When Fair Isle’s Wild Ale gurus Geoffery Barker and Andrew Pogue first visited us back in 2018, they didn’t have a brewery. All we knew about them was they had worked with the Farmhouse legends at Jester King, and they planned to open Seattle’s first 100% Wild Ale brewery! 

And then, we tasted their beers — I still remember predicting Fair Isle would become a local favorite in no time! 

They have! Even dealing with the challenge of opening their doors just before COVID hit, the support from a massive crowd of quickly-acquired fans has kept their beers selling out. 

We’ve waited far longer than we could stand to share Fair Isle with you. But, boy do we have a stellar introduction: the earthy & herbaceous Alicel Saision. 

Like all Fair Isle beers, the brewery crafts Alicel with ingredients farmed and foraged in the Pacific Northwest. The brewers use a house blend of wild and feral yeasts. This mixed culture is a significant asset — it’s a lot like a sourdough bread starter, and it takes time and attention to tailor. You can’t just go out and buy a culture like theirs off the shelf like those used in other modern brews.

Alicel is special even among Fair Isle’s unique collection. They brew and dry-hop with Hallertau Mittelfrueh for floral notes of honeydew and pear. And use a hint of raw wheat and Francin Pilsner Malts that add nuances of sweetgrass and body to the mouthfeel. 

The result is dry and delicately funky with a slight bitterness — an ideal companion for summertime day-drinking.