Hanabi Lager Co. Elwha Spelt Pilsner Style Lager Beer 500ML – (Case of 12)

Hanabi Lager Co. Elwha Spelt

The Grain
For those unfamiliar, spelt is an ancient relative of wheat with a long history that dates back over 5,000 years to the Fertile Crescent. It originated when durum wheat naturally crossed with wild goat grass. Those seeds sprouted and subsequently crossed with Emmer wheat, and the result became known as spelt. Over centuries, spelt was spread across Europe, known for its large, flavorful, and nutritious grains. Spelt developed a reputation for being more digestible than many modern wheats, and the gluten is said to be more agreeable to those with light sensitivities as well.

Spelt arrived in North America in the late 1800s and gained popularity in the 1960s with organic farmers. As an ancient grain, it is naturally hardy, requires minimal fertilizer, and grows well under organic farming conditions. This aligns well with our brewing preferences at Hanabi.

Hanabi Lager Co. Elwha Spelt showcases Elwha, a variety of spelt grown in Washington State’s Horse Heaven Hills. This crop of Elwha was grown on the Moon Family Farm with no-till practices, minimal inputs, and irrigated exclusively with rainwater.

Hanabi is a lager brewing project, born from a winemaking life and a passion for building things with our hands. We are forging a path to further develop what we are calling grain-forward lager. We see this as distinct from hop-forward beers that showcase the flavors of hop flowers, or malt-forward beers whose flavors are largely derived from the malting process rather than from the grains themselves.

The Industrial Revolution spurred 180 years of massive innovation in the brewing and malting (barley sprouting) processes that have allowed for the production of more intentional and consistent beers. Now, with a well-established toolkit, we believe that a shift in focus from process to ingredients is a natural next step in the evolution.

With respect to hops, this work is already well under way. However, with grains, the soul of the beer and main ingredient besides water, a deeper understanding of the unique flavors contributed by different varieties and terroirs is still highly underdeveloped.

Here at Hanabi Lager, we are using lager brewing as a methodology to explore the delicious range of flavors that grains can bring to beer. We design our processes to allow the flavors of the grains to shine, and the results are beers that are simultaneously refreshing and flavorful, distinguished by their elegance and complexity. If this intrigues you, please join us on our journey to discover what delicious flavors can be found in the heritage, heirloom, and special modern varieties of barley that we work with and beyond.