Pontoon Brewing Co. CEO Sean O'Keefe & Brewmaster Cole Brown Talk Snozzberries Taste Like Snozzberries

We spoke with Pontoon Brewing Co. CEO Sean O'Keefe & Brewmaster Cole Brown about Snozzberries Taste Like Snozzberries.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Cole Brown (Brewmaster) -  It is a collaborative effort on this recipe. I came up with the base sour and the processes involved in brewing it. The selection and amount of fruit, spices and additions were CEO Sean O'Keefe's addition to the beer. On our special releases, we work back and forth on both sides of the recipe. 

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Cole Brown (Brewmaster) - My favorite part about the beer is probably the appearance. I've never seen such a silly-looking beer before. Beyond that, the complex acidity and the unusually recognizable malt finish are highlights for me.
Sean O'Keefe - CEO - I loved the synergy between the acidity of the lacto bugs and fruit as well as the vanilla and lactose that creates a complex outcome of flavors. 

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Sean O'Keefe (CEO) - I'm a big fan of Roald Dahl and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/Glass Elevator books and how weirdly awesome Dahl's writing is. It helped play into the random berry pairing because... what really is a Snozzberry? 

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Cole Brown (Brewmaster) -  Of the beers we brew, this is definitely my desert island beer. At least until we start rolling out our barrel-aged sours later this year!

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Cole Brown (Brewmaster) -  A purple-hued bosyenberry/blackcurrant rye sour with vanilla.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Cole Brown (Brewmaster) -  We've been developing the base sour from over two years now. From the start, I had some stylistic choices such as rye and American yeast strains. We just got some new smaller tanks in and have started a 'serious series' for primarily taproom sales. The series aims to be eclectic, off-the-wall and tradition-shattering. This is the second of the series, and for this one, the goal was to push the limits on fruit. I feel like we've succeeded.

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Cole Brown (Brewmaster) -  I think this beer is great with some firm goat cheese like midnight moon and a crusty loaf of bread. Maple-glazed cedar plank salmon and a spring green salad with Gorgonzola and a drizzled reduction of Snozzberries would also be great. 

Read Review