"Kveik Yeah!..." Brewed with Kveik yeast, eight south Seattle breweries release 8 unique beers.
Brewed with the Nordic ale yeast, Kveik, the brewers of Seattle’s south end have devised a fun way to get you out of the house, while educating you on why it's not just the water, malt, and hops that make a beer unique.
First, ask yourself if you’ve ever performed a pub crawl while enjoying the same beer at eight distinct locations, and the answer will probably be no. Ask yourself if you’ve ever heard of a collaboration where the only shared ingredient is yeast, and the answer will still (more than likely) be no. But that is what the brewers of Seattle’s South Seattle Brewery Coalition or SSBC have done.
Originally developed through generations of technique, Norwegian brewers developed Kveik yeast by allowing lumps of yeast culture, sometimes from unique families, to rest on whatever was in the brewery. From clothing, brewers oars, logs, rings, anything; the brewers would dry out leftover yeast for a future beer. Then, once the brewer was ready to ferment the beer, they would put whatever was used to store and dry the yeast into the wort where it would rehydrate. Afterwards, the brewer would remove the article(s) allowing any yeast residue to accumulate and dry out for the next beer.
But the unique qualities of Kveik don’t end there.
Did you know that Kveik, pronounced Ka-Wike, is Norwegian for yeast? Kinda makes it redundant to call it Kveik Yeast, huh? Then there are the unique temperatures at which this beer can ferment.
Brewed during a time when things like glycol-insulated, heat-exchangers or double-walled, fermenters were a luxury, Norwegians brewers would toss yeast into the wort at temperatures that would normally kill yeast. For comparison, the average ale yeast ferments at around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, while Kveik can ferment in temperatures of up to 100 degrees. The result is a conventional beer fermenting and kegged in less than a few days.
For some brewery owners this is a much-needed opportunity to stretch the stiff muscles of hospitality and creativity, as each brewery reinforces their taprooms for pending reopenings.
It may seem crazy, but one of the things that makes the Seattle beer community so incredible is a dedication to supporting one another. “Honestly, the best parts of this project are getting to see some friendly faces on our video planning meetings and getting to taste all the beers in a couple weeks,” said Jeff Howell, owner, Counterbalance Brewing.
In a time of isolation and uncertainty, when hugs were replaced with 6ft, the South Seattle brewery village rallied together to prove that sticking together, even virtually, does make you stronger. If there is one thing the last few months have reminded us, it’s that it does in fact take a village. Mark Burr, Owner of Jellyfish Brewing Co. sums it up nicely, “We're peers because of beers. And through conversations and collaborations, we've become friends. And as friends, we've become a southend family, which makes all of us stronger and better.”
image courtesy the South Seattle Brewery Coalition
Starting this Friday, June 26th, the following brewers invite you to take part in a “Tour de Kveik”, sampling India Pale Ales, Doubles, Sours, and more.
Participating breweries:
Counterbalance Brewing
Elysian Brewing
Flying Lion Brewing
Ghostfish Brewing Company
Jellyfish Brewing Company
NW Peaks Brewery
Perihelion Brewery
Two Beers Brewing
For more information, including Kveik beer styles from the South Seattle Brewery Coalition, visit http://southseattlebreweries.com/
About the South Seattle Brewery Coalition
South Seattle Brewery Coalition is made up of 13 breweries who are dedicated to seeing the industry grow. Combining forces, we love challenging one another to make better beer, to provide more excellent service, and to better educate the wonderful people who have chosen to support our businesses.
Be disloyal. Drink Everywhere.
