Wit Wedding

Our wedding brewing has begun!

And, the first beer is a Belgian style: a honey witbier. Esther's favorite of my homebrews, to date.

This recipe was formulated to create a traditionally spiced, light bodied beer that has a good portion of wheat in addition to the standard malted barley. Sweet orange zest, coriander and grains of paradise will compliment the spiciness derived from the Belgian yeast that was used to ferment it.

In our effort to try to use as much local food as possible in our wedding, I snagged 4lbs of Boston area honey when we went apple picking this past fall with the maid of honor. Here's some pictures from that day:

The honey will add yet more depth of flavor and, contrary to what you might think, make the beer drier vs. sweeter as all the sugars in honey are 'fermentable'...in contrast to beer made with 100% malted barley, which would result in a sweeter taste. So, when all is done, this first beer will be a thirst quenching choice that should be pretty enjoyable on its own or with food, after conditioning for a few months in the bottle. 

Stay tuned for more wedding brew news! And don't forget to vote (even if you have already) for the third wedding beer option. 

Cheers! JC+E