At Three Taverns Brewery in Decatur, Belgian-born brewmaster, Joran Van Ginderachter, has been experimenting with a beer called Inceptus (Latin for "beginning") .
It’s a spontaneously fermented wild ale with an unlikely back story.
During the December 2013 Atlanta “Snowpocalypse,” Van Ginderachter decided that the temperature was just right to wrangle some wild yeast from the air around the brewery for what he would call a “Georgia wild ale.”
Since then, he’s used that “mother beer” to infect wine barrels filled with a wort made with pilsner, wheat and spelt malt. Successive generations of Inceptus have taken on a variety of funky notes, but they’ve all had a tart and complex presence.
The 2017 batch of Inceptus is being released on Saturday at the brewery, along with a special glass, as the highlight of Three Taverns fourth anniversary party .
The celebration also will include music, food trucks, games, 30-plus beers on tap, and vintage bottle pours.
And in honor of all that goodness, Inceptus is today’s Beer Pick.
Beer Pick
2017 Inceptus Georgia Wild Ale
Three Taverns Brewery, Decatur
Available on draft and in 375ml bottles.
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The original Inceptus was a spontaneously fermented “Georgia wild ale” that was aged for some 18 months in wine barrels. The result was a delightfully tart and complex but very clean and utterly drinkable beer.
The 2017 vintage of Inceptus, released in honor of Three Taverns fourth anniversary, follows in those flavorful footsteps. But it may be the funkiest version, yet, mixing the subtle barrel-aged notes of oak and wine with what one taster described as an “apricot vibe.”
Pair with
Tart, complex wild ales like Inceptus make a perfect aperitif, and a fun match for hors d’ oeuvres and funky cheeses. But both raw and cooked seafood dishes and Belgian staples such as mussels with frites are natural pairings.
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