Area Two Experimental Brewing Master Brewer Phil Markowski Talks Table Terroir

We spoke with Area Two Experimental Brewing Master Brewer Phil Markowski about Table Terroir.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I wanted to develop a low-alcohol “house beer” that was not only tasty but also was truly representative of our point of origin in Connecticut. We worked with Thrall Family Malt, 12th-generation CT farmers who have recently installed a state-of-the-art malting operation on their farm in Windsor and Smokedown Farms in Sharon, CT who are growing some less common hop varieties. Thrall did a custom kiln for us and we selected Smokedown’s Tahoma hops for Table Terroir, but the primary contributor of character was our totally unique “GB-2” yeast that we captured on our property back in 2014. GB-2 is highly attenuative and gives off a really interesting array of fruity and spicy esters. It’s unlike any yeast I’ve worked with before. It’s one of our most closely guarded secrets and no, we don’t use it to bottle condition Table Terroir. We use a different yeast for that!

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I like the aroma and the flavor equally. The yeast character is the most compelling aspect of this beer. It’s very complex, weaving alternatively from “spicy” and “fruity” while feeling decidedly earthy at all times.  

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
The name Table Terroir is a simply derived from what it is: a Table Ale made with locally grown malt and hops and fermented with our super local wild yeast that we captured on the lawn in our Hop Yard, the recreational area between Two Roads and Area Two, our new Experimental Brewery.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
I like this beer a lot. I’m not much of a sailor so the likelihood of my getting stranded on a deserted island are vanishingly low so I’ve never thought about what beer I would want to have there. Besides, I can’t pick favorites. They’re all my children.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Earthy, complex; a pure expression of Area Two/Two Roads.

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Table Terroir is perfect as an aperitif. It would work well with earthy but not overwhelmingly stinky cheeses.

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