I live in the city, so when I want raspberries, I have to go to the grocery store and look for the least-mushiest in the bin. It’s a far cry from my childhood visits to Grandma’s house in the country, where the berry bushes blossomed freely. 

But I gotta admit, today’s bright berry pour takes me straight back to the days of running around all juicy-fingered, stuffing my face with those fresh, tangy-sweet treats!

Wild American #5 is the name of this ruby-hued Wild Ale beauty, and it comes from the nature-minded folks at Soquel Fermentation Project. They’re nestled in California’s Santa Cruz mountains and they source all their ingredients from the local terroir. 

Each sip of this Wild Ale perks up the taste buds with jammy raspberry flavors from real fruit.  The brewers also oak barrel-aged it for a year to wrap in soft, woody notes that deepen the complexity. Just a whisper of barnyard funk from wild yeast comes through on the finish.

And, unless you really prefer those grocery store berries, it’s a good idea to stock up now. The Soquel team only brews in tiny batches and they don’t have a taproom. Normally, only Northern California craft fans even get a shot at their beers!