Spring/Summer 2022 Edition – Baronesse Pilsner Style Lager Beer
Nick Gislason and Jennifer Angelosante
Hanabi Philosophy:
We believe that beer is a traditional and agricultural creation, like wine, and we have a great deal of respect for it. It is a fermented tea, brewed from sprouted grains and spiced with hop flowers. We are on a search for the most wholesome, delicious grains in the world that we can find, and are presenting them through the incredibly pure and transparent lens of lager. We call this style grain-forward lager beer.
The Grains:
This season’s beer features a barley variety called Baronesse. Originally developed in Germany, Baronesse was largely abandoned there due to its low yields compared to other more modern barleys. However, its flavor is excellent, which is our primary selection criteria at Hanabi, being far more important to us than yield or ease of use. A rare variety, Baronesse is only grown on one farm in North America, named Joseph’s Grainery in the Palouse area of Washington State. It is a small family farm that has championed this special grain for decades. They raise it without irrigation (dry-farmed), and it produces dense, hardy corns with a distinct hay-like aroma and flavor.
The Beer:
Brewed as a Pilsner style lager, Baronesse brings notes of fresh hay, alfalfa, dried chamomile flowers, and a wet stones minerality.
Best Consumed by: April 2023. Our beer is natural and unpasteurized. Store and serve cold.