Newcastle, ME / 5.5% ABV

I don’t know if you know this, but Santa loves to summer in Maine and his first brewery stop is always Oxbow Brewing Co. in Newcastle. So, naturally we wanted to show off this cool farmhouse ale that is a hat tip to a style of beer that was traditionally made for farm workers (I’m talking since ancient times) to enjoy after a hard day in the fields. Historically these ales would use well water, leftover ingredients, wild yeasts and have a fast turn around time of a few weeks for quick consumption. Fast forward to modern times and we see longer production and better ingredients and notably Oxbow Brewing is using whole leaf (hence the name of the beer) European hops and has a 6 week production time.

Crisp and tart from the first sip, you can see how this would be refreshing after a long day. Perfectly funky with a barnyard twinge, we see how the wild yeasts used here embody a signature farmhouse ale flavor. Balanced with notes of grapefruit, lime and even a bit of pepper, this beer is easy to drink but makes you think hard.

Hazy in color and packed full of flavor, there is no doubt we know why Santa loves this beer.