Beer-a-Day #178

My wife’s dear friend Ellen took our kids to see a movie, leaving us with an hour and forty-five minutes to kill.

So, of course we went to a brewpub.

On tap was the new “1634 Ale”, brewed to celebrate the founding of the Maryland colony. From the press release:

“1634 Ale” was created by Tom Flores, master brewer at Brewer’s Alley, following research of historic recipes and raw materials available in centuries past. “We used ingredients that would have been found in the austere conditions of early colonial Maryland,” said Flores of his rye-based ale recipe that also includes malted wheat, molasses and caraway. Flores says caramel and dark malts round out the flavor of the “lighter bodied ale.”Flores’ potable recreation has captured the attention of industry officials and the media alike who have sampled “1634 Ale” in the past month. “Early reports of the beer’s upcoming release were published in “Beverage Journal,” the Maryland / DC industry trade publication, as well as in the mass media and on beer blogs, – raising interest in the ale,” said Flores. Maryland State Governor, Martin O’Malley was among state officials who sampled the “1634 Ale” on Maryland Day, March 29, in Historic St. Mary’s City.

Phil Bowers, president of Brewer’s Alley, Inc., says that he is proud that his brewery was called upon to create the beer but not surprised that beer was incorporated into the state celebration. “Fermented beverages such as beer and hard cider were something of a necessity in the New World, where drinkable water was scarce,” he said, particularly within the early- discovered Atlantic coastal regions, such as St. Mary’s City, where inland water was brackish.

It certainly was interesting, with a number of unusual flavors, but none of them overpowering. I thought it was rather good.

Update: Brewer’s Alley is also bottling the 1634 Ale. Look for it at your local retailer.