Sprecher Brewing Company - Abbey Triple

Pouring a hazy, rich golden color and topped by a robust head of foam that laces nicely as it recedes, this brew is certainly inviting in appearance and looks just like what we’d expect from a traditional Belgian-style Triple (or Tripel). Made with an authentic Belgian Trappist yeast strain, it's no surprise we picked up plenty of traditional Belgian yeast character. Look for fruity overtones reminiscent of stone fruits and maybe a little white grape juice, along with some clove-like phenolic spice notes. On the palate the story continues with the famously very active Belgian yeast contributing delicious fruity esters accompanying a robust backbone of pale malts. That phenolic spice character adds a nice counterpoint in concert with some drying hop bitterness and just a hint of this beer's 8.4% ABV. For pairing ideas, we'd recommend a snack of artisan cheeses, such as Brie or well-aged Gouda or Cheddar. Shrimp scampi is another favorite of ours with tripels, as well as Margherita pizza with plenty of fresh basil. Or, go sweet with a poached pear or an apricot tart. Cheers!

Randal (Randy) Sprecher, a former Pabst Brewing Company brewing supervisor, founded Sprecher Brewing Company in Milwaukee, WI in 1985 with an emphasis on German-style beers – an emphasis which continues to this day with beer styles such as Maibock, Oktoberfest (Märzen), Hefeweiss, Schwarzbier, and this month's featured Hometown Brew lager. After about a decade, the company had grown to the point where they needed a larger facility, and in 1994 the brewery was moved to its current location a few miles to the north in Glendale, WI. The new, bigger brewery offered the company the room to keep growing, and they have established themselves as significant contributors to the city of Milwaukee’s impressive brewing tradition, which reaches far beyond the presence of the current mega-brewery that’s based in the city. In the late 19th century, Milwaukee boasted over 80 breweries until Prohibition led to the demise of most of them in 1919. Nevertheless, the city can be spoken of historically as a craft brewing haven, and the success of the Sprecher beers there in recent years shows that the enthusiasm for great beer is still alive and well.

If you’re ever in the Milwaukee area, check out the Sprecher brewery and buy as many brews as you can bring home with you. You might need an extra suitcase, though, because in addition to their multitude of excellent German-style brews they also make a number of excellent ales such as Irish-style Stout, English-style Brown Ale, and more – including this month's featured Abbey Triple. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, visit their website at www.sprecherbrewery.com or call them at 414-964-2739.