Beer of the Week! 09/20/22
A Connecticut Couple
OEC Coolship Lager
Regularly $13.99 / Now on Sale for $12.96
Open-Fermented Unfiltered Lager
The OEC in OEC Brewing stands for the pseudo-Latin phrase “Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores.” It’s constructed to mean “the Order of Eccentric Boilers,” as if they were members of an ancient secret society. So, what do we get from this exercise in creative nomenclature? — interest in esoteric European practices? a willingness to fully manifest a geekish nature? a resistance to taking oneself and one’s pursuits too seriously? From what we can tell, that sounds like Ben Neidhart, “owner/founder/head-brewer/head-blender/recipe creator/label designer” of OEC Brewing. To say that Neidhart has designed an atypical craft brewery does not even begin to make us tall enough to ride this ride.
OEC’s coolship
Taking inspiration from North German and Belgian brewing traditions, OEC dedicates itself to open fermentation brewing in its home of Oxford, CT. This means that Neidhart and his brewers start by boiling their grains and hops to create their wort in preparation for letting it sit in open, shallow copper troughs called coolships. After transferring the wort to the coolship they open the windows and go home for the night allowing the yeasts and other microflora in the air to begin fermentation. Flemish brewers (and those inspired by them) most famously use this procedure to produce sour ales. So the fact that OEC has produced a lager this way is just nuts!
First off, even though you make sours this way, the Coolship Lager is not a sour beer. Still, it’s not your typical bready, German-style Helles Lager. The Coolship has the restrained malt profile of a Czech style Lager, with the minerality traded out for hints of wildness lurking around the edges. It’s a delightfully different beast.
(Speaking of different beasts, don’t even ask us to try to explain OEC’s baudelot cooler!)
Bonus Beer of the Week (‘Cause you can’t make an omelette by breaking only one egg.)
Fat Orange Cat Keep Yer Claws Sharp
Regularly $17.99 / Now on Sale for $16.96
New England Style IPA
Coming in from East Hampton, CT, the Keep Yer Claws Sharp is a frequent flyer in the Fat Orange Cat lineup. After tasting it, it’s easy to see why.
Keep Yer Claws Sharp is a New England IPA made with Vic Secret and Citra hops. Citra is an American hop that, after making a name for itself giving citrus notes to West Coast IPAs, has transitioned into performing well in NEIPAs. Vic Secret is a hop originally cultivated by Australian lingerie super models … just kidding. It is from Australia, though, and frequently produces pineapple and passion fruit flavors with slight resiny notes.
Now, Fat Orange Cat claims that this duo of hops “creates a unique and super smooth taste,” and we’re not sure how that works, but they’re right. The Keep Yer Claws sharp is so smooth it’s creamy. Plus, it offers up an unabashed juiciness that is just lovely. We guess we shouldn’t doubt actual New Englanders when they make a New England IPA.
Remember!
You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!