Beer of the Week: In Memoriam

From the Beer Writer: There are many larger-than-life characters in the San Diego beer scene, but none, perhaps, was larger in spirit, heart and soul than Nate Soroko. An outspoken member of the #SDBeer community who befriended many and made just about everyone in his sphere feel not just special, but seen, appreciated and supported, Soroko passed away last summer. He was just 39 years old, far too young, but he packed multiple lifetimes into his time on Earth. That helped his family and friends accept what was a very tough loss. Many of those individuals found there own ways to pay tribute to “Big Nate”. Some held vigils while others took to social media or made donations to charities and causes close to Soroko’s heart. Breweries also found ways to say “good-bye” and “thank you” to their fallen compatriot. Date-code machines printed messages to Soroko on beer cans, one of Soroko’s former employers, Modern Times Beer, held a beer festival in his honor, and, of course, breweries crafted beers in his memory. The latest of those honorary creations is In Memoriam from Mother Earth Brew Co. For this initiative, the Vista operation teamed with local artist Sean Dominguez (a long-time collaborator with another of Soroko’s former employers, Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey) to make a can-label of a portrait of Big Nate he’d painted. The result is a lovely, touching keepsake container filled with a hazy IPA hopped with a trio of varietals that includes Soroko’s favorite: Nelson Sauvin. I am among those who was heartbroken to lose one of the most friendly, fun and supportive friends I’ve ever known. While something like this could serve as a bitter reminder of his absence, it instead fulfills its mission to remind us of someone that, as anyone who knew him would assure you, could never be forgotten.

From the Brewery: “In Memoriam was something we wanted to do from the moment we learned that Nate had left us, but we wanted to give it a bigger platform than simply dedicating a small-batch beer to him; something we could turn around relatively quickly. That meant we needed it to fit into our beer program. While we were figuring out when and how to release it, we learned of Sean’s painting and started working with him to get it on a beer can. Being that we have worked extensively with Sean in the past and the fact that he’s an established artist, the light bulb just went off that this needs to go into our Project X Series. It’s also really special that we were able to make a donation on his behalf to the Culinary Institute of America. Nate was as passionate about food as he was craft beer. As far as the beer goes, we were looking for a big ruby-red grapefruit flavor from Talis, a hop we loved in Yakima this year. That, paired with the sweet fruit and tropical qualities of Citra and Nelson, all lent themselves really well to the style. We also added a small amount of lactose back into the recipe for added body, but not enough to make it cloying. Overall, it’s a very well-rounded beer that we think would make Nate proud.”—Chris Baker, Director of Brewing Operations, Mother Earth Brew Co.