IN the sun drenched wine country of California there is a brewery that has taken the Victorian technology of rainy Midlands England and replicated it on a smaller scale.
The English brewing town of Burton-Upon-Trent became renowned for producing fruity hop accented pale ales some which found fame when they were exported to the Indian subcontinent.
These beers used to be fermented in large oak barrels which were connected together in an ingenious way that meant that gravity topped up the casks as fermenting beer frothed out the top, the system became known as the Burton Unions.
A side effect of the system was that it bred a strain of yeast that created fruity, dry, hop accented beers. Today only one English brewery, Marston’s still uses the system and their Pedigree Pale Ale is imported into New Zealand.
A world away amongst the grape vines of California, the Firestone Walker Brewery has made a name for itself brewing pale ales in their own Union system. Founded by Adam Firestone, a member of the Firestone Tire dynasty, Firestone Walker constructed a Union that involves a series of 60 gallon American Oak barrels which are linked by sealed stainless steel pipes.
The brewery’s flagship product Double Barrel Ale has a portion of each batch brewed in the Union which is then blended with beer that is fermented in conventional stainless steel fermentors.
The result is a lightly fruity amber ale with a zesty heathery aroma and wonderfully rich creamy mouth feel. Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale is currently available from Regional Wines and Spirits.