A Note on This Beer
Growing up, whenever my family went on vacation in the Florida Keys, my dad would say we were living on island time.
As a kid, island time meant spending the days canoeing through mangrove forests, listening to Jimmy Buffet on repeat, and arguing with my brother over the last slice of Key Lime Pie.
One sip of today’s Graeter’s Key Lime Pie Berliner Weisse and I’m back in the Conch Republic, swaying in the salty breeze on a hammock while savoring my favorite tropical dessert.
This slice of heaven was made by the flavor masters at Kentucky’s Braxton Brewing, who also made some of our other favorite dessert beers like a Peach Cobbler Sour and Mint Chocolate Chip Stout. Brewbound even calls Braxton the “Rising Stars” in the Midwest craft scene!
Braxton teamed up with Graeter’s Family Ice Cream to make this limited-release dessert drink. These Ohio ice cream legends made the lactose that added sweetness to the brew’s base of Key Lime juice, vanilla beans, and cinnamon.
The brewers then let the mix sit for 18 hours of kettle souring, amplifying the distinct tartness of the Key Lime juice to create a harmony of sweet and sour. The final result? A crushable brew that tastes like a slice of pie in a bottle!
Even if you’re thousands of miles away from a body of water, this crisp refresher will make you feel like a beach bum living in paradise. It’s the kind of treat you want as an after dinner reward, or a midday refresher on a hot summer afternoon — hey, it’s always five o’clock somewhere when you’re on island time.
Pop open the bottle and tangy aromas of freshly squeezed Key Limes greet the nose like an island breeze. Flavors of zesty lime juice, graham crackers, and cinnamon drench the palate for a first sip that has all the sweetness of freshly whipped meringue. The kettle souring gives this brew a tang while the addition of lactose makes it thick and creamy on the finish.
Just like the last slice of pie, there isn’t enough of this 4.5% ABV refresher for everyone. Stock your fridge up with Graeter’s Key Lime now and spend your summer relaxing on island time.
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