Hello fellow beer lovers. We are going to start off with some great springtime sours and fruit ales. This time of year is perfect for having a beer while enjoying the outdoors. For me personally, there are not a lot of things better than getting home from work, grabbing a refreshing beer, and taking my dog, Russell, for a long walk in the sunshine. The spring just lends itself to drinking lighter beers with a fruit backbone, things are starting to sprout and you just crave things that are fresh. Currently I believe that Urban Artifact is doing the best job at supplying the market with the beers that you need for Spring.
“Urban Artifact is the largest sour only brewery in the United States! Several things separate our brand from the competition as an industry leader. First and foremost, we only use real fruit to flavor our beers. Many breweries take shortcuts via extracts and flavorings, which are not only cheaper but require less labor to incorporate than real fruit. However, the flavor and quality of the beers suffer dramatically when cheap and artificial ingredients are used. Real fruit gives our beers their vibrant color and decadent flavor. Since opening in 2015, we have used over 700,000 lbs of real fruit!” - Griffin Kruse, Urban Artifact
Something else that makes Urban Artifact really cool is their style. I personally love the artwork that they use with their labels. They keep things sleek and simple but also add a little bit of a flare which makes the cans unique!
“Additionally, we have excellent and unique branding centered on the theme of artifacts used in urban environments throughout history. All of our artwork is done in house. Our newly renovated taproom, music venue, and event center is located in the historic St. Patrick’s Church in the Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati. We host nationally touring acts in our music venue, which also doubles as a hi-fidelity recording studio. Additionally, our event center is available to host weddings, corporate events, and other large-scale events (when there isn’t a global pandemic)” - Griffin Kruse
Things that are great do not always stay around forever and that makes you crave them even more. Currently two of their seasonal items that we stock just so happen to be two of my favorite beers that come out during the year and sometimes I have to incorporate at least one of each during my walks.
“Squeezebox and Kaleidoscope are two of my favorite beers that we make. Squeezebox is a beautiful beer that pours a bright pink color and smells and tastes like fresh-picked strawberries balanced by a mild and crisp tartness. Strawberries are typically a difficult fruit to brew with, but by using 3,000 lbs of fruit per batch, we are able to capture the true essence of the fruit. A perfect beer for strawberry and sour beer lovers alike”.
“Kaleidoscope, on the other hand, is a tropical juice bomb that features pineappple, guava and fresh orange. It pours out a cloudy orange, and each sip reveals layers of crisp citrus and lush equatorial fruit. Pineapple is the primary fruit used while the guava and orange round out the flavor profile by adding texture and complexity. We use 1,500 lbs of pineapple, 600lbs of guava, and 500lbs of oranges per batch”.
While Squeezebox and Kaleidoscope may be my favorite beers that they have out right now we also carry some other great beers produced at Urban.
Spyglass is a Lemon & lime golden sour ale. This beer is Tart and Refreshing.
Pinwheel is a year round Gose brewed with 500lbs of oranges, 22lbs of sea salt, 1lb of coriander & 30 g of vanilla beans per 30 BBL batch.
Finn is a year round Tart Pale Ale, which is hopped like a citrusy American Pale Ale with a crisp tartness. Citrus & apricot hop flavors lead the charge.
The Gadget is a Midwest Fruit Tart made with raspberries and blackberries.
So get out there and get some sunshine. Turn on Yacht Rock Radio and grab a refreshing beer from Urban Artifact. Have yourself a day.
Written by Chad, DEP’s Beer buyer. Special thank to Griffin Kruse for providing input from Urban Artifact.