Pêche

Pêche is our take on a classic Belgian style that harmonizes the complexities of wild beer with fresh, ripe fruit. Our version was made using our tart saison base aged in French oak barrels along with literal tons of whole organic peaches from several orchards along the Columbia River. 

We wouldn’t have been able to use so much fresh fruit at peak season without the help of those who came out to help cut out the pits and get them ready for the beer! It was all hands on deck for a couple days of slicing peaches with friends! We had 6,000 pounds of peaches and needed to remove their pits and get them in the tank before they went bad! Many of you came out and it was a long few days, but we got it all done. We were only able to have such a wonderful, fruity beer because of our amazing volunteers, and are humbly rewarded of the awesome community we have.

So thank you, this beer is for you!

One of the wonderful things about having this opportunity to use fresh local fruit is that the wild yeast that lives on the outside of it really changes the beer! Just like how the micro-flora in porous barrels adds a unique character to maturing beer, the yeast and bacteria on our local peaches re-ferment the beer, uniquely changing the aromas and flavors unlike any other fruit could.

We added about 3.5 pounds of fresh peaches per gallon to beer that had already aged in French oak for 9 months. This was basically finished beer, but with so much wonderful complexity coming from the fruit, we threw the beer back into barrels for another 3 months to let it continue to develop. This let the bright acidity and complexity thrive.This iteration of Pêche billows with ripe peach and citrus flavors! It’s a delightful beer that reminds you of biting into a juicy fresh peach, plucked right from a tree.

We made a blend of Pêche back in 2017, and ever since have had folks asking when it would return. They reminded us of how refreshing it was and how it’s the beer that transports you to a summer day, no matter the month. Well — finally — here it is!

Cheers and on to summer!