Saint Louis’ premiere craft brewery, Schlafly Beer, the largest independent and locally owned craft brewery in the state of Missouri, announces the release of Eleventh Labor, the second beer in its Ibex Series. The apricot Berliner Weisse will be released in select markets starting on Friday, October 30.
Modern- day breweries commonly invoke a special series of beer to serve as a creative outlet. For Schlafly, the Ibex Series serves precisely that purpose. Brewers are given greater latitude with Ibex and are free to put some of their most experimental ideas into action by brewing with unique ingredients, barrel-aged processes and inspired styles.
At 4.2% ABV, the second Ibex beer takes on a distinct identity with 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 name of this new beer pays homage to Greek mythology, 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. 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.
“The Ibex Series is a celebration of our foundation at Schlafly Beer to utilize high quality ingredients and consistently challenge our brewing team to deliver a superior product,” said Schlafly Brewer Augie Altenbaumer. “With the Eleventh Labor, every element from the label to the packaging of the kegs exemplifies the craftsmanship of our Ibex beers.”
The Ibex, a wild goat, has heritage ties to the Schlafly name as it was part of the village seal of Steinhof, where Tom Schlafly’s great grandfather was born. The Ibex was even a part of the brewery’s original logo at its inception in 1991, but now it serves as the symbol for this limited release series to celebrate the innovative and pioneering spirit of Schlafly Beer. The first Ibex Series beer, Lazy Ballerina, a French-style saison featured locally grown Chambourcin grapes from Chandler Hill Vineyards, launched in April 2015.
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. For more on Schlafly Beer’s distribution and the Ibex series, visit www.schlafly.com/beers/distribution. For photos and videos of the brewing process, visit here.
About Schlafly Beer:
Founded in 1991 by Tom Schlafly in St. Louis, Schlafly Beer is the largest locally owned and independent craft brewery in Missouri, proudly offering over fifty unique styles of craft beer. The celebrated brewing company continues to define craft with a dedication to sourcing the best ingredients, supporting local sustainability and community efforts whenever possible, and delivering a superior beer experience from year-round to limited-edition styles. In 2014, Schlafly Beer’s production of 60,000 barrels of beer took place between its two brewery-restaurants, Schlafly Tap Room (2100 Locust St.) in downtown St. Louis, and Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave.) located in Maplewood. The Schlafly Tap Room was the first new brewpub to open in Missouri since Prohibition and is housed in a restored wood and brick building on the National Historic Register. Schlafly Bottleworks offers free weekend tours every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12-5pm on the hour, and every half hour on Saturdays. Schlafly Tap Room offers free brewery tours every Sunday. For a full listing of Schlafly Beers and for more information on distribution, visit www.schlafly.com. Find Schlafly Beer on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Note: The above was taken from an official press release
Leave a Reply