Kentucky Fried Collab

Chris took a sip of Bailiwick, smiled, and reached across the bar to shake my hand. We became fast friends, especially bonding over our shared passion for making #beerflavoredbier. Chris has been brewing terrific lagers at the recently opened Dead Language Beer Project in Hartford (former home of Hog River Brewing). It’s definitely worth a visit.

About the Collab

What the heck is a Kentucky Common? While most beer brewed in the New World is closely tied to an Old World tradition, the Kentucky Common was a uniquely American concoction. We don’t have exact recipes but we know that there was a high proportion of corn, some brown malt, and gentle hopping. We know it was consumed young (within a few days of fermentation) so likely it was still a bit hazy or certainly not lagered. But based on the abundance of German immigrants in the area, it was likely brewed broadly with Bavarian sensibilities.

Our version features: corn, brown malt, pils and even a bit of rye malt to bring another flavor dimension. We figured rye was surely abundant in Bourbon Country when Kentucky Common was first conceived and no doubt made its way into a few batches.

We are excited to try it along with you!