Dock Street Beer Ain’t Nothing to Funk With

Dock Street Brewery is barrel-aging Dock Street Beer Ain’t Nothing to Funk With, a Golden Saison with non-subtle notes of spicy pineapple and tart orange.

And we’re bringing Da Ruckus to da beer, serenading it non-stop all summer with the sweet sweet sounds of Wu Tang Clan while it lies conditioning in a red wine barrel from a local winery.

Head Brewer Vince Desrosiers had always wanted to do a music series, and the name "Dock Street Beer Ain't Nothing to Funk With", in homage to one of his favorite rap dynasties, was too perfect not to funk with. From there, brewer Sasha Certo-Ware devised a speaker hook-up that would play Wu Tang Clan 24/7.

As hipster whistle-blowers are eager to point out, this is, in a word, silly. In fact, the plan originated as a joke, but eleventy beers later it was decided that therein was a valid scientific theory that needed to be tested. "We wondered if the bass would cause enough vibration to move the yeast around and create some different flavors during fermentation," Desrosiers explains.

For you cynics out there: There is some Method (Man) to the madness, besides the mere fact that we want to listen to Wu Tang for months on end. According to our Masta Brewa (and science) “When yeast grows it produces flavor compounds. Vibrations are proven to cause yeast to grow more, which results in more flavor.”

We pressed play a week ago, and we’ll pull the plug (and tap the beer) in October, 2015. The result? Four amped-up kegs that will be on tap and in bottles at Dock Street in West Philly.

"Funk" sets in motion several summer series we're brewing up, including a barrel program and a sour beer roster, as well as BerlinerVice, a tart, German-style wheat beer flavored with lime zest and Vicio Mezcal from our from our sister company, Dock Street Spirits.

As for our playlist: A “Run the Jewels” beer is on deck.

Checking In At Four Seasons

One of our favorite - and swankiest - collaborations to date.

Dock Street’s very first brewpub was at 2 Logan Square in the 1990’s, and we still love to check in with our old neighbors every now and then. We partnered up with The Four Seasons Hotel, across the street from our former spot, to jointly brew a series of delicious beers using ingredients from our own stash, and the Four Season’s pantry.

The first up was the Truffled Old Ale, a traditional English beer that was brewed at Dock Street, aged in Chardonnay barrels in the Four Seasons' cellar, then hand-bottled it and left to condition and dry-hop with winter truffles from the Four Seasons’ kitchen for an additional 4 weeks. The well rounded, predominately malty brew was balanced with just a touch of hop bitterness that complimented the notes of black coffee, dark chocolate and figs, with a dark earthiness from the truffles. The perfect complement to an order of truffled french fries, n’est pas?

Read up on the other three recipes in the collaboration, plus the Spanglish Fly, which has since become a signature Dock Street recipe. And remember, great beer, not just champagne, can be enjoyed with a discerning palate - and pinkies firmly planted in an upright position.

Caliente Golden Ale – Brewed with 100% Blue Agave Nectar. After the beer fully fermented, it made way to the bright tanks where it aged for a few weeks on Guajillo and Ancho chiles that were sourced and selected by Four Seasons chefs. Agave and chillies aside, at its core, Caliente Golden is a traditional Belgian Strong Ale with a subtle, toasty malt profile that quickly moves into notes of tropical fruit and spices, and finishes with a mild residual heat and tanginess from the chiles.

Crackle & Squeeze – 5% ABV – This farmhouse saison brewed with cracked black pepper, Sicilian pink pepper, and freshly squeezed Meyer lemons. Skip right to dessert.

O.P. Yum – ABV 5%, 30 IBUs – O.P. Yum is made with wheat, oats and pomegranate; a melodic trio for a refreshingly tart session beer with interesting complexity and soft, creamy mouthfeel. A slightly rosy appearance and the subtle sour and dry finish comes thanks to the pomegranate.

Spanglish Fly – ABV 6.75% ~20 IBUs – Originally brewed in collaboration with The Four Seasons, this bold and edgy brew balances herbs, spices, aphrodisiacs, and potential hallucinogens. A Bier de Garde by nature, Spanglish showcases fresh ginger, yarrow, and the controversial wormwood. Complex, spicy, and balanced.