By: Nena Armstrong
This lighter-than-usual Schwarzbier is twinkling with delicious flavours. 
| NIGHT LIGHTS | |
|---|---|
| ABV | 4.8% |
| IBU | 27 |
| SRM |
46.8 |
Tasting Notes
This beer has a medium head that subsides quickly, leaving a nice lacing remnant on the glass. On the nose, it brings the smell of fresh dough, a vague red fruit aroma, and licorice candy. When the liquid hits your tongue, it starts off full-bodied then transitions into a lighter, carbonated finish. Hints of chocolate, bold hay, subtle red fruits, and grassy-like notes fill your mouth initially. The liquid finishes off with a little spice, and a distinct aroma and flavor of Timothy hay.
Fun Fact: The aurora borealis is named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek term for “wind of the north,” boreas.
Shine bright like a Schwarzbier
Brewer, Bobbi Cullum, said the inspiration came from the Craft Brewers Convention in Minnesota. Most breweries had a dark lager, specifically a Schwarzbier on tap, and it became a fast favourite! Writing the recipe was the biggest obstacle as she hadn’t done so yet and this was going to be packaged and sold to the public.
“It generated this amazing opportunity for me to discuss the style with several home and commercial brewers to get their input on what they like, and insights on different brewing techniques.”
The Standard Reference Method (SRM), the method for color assessment of wort or beer, was a huge inspiration for the name. Since the beer came out less dark than anticipated, she wanted to play on that!
“Being on the other side of the winter solstice with longer days coming…I think it describes the beer well. Brighter Days Ahead with this crushable dark lager. The management team truly captured the spirit of it with the gorgeous label!”
A brew-style technique was used with the dark malt for the SRM. Fine ground dark roasted huskless malt was added in the sparge in the hopes for the colour (but not the astringency).
More About This Style
Typically, Schwarzbier is dark brown in color with deep ruby highlights. It has a light roasted flavor with very clean and nuanced hints of caramel and light wafts of coffee on the nose. Expect moderately high carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel with no harshness despite the dark roasted malts.
