Our brand new seasonal, packed with orchard-fresh flavor, is a Kolsch-style Nectarine Ale whose inspiration came from overseas. The idea for Wanderland began in late 2019 when our friends from the United Kingdom paid us a visit.
We’ve long hosted “Beer Camp,” where we invite folks in the beer industry to spend a few days at our brewery, tour every inch of the place, and ultimately collaborate on a small-batch beer. Sometimes those creations strike gold, and we have to share the wealth far and wide.
This time around, our brewers and the UK “campers” brainstormed two recipes that honored our East Coast location: an IPA using nectarines, and a German-style Kolsch using scuppernong grapes—both fruits locally grown in North Carolina, the latter being the state fruit, named after the Scuppernong River near the coast.
Matt Ruzich, our head pilot brewer, recalls that he couldn’t source enough grapes, so the campers met in the middle with a Nectarine Kolsch.
It was pure gold. Golden like the sunset on the Wanderland label. A eureka moment, Matt says, where the juicy nectarine captivated everyone’s palate.
With a little fine-tuning, we found ourselves brewing what is now Wanderland.
“We opted to increase the ABV to 7.5 percent,’ Matt says, ‘and add a small dry-hop with Azacca lupulin” to further boost the fruity character.
As 2021 gets underway, set out and see where the adventure leads with Wanderland’s bright burst of nectarine—like you picked it right from the tree.
