The Bruery - Petit Mardi

Next in this exceptional lineup of barrel-aged beers is The Bruery’s Petit Mardi. French for “Small Tuesday,” this small batch release was created in the same vein as the 2021 Portified Black Tuesday, with an incredible imperial stout being fermented and aged together with Petite Sirah and Syrah grapes in oak puncheons. The result is what we describe as Black Tuesday meets Late Bottled Vintage Port, as it captures the best aspects of an imperial stout and ripe red wine grapes. The packaging it’s in is also reminiscent of port as it is topped with a reusable cork on a 375ml bottle. It is available only in this offering by the Rare Beer Club and The Bruery website.

As we poured The Bruery Petit Mardi wine-beer hybrid into our glasses we were intrigued by the depth of its color. We tilted our glasses away from us at a 45° angle to get a better analysis of its opaque and almost black center, with purple and garnet emerging towards the edges of the liquid. The color saturation was deep and captivating, and there’s no carbonation to be found in this beer-wine hybrid. We swirled our glasses to release some of the esters and were greeted by pronounced aromas of jammy red, blue, and black fruit. Ripe raspberry and blueberry aromas filled our olfactory senses followed closely by fleshy blackberry and damson plum. A few more swirls revealed vanilla notes from the oak puncheons and the characteristics of the Black Tuesday stout comingled with the grape must. Big, rich, deeply toasty aromas wafted upward with notes of dark chocolate, espresso, and torched sugar. Char and a small perception of smoke was realized as well, as the liquid warmed a bit, uncovering aromas of dark caramel, dark toffee, and toasted spices.

Our first sip of The Bruery Petit Mardi was eye opening. Many breweries have tried bringing together beer and wine over the years, but none as successfully as The Bruery. Immediately we get the LBV port vibe, one that is on the more ripe and fruity side, with jammy red, blue, and black fruit coating the palate. Delicate sweetness is well balanced by the tannin in the Petite Sirah and Syrah grapes sourced from California’s Central Coast AVA, a premier spot for Rhône grape varietals. The luscious imperial stout then comes into the foreground with the deeply toasty malt notes bringing a touch of sweetness on its own, as we’re treated to layers of dark chocolate, oaky vanilla, espresso, and a hint of roasted grain bitterness. The Bruery Petit Mardi is full-bodied, smooth, and has a round mouthfeel, with a long, luxurious finish. Excellent.

The aging and pairing possibilities here are vast. The similarities to LBV port suggest to “drink now” as further aging isn’t necessary. We also think a few years of cellaring will only make the flavors and textures even more harmonious. This wine-beer hybrid works so well with chocolate and berry driven desserts, it’s astonishing, but it is quite enjoyable on its own.