As we say goodbye to a summer that really wasn’t. I’m thinking of the beers that made the Pandemic Summer of 2020 as good as it could be.
In art, a collaboration between artists is where we, as consumers, are rewarded with a new and unique piece of original work. In the context of beer, a collaboration between brewers is where we, as beer drinkers, are rewarded with new and unique brews to drink.
Most collaborations begin between brewers who like and respect one another and wish to work together. Typically the recipe process starts with ideas about what they are in the mood to drink. Each member of the brewing staff throws out ideas until they come to an agreement on ingredients and process.
This summer saw the return of what has become an annual collaboration Yeah Buoy. This beer is the result of just such a process and an established working friendship between the brewers of 4 Hands Brewing Co. in St. Louis and Logboat Brewing Co. in Columbia, Missouri.
The Back Story
The breweries began creating an annual beer together about three years ago. Yeah Buoy was originally brewed in May of 2017 at Logboat and released in limited quantities in the Columbia and Lake of the Ozark areas,” remembered Josh Rein, head brewer at Logboat. “It was well-received from beer drinkers and we the brewers really enjoyed it as well.”
In 2018, the brewers decided to bring Yeah Buoy back again, but this time make it available within both breweries distribution footprints as a late summer seasonal.
Let’s begin with the name Yeah Buoy. According to Logboat’s Judson Ball, the story behind the name is quite simple. “The beer was originally launched at the Lake of the Ozarks so we all thought naming the beer like the cheesy boat names would be funny. Yeah Buoy just kind of struck a really funny chord with us.”
“We really wanted a clean, crisp beer with some summer flavors to really compliment some days spent on the water,” said Rein. “We wound up brewing a beer using pilsner malt and some of our favorite hops, fermented with a lager yeast to allow those flavors to shine through.”
The result is an India Pale Lager, brewed with German Pilsner malt and the iconic American hops, Cascade, Amarillo, and Simcoe. On the nose, you get bright citrus, white wine, floral, and grassy notes. Flavor is similar with a balanced bitterness followed by fruit, and cracker notes lingering on the finish.
The Can Art
The can art for Logboat is all done by artist Mike Wolf. He creates all the unique characters found on every can. The artwork for Yeah Buoy represents a brewery employee who loves being on the water at the Lake of the Ozarks. It’s meant to be fun, colorful and represent summer and all the fun of it.
You can find Yeah Buoy at bottle shops and grocery stores all across St. Louis and Missouri.
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