air to someone who for sure knew how it was supposed to sound. Long story short, I flubbed it. It was no big deal, of course, but every time the subject of Kveik yeast comes up, I think back to that day – not just for the error, but the lessons learned about how rapidly this Scandinavian strain is able to convert sugary wort to a fully finished beer. Kveik’s expeditiousness is the crux of this week’s featured beer, Summer of 89°. A recent release from historic brewing-supply outlet and nanobrewery Home Brew Mart (HBM), it’s a West Coast IPA which was fermented with Kveik at 89° Fahrenheit (a temperature higher than what most brewing yeast strains can withstand). Going that route significantly cut down on the time the beer spent in the tank, allowing it to reach HBM’s taps and its customers’ glasses much quicker. Aromas of earth, pine and red currant give way to flavors of orange pith, marjoram and red berry tea, followed by a sturdy, lasting bitterness. As that sensory evaluation implies, it’s impossible to tell the difference between this IPA and one fermented using a standard strain like White Labs’ WLP001 (AKA: California Ale Yeast). All the attributes of a solid West Coast hop-bomb with less of a wait? Now that’s science even someone who initially biffed on the word Kveik can both understand and appreciate!

Temperature control has always been one of the greatest challenges to brewing consistent high-quality beers. In fact, Oktoberfest originated to celebrate a return to appropriate brewing temperatures from the heat of summer. Enter the Kveik yeast strains of Scandinavia! These poor little bugs have never known warmth, so they never developed an adverse response to heat. We brewed the Summer of 89° Kveik IPA to prove that great beer can be fermented at temperatures previously thought to be ruinous to San Diego’s signature style, and in record time! We crafted the recipe for Summer of 89° using a blend of Pale 2-row and Pilsner malts for a light, crisp body and a punchy combination of bright Citra and dank Strata hops. Find Summer of 89° on tap for a limited time at Home Brew Mart, and get the recipe for it online. ”

Jim Johnson, Owner, Home Brew Mart

Home Brew Mart is located at 5401 Linda Vista Road in Morena