When Braxton Brewing Co. announced a collaboration with Graeter’s earlier this year, the excitement that ensued nearly broke the Cincinnati internet.
Brewing a beer inspired by their famous Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip was sure to bring beer lovers and ice cream lovers from all over together.
Unfortunately, the beer fell short for many people, myself included. It wasn’t a bad beer in and of itself, it’s just that it didn’t scream “black raspberry,” “chocolate chip,” or “ice cream.” It was just a decent milk stout.
That’s why when Braxton announced a second collaboration with Graeter’s last month, I was a little skeptical.
But this time, they did multiple things right. First, instead of choosing one of Graeter’s flagship and most-beloved flavors, they chose a seasonal flavor, in the Elena’s Blueberry Pie. They also brewed the beer as a brown ale. Stouts admittedly aren’t for everyone, and many people probably tried the Black Raspberry stout and swore off of craft beer forever. It would be like a fourth grader trying to read War and Peace. They might be able to do it someday, but don’t throw them into something with that much complexity on day one.
A brown ale is a much more approachable beer for those who may be trying it for the first time, and it’s also a perfect style to let the flavors of the beer shine through, as you won’t get as much of a “beer” flavor to saturate the sweetness.
The third thing that they obviously did right was putting a cause behind the beer. The Cure Starts Now is a local charity that helps fight childhood cancer. Braxton pledged at least $10,000 to this awesome cause.
The release wasn’t met with as much fanfare as the first offering, partly because there’s just so much more going on in September than in the winter, but also probably because the first beer was just OK.
After trying the Blueberry Pie Brown Ale, I can wholeheartedly sign off on this one. The beer has lots of blueberry flavor up front, and a nice smooth finish that anyone can love. It’s a much more drinkable beer and perfect for the coming fall months.
I’m hoping that Braxton and Graeter’s team up again in the future for some more offerings. Just looking at the seasonal Graeter’s list, I can see some good beers coming from a Peppermint Stick or even Peach ice cream.