You have to love when creativity and brewing come together, and the outcome is just so right. That is what I’m hoping for tomorrow with the October 30th release of Schlafly Beer‘s second in its Ibex Series: The Eleventh Labor.
As a lover of Greek myth, I dig the back story here, but in case you slept through that class let me get you caught up. The name is inspired by the story of Hercules. On a quest to fulfill twelve arduous labors, the eleventh being one of the most grueling, Hercules was tasked with securing the golden fruit from Zeus in the garden of Hesperides. The Eleventh Labor story exemplifies the extra care in every detail of the beer, from the brewing process to packaging.
Over 62 pounds of apricots were utilized per barrel in the sour beer, added before fermentation via the apricot harness. Taste hunters will seek to identify a mild tartness balanced by an abundance of apricot flavor, making for the perfect combination of sweet fruit against Schlafly’s sour house yeast culture. Brewed in small quantity and aged for six months at The Schlafly Tap Room in downtown St. Louis, the Eleventh Labor beer will be available for purchase in 750mL bottles and on-draft by way of 50 exclusive 1/6 barrel kegs across Schlafly’s distribution region in the Midwest and East Coast.
The team branded wooden crates for the kegs and wood tap handles with the Ibex logo by hand. The Eleventh Labor bottles feature a gold foil-stamped label and a hand-dipped wax finish.
What is the Ibex Series
According to Schlafly.com the “Ibex Series” of beers are “intended to harness the imaginative talents of our brewing team and create a space where unique ingredients, barrel-aging processes, and inspired styles can be showcased and appreciated. Designed to feature distinct limited releases every few months, this series hopes to honor the spirit in which Schlafly Beer was founded.”
The first beer in the Ibex series, Lazy Ballerina, a French-style Saison was released last April.
The Eleventh Labor can be purchased in 750mL bottles for $20, or can be enjoyed on draft at select on-premise locations across Schlafly’s distribution region.
