Arts
Switchback Brewing is going to smoke all the beers Switchback Brewing founder Bill Cherry has a passion for smoked beers. He approaches smoke from a culinary standpoint, not to overwhelm the beer with smoky notes but to add depth and character to the beer while showing smoke as a legitimate flavor component. Through their Flynn of Fire Smoked Beer Initiative Switchback shows off the world of smoked malts. Their "Smoke-ometer" shows you what percentage of smoked malt is in each beer and you may be surprised at the subtleties of a beer with 25% of the malt bill smoked. However, Switchback's top-selling beer is smoke-free. Switchback Ale is not only the brewery's top seller but also the #1 selling beer in Vermont. The beer was developed as a "flavor concept" and doesn't necessarily adhere to any specific style. It's a drinkable amber-ish beer that blurs the lines between complexity and simplicity. We also discuss Switchback's upcoming 20th anniversary and the decision to make the brewery 100% employee owned. Although I went into the show a smoke hater I left with a greater appreciation for smoky beers and what can be down with smoked malt. I'm still not on board for in in-your-face Rauchbier, but I'm down with what Switchback is doing. The Beer List Switchback Ale (American Amber) Barrel-Aged Blackstrap Ale (Flynn on Fire Series) Bisounnay Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Saison (Flynn on Fire Series) Unkel Dunkel (Flynn on Fire Series) Craft Beer News Stone Has Agreed to Pay In Excess of $1.8 Million To the TTB Sierra Nevada Set a Guinness Record With a Keg and a Trebuchet A Hack Forced Molson Coors To Stop Making Beer More from Vermont breweries 14th Star Brewing with co-founder Steve Gagner | Ep. 193 Lawson’s Finest Liquids with Sean Lawson | Ep. 190 von Trapp Brewing | Ep. 127