WWBG: Raise a Different Kind of Grape-Based Bubbly

As the clock ticked its way toward 2016, I wasn’t toasting with champagne but with grape infused beers and ciders! Though it’s not a new trend, adding grapes, the essence of grapes, or wine to beer is getting some new recognition. In fact, a Google search of wine and beer blends or hybrids yields a bunch of articles from 2013…

Whether a new brew or an aged one, brewing with grapes or aging in wine barrels introduces new dimensions. Below are three beers and one cider that looked to the vine in one way or another.

Cider Brothers, William Tell Pinot Grigio Hard Apple Cider (6.5% ABV)

Starting with the non-beer, the Cider Brothers’ William Tell Pinot Grigio Hard Apple Cider is the most wine-like of all the beverages here. The brothers start with cider from five apple varieties and add in 15 percent California Pinot Grigio. The result is a crystal clear yet pale green, lightly carbonated beverage that looks as much like a Pinot as a cider.