Speciation Artisan Ales Owner Mitch Ermatinger Talks Wine Barrel-Aged Magic Trait

We spoke with Speciation Artisan Ales owner Mitch Ermatinger about Wine Barrel-Aged Magic Trait.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This recipe base is the same as 90% of our beer: local pilsner malt, local wheat and local oats! We like to keep it simple!

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
We really just wanted to make a beer that was all about intense fruit flavor, so the intense "jamminess" is my favorite part.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
I read a lot of biology and evolution-related Wikipedia articles, scientific journals, books... This term popped up a few times when reading about Gene Flow. "Speciation with gene flow is greatly facilitated when traits subject to divergent selection also contribute to non-random mating. Such traits have been called ‘magic traits’, which could be interpreted to imply that they are rare, special, or unrealistic."

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Absolutely not. My desert island beer is Pilsner Urquell!

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
"We're jamming, and I hope you like jamming too!"

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
We blended this beer as a festival-only beer for the summer of 2018 because we kept signing up for festivals, but we realized that we didn't really have any beer for all of them! So, my sister Kara (who works at the brewery full-time) and I decided to blend this beer on a whim after tasting barrels one day. It was a good call because it's one of our most beloved beers now!

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Cheesecake.

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