Fullsteam Brewery Head Brewer Brian Mandeville Talks Foxfire

We spoke with Fullsteam Brewery head brewer Brian Mandeville and CEO Sean Wilson about Foxfire.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Brian Mandeville, Fullsteam's head brewer, came up with the recipe for this beer.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
BM: I love how refreshing this beer is -- it's well-suited for Spring. But my favorite aspect is the interplay between the sorghum's subtle, nutty, earthy, notes and the apricot, honeysuckle, and mild tropical flavors from the hops.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
SW: It's a combination of several influences, including a bio-luminescent fungus found deep in the woods -- as well as a long-running Appalachian guide to the outdoors that we love.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
BM: Subtle sorghum notes backed by a bright, tropical aroma.
SW: A walk in the Southern woods after a spring rain.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
BM: For me the story that sticks out the most revolves around Peter Fleming, the farmer who grows the sorghum we work with in this beer. Several months ago a local malt house we work with, Epiphany Craft Malt, gave me some sorghum samples that had gotten from a farmer. I tried the samples in a small batch and was pleasantly surprised at the character that we got from it. So I reached out to the Epiphany about where I might get more and they put me in contact with Peter Fleming. Peter is a bit of a personality in the world of grain sorghum, he was the National Non-Irrigated Food-Grade winner in the National Sorghum Producers 2016 yield contest and his family has been growing sorghum since the 70s. He is also very interested in finding new possibilities for the crop and firmly believes that it has possibilities as a popped snack, like popcorn, as a multi-purpose gluten-free flour and also as a component in beer. We met in person and talked about some of the challenges that both growers and brewers experience in communicating with one another about the desired elements in crops, the same grains that make good beer often makes poor crops and vice versa, but we were both excited about the possibilities that sorghum offered. After talking with him I was energized to come up with several different projects with the grain, and I have been amazed by its diversity, Foxfire became the culmination of some of the work I had been able to do with the grain, and I am very excited about the results. In many ways I owe Peter full credit as being the driving force that got me really excited about brewing with grain sorghum, and this beer wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the work and dedication that he has put into growing sorghum in North Carolina.

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
BM: Bright and herbal tabbouleh works really well with this beer. The fresh herbs and acidity from fresh lemon tempers the already-lower-than-usual bitterness of this IPA and helps to highlight the hop character of the beer. The beer's grainy elements connects well to the dish.

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