Full Sail Introduces Phil’s Existential Alt

One of the most talented brewers and nicest people we’ve met in the business is Phil Roche, brewmaster at Full Sail Brewing in Portland. A longtime employee of Full Sail, Roche has developed a new beer to be bottled and featured as a part of the brewery’s Brewer’s Share series. “Phil’s Existential Alt” will be on draught and available in 22-ounce bottles this month. Here’s the full scoop from Full Sail Brewing Co.:

In 2008 Full Sail Brewing created their small batch Brewer’s Share series as an opportunity for each of their individual brewers to express their creations to be shared on tap exclusively in their pub. Since their crew came up with so many great beers, they decided to share a selection of them with beer lovers everywhere. The second beer in the series is “Phil’s Existential Alt,” developed by Brewer Phil Roche, and will be released in 22oz. bottles and on draft in March.

“As an independent and employee owned brewery, you know that we put our hearts and souls into every drop. With Brewer’s Share we’re proud to showcase the people behind our award winning brews by introducing our individual brewers by name and beer,” said Irene Firmat, Full Sail’s CEO and Founder.

When asked what his inspiration was for Phil’s Existential Alt, Roche replied, “Altbier is indigenous to Dusseldorf and Neanderthal man is indigenous to Dusseldorf. The ancient Germans thought a lot about their existence. Early myths contain some 200 verses about the creation of the world. The ancient Germans thought even more about beer, with 400 verses about beer making. “Phil’s Existential Alt” celebrates our existence through our most celebrated beverage…beer!”

According to Phil, a generous amount of Munich and Vienna malts give this beer its copper color and toasty-caramel aroma. German noble hops provide complimentary bitterness and a clean, dry finish. The beer has been cold-conditioned for six weeks and goes down smooth. ABV 5.1%, IBU 43

The inspiration for the name “Brewer’s Share” came from that mysterious portion that vanishes from a barrel during aging that brewers refer to as the “angel’s share,” and that led to “Brewer’s Share,” an equally mysterious offering that appears during inspiration. Brewer’s Share can also mean a unit of ownership, as in stock. Consider this program to be an Initial Pub Offering (IPO). Whenever you purchase a Brewer’s Share you get a unit of ownership – one share of the batch.  As a shareholder you have the right to consume the beverage. In doing so you will also be investing in the public good – as each brewer not only chooses the recipe, they choose a local charity or organization that will benefit from each bottle sold – which can bring an excellent Return on Ingestion (ROI).

Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share small batch offerings will be available in 22oz. bottles and on draft.  The other beers in the 2012 line-up include Extra Special Barney (ESB), Chris’s Summer Delight Berliner Weiss and Big Daddy J’s Malt Liquor. Full Sail will release one Brewer’s Share at a time and a new beer will be released for each season.

With each Brewer’s Share series beer, Full Sail picks a local charity or organization to receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the beer. Phil has chosen to support Friends of the Children, so every barrel of his Existential Alt benefits this organization. Friends of the Children (FOTC) is a revolutionary mentoring program that provides paid professional mentors, called Friends, to the community’s most vulnerable children. FOTC selects youth in kindergarten and mentors them through high school graduation (12 ½ years). Through the support of Friends, children are learning the skills to become healthy members of our community.

About Full Sail Brewing Company:

The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment our specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer. Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA, Pale, LTD, Wassail, Session Premium, Session Black, and Session Fest lager. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 25 years.  Committed to brewing great beer and sustainable practices their award winning brews are now available in 29 states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week. Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view.  http://www.fullsailbrewing.com