うりふたつ (Uri Futatsu)

This collaboration brew, our first with Culmination Brewing of Portland, Oregon, was a bit of a shot in the dark, creating a uniquely challenging brew for both parties. With a theme of “Japanese summer” the opportunities were almost endless, but the conversation soon turned to the need for the beer to be as refreshing as possible in the summer heat. A kettle sour seemed like the obvious solution, but that wasn’t quite enough to make the beer unique. Ideas soon started flowing about what types of foods and events typify summer in Japan, and conversations of festivals and fireworks led to cucumbers and watermelon, both integral parts of the season. But how to tie them together? Salt!

While the thread of the conversation felt like a joke at first, the more we thought about it the more we realized that combining all three of these ingredients in a balanced way would be a unique challenge that, if successful, would be the perfect summer sipper. The result is one of our most unique kettle sours to date.

Cucumbers dominate the nose and initial flavor, but in the finish there are hints of watermelon and rind. A medium dose of sea salt provides sodium and other minerals that keeps the beer from feeling thin and gives it a refreshing quality reminiscent of an energy drink.

While this brew will certainly divide opinions, we think we nailed this one of a kind brew and can’t wait to see it refresh festival goers and beer drinkers after a hot day out in Japan’s summer heat.

Naming: Uri Futatsu literally means “two gourds” but the use of the phrase is closer to “peas in a pod” or “birds of a feather”. Despite being separated by the world’s largest ocean, our commonalities with the guys at Culmination seemed uncountable, and this phrase then felt perfect for this two-gourded collaboration!