Something new is brewing in Lawrenceville, thanks to Cinderland Beer Co.
The brewery (which also has a large-scale beer hall in the Strip District) has just launched Cinderlands Foederhouse, a reinvention of their original Lawrenceville location, which will have a focus on crisp, funky, oak-aged beers.
A foeder (pronounced food-er) is an oak barrel historically used for aging wine, and now increasingly beer. Many brewers use foeders to age large quantities of sour beers, but Cinderlands head brewer Paul Schneider has a different plan for their new foeders. Cinderlands will primarily be focusing on oak-fermented lagers, wild ales, and fine-tuned saisons, a passion of Schneider’s that has very little representation in the region.
We sat down to take the first tastes of the debut foeder-aged beers on tap. First up, Levon: an oak-aged lager whose name plays tribute to Schneider’s love for 60s-70s rock and Americana. Light and fluffy, with a slightly sweet coconut flavor from the oak barrels – the ideal anytime-of-the-day beer (if that’s what you’re into).
Next up, Coax: a mixed culture spelt saison fermented and matured in an oak foeder. Enchanting presentation, served in a Teku stemmed beer glass. Grabbing the glass by the stem, Schneider took a smell, followed by a taste; I followed suit. After a brief moment of silence, the even-keeled brewer erupted in laughter, an uncontrollable reaction of satisfaction and excitement; something you want from your local brewer. The beer presented itself as delicate, funky, with a touch of sourness. I made sure to have a second pour before leaving.
These beers are seemingly simple, yet simultaneously deep and layered. It’s not all that different than that of 60s and 70s Americana music; easy to listen to, but surprisingly complex when you pick up an instrument and begin learning the songs. There is a clear intention of making these beers accessible and easy to drink, while allowing beer enthusiasts to dive deeper into their internal catalog of beer knowledge. You can taste their strong historical ties to the countryside of Belgium and France, but most importantly, these beers pairs really, really well with food.
Pairing beer with food is one of the most overlooked pieces in the craft beer explosion taking place across the nation, and something that Cinderlands excels at under the leadership of Chefs Joe Kiefer and Erik Bates. They have achieved symbiosis in their pairings of beer and food. The team models one of the greatest relationships in the human experience; brewer makes drinkable beer, and chef makes delectable food to compliment.
As the Foederhouse grows into itself, Schneider foresees not only the food menu organically adapting to the style of beer they are brewing, but also the environment in which the food and beer is being consumed.
Cinderlands Foederhouse has begun to roll out and share their new beers with guests, but the grand opening for this new venture is scheduled for January 23-26, in which Cinderlands will be sharing their hard work with bottle releases, beer pairings, brewery tours, workshops, and special guest appearances.
If waiting until the new year sounds daunting, you can stop in for a taste, or rejoice in the brewery’s 2nd Anniversary Celebration on December 12-15. Growth, adaptation, and reinvention can often be a difficult task in the food and beverage world; Cinderlands Beer Co. is seemingly immune to the challenge.
Cinderlands Beer Co. (3705 Butler Street)
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