Sumerian Brewing Company - Lucidity

This Bohemian-style pils pours a brilliant pale golden color capped by a head of bright white foam. On the nose, look for the classic aromas one expects from a pilsner hopped with traditional Tettnanger and Saaz noble hops; we picked up soft floral tones plus some herbal spice, underscored by mild bready malt notes. That maltiness comes through fairly robustly in the flavor with prominent crackery notes forming a sturdy backbone. Those authentic noble hops come through brightly as well, delivering plenty of herbal character, a spicy tingle, and pleasant floral tones, while a wisp of apple skin pops through here and there. Bright, satisfying, refreshing, and tasty, this Sip Northwest's "Best of the NW" Silver medal winner makes a friendly companion to many dishes. At the top of our list would be pizza with spicy sausage, charbroiled burgers, and grilled brats with spicy mustard. Cheers!

Depending on the source, the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia were either the first, or among the first, civilizations to brew beer. In fact, a 6,000-year-old Sumerian tablet depicts people drinking the beverage through straws from a large bowl. Many experts believe beer was invented after accidental fermentation of grain which had been harvested for bread. Some scholars, however, contend beer production predates bread, with beer being brewed specifically for its intoxicating effects. If that's true, then the cultivation of grain, and thus the Agricultural Revolution and dawn of civilization, has its impetus in the desire for beer.

Mark and Holly Ihrig named their brewing company Sumerian in honor of the ancient civilization's significant contribution to the culture of beer. It should be noted that our club's connection to Mark goes way back; he started his own beer club back in 1995, just a year after we did, and though competitors, we always maintained friendly relations. Despite his beer club business, Mark's dream was always to open a brewery, and to that aim he started Boxing Cat Brewery on a small 3-barrel system back in 2001. After a while, he had to put that on hold to focus on his other businesses, but the dream never died.

In 2012, the timing was finally right. Holly retired from consulting and her wedding planning business to go all-in with Mark on Sumerian. Fast forward to today, and under head brewer, Tyson Schiffner, Sumerian offers six year-round brews and four seasonal and rotating selections at retail establishments and at their pub, several of which have won multiple awards at beer competitions. It's our pleasure to bring you a couple of excellent Sumerian brews this month from the beer haven that is the state of Washington. For more info, call 425-486-5330 or visit sumerianbrewingco.com.