We spoke with Wild Leap Brew Co. Chief Brewing Officer Chris Elliott about Vacanza Peach Pie Imperial Gose.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
My team of brewers and I developed this recipe. We have a taproom-only draft beer we call World Peach, which is a light peach cobbler ale. We decided that the peach cobbler flavors would be even better in an imperial gose, with fresh peach puree and cinnamon. We were right!

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)? 
This is a beer with a wonderful aroma. It smells like a fresh-baked peach cobbler, with rich cinnamon and bread crust aromas. 

Where does this beer’s name come from? 
We named this beer Vacanza, which is the Italian word for vacation. This beer was built to be the perfect vacation beer. 

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less? 
Peach cobbler in liquid form!

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We spoke with Wild Leap Brew Co. Chief Brewing Officer Chris Elliott about SouthDown Double IPA.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe? 
This was actually a recipe that began as a collaboration with our brewers and another brewery a few years ago. We tweaked the recipe and added even more fruit and more hops, and released it as SouthDown. 

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)? 
I love how well the fruit works with the hops in this beer. The hop blend has notes of lime, orange and citrus as well as coconut. We used toasted coconut, key lime and orange puree. These flavors go incredibly well together, especially if you love Pina Colada. 

Where does this beer’s name come from? 
We named this beer SouthDown to celebrate the opening of our second location in South Downtown Atlanta. The neighborhood is new and doesn’t really have a name yet, so we thought “SouthDown” has a nice ring to it. 

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less? 
Everything we love about an IPA and Pina Colada combined!

We spoke with Wild Leap Brew Co. Chief Brewing Officer Chris Elliott about Alpha Abstraction Vol. 23.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
My team of brewers and I developed this recipe. For the Alpha Abstraction series, we pick 5-6 interesting hops to feature every year. This one featured Eclipse hops.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I love the flavors in this beer. Eclipse hops are one of the many great varieties coming out of the Southern Hemisphere. They have a very pleasant dank citrus peel, mandarin and stone fruit aroma. 

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less? 
Slightly dank, peachy and mandarin hop juice.

What's a good food pairing for this beer? 
This beer is perfect for Korean BBQ, ribs and anything with a savory and sweet sauce. 

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We spoke with Wild Leap Brew Co. Chief Brewing Officer Chris Elliott about Alpha Abstraction Vol. 24.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe? 
My team of brewers and I developed this recipe. We had been waiting for an opportunity to experiment with HBC 586 for a few years, and this beer needed a new and interesting hop. 

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I love the aroma on this beer. This hop is one of the more mango-forward hops we have used, and it really works perfectly in this beer. 

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Soft pillowy mango with orange puree. 

Is this your desert island beer? 
Although my desert island beer changes daily, I definitely wouldn’t mind drinking one of these every day!

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We spoke with Wild Leap Brew Co. Chief Brewing Officer Chris Elliott about Side Bae Double IPA: HBC 472 Cryo Hops.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe? 
This was a recipe that I developed after working on a few other brands with the hop HBC 472. We named the hop “super Sabro” because of the similarities with Sabro, including strong wood and coconut aromas. We love the hop so much that we now incorporate it in one of our core brands. 

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The flavor. There are very few hops like HBC 472. It tastes like tangerine pith, coconut and bourbon oak. 

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Fluffy citrus and coconutty perfection.

What's a good food pairing for this beer?
This beer is very versatile due to its balance. It pairs especially well with barbecue. The beer has a nice, slightly sweet citrus flavor that complements sweet, smoky and salty foods. 

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We spoke with pFriem Family Brewers R&D Brewer and Lead Blender Kyle Krause about Amaro Barrel-Aged Barleywine.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I inherited our recipe for the barleywine, but it’s been in constant evolution as I’ve tried to steer it in a more “British” direction over the past few years. The amaro barrel was a special treatment for our beer club members. 

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
As cool as the Amaro barrel is, my favorite part is the base barleywine. It’s got some decadent toffee caramel notes, like the burnt sugar on a crème brulee, with a hint of cocoa powder on the finish. I love this beer.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
We call beers what they are. This is a barleywine aged in an amaro barrel. 

Is this your “desert island beer?”
No. Our lager brewers in Hood River already do a fantastic job of brewing crushable desert island beers. I make the beers you’d celebrate with after you’ve been rescued!

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Rich, bittersweet, notes of toffee, candied fruit, citrus and amaro spice.

We spoke with pFriem Family Brewers R&D Brewer and Lead Blender Kyle Krause about Tequila Barrel-Aged Mole Stout.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This is one of my recipes. It’s been on my idea sheet for years, and I was really excited to see it get the green light for production. 

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
While the aroma is lovely, this beer shines in the flavor department. It’s got warming cinnamon and smokey chilis, rich chocolate and a nutty roast character with a grassy finish from the tequila. 

Where does this beer’s name come from?
Our “name” always captures the style, the barrel treatment and any important characteristics. It’s a stout, we aged it in tequila barrels, and it was brewed with mole spices. Boom, it’s Tequila Barrel Aged Mole Stout.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Not exactly. If this desert island already had tacos and Cerveza Victoria, then perhaps. 

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Dark roast with vanilla, smoke and spice, tequila finish.

We spoke with pFriem Family Brewers R&D Brewer and Lead Blender Kyle Krause about Cognac Barrel-Aged Double Mash Imperial Stout.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This is one of my original recipes, but it is built off the foundation of many great stouts that came before it. We took what worked well and doubled it!

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The intensity of this beer is what makes it special. It’s inky black, viscous and heavy on the palate. You don’t sip this one nonchalantly, it demands your full and undivided attention.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
We don’t name beers so much as we describe them. The name always captures the style, the barrel treatment and any important characteristics. In this case, Double Mash refers to the no-sparge technique that requires two mashes to fill the kettle exclusively with undiluted first runnings. 

Is this your “desert island beer?”
This is about as far from a desert island beer as I can possibly imagine. If you’re stranded on an island, hot and thirsty, a sip of this beer might take you out. 

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
A formidable stout, midnight black, heavy roast and warming brandy.

We spoke with pFriem Family Brewers Brewmaster and Co-Founder Josh Pfriem about pFriem Oktoberfest.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This has been a team effort, but I have led the charge for it.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The depth of malt and lagering flavor combined with great drinkability.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
Like all our beers at pFriem, we just call them what they are.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Maybe if I was on an island in late September and early October...

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Brilliant gold, fluffy white foam, bread aromas, honey & lavender flavors.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Drinking the festbiers at Munich Oktoberfest as well as at the breweries during that season is a thing of beauty; I would recommend that all beer lovers make this pilgrimage happen if they can.

What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Roast Chicken, Schwinebraten, Wurstl, Fresh Pretzels and any other classic Oktoberfest offerings.

We spoke with pFriem Family Brewers Brewmaster and Co-Founder Josh Pfriem about pFriem Schwarzbier.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This has been a team effort, and this beer has evolved quite a bit over the last decade. 

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
How the gentle dark and roasted malts meld with the silkiness of the lager beer. 

Where does this beer’s name come from?
Just like all beers at pFriem we simply call them what they are. 

Is this your “desert island beer?”
No, but I wouldn't mind getting stuck on an island with this beer for a little while. 

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Intriguing roast, silky body with just enough hops to balance. 

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Schwarzbier as a style is a little bit of a ghost, as there aren't a ton of historical commercial examples to find in order to truly understand the style. It has been fun over my brewing career to try to figure out what this style of beer is and what we want it to be. We feel like we are making an enjoyable interpretation of this beer style. 

What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Cured meats, salted fish and anything sausage or potato-related.