ST. LOUIS — You read that right. St. Louis' love affair with Old Vienna's extra spicy barbecue chip is well known, so it was not a surprise to this beer writer, yet another local brewer is pulling out the stops in trying to convert that tantalizing peppery goodness into a new beer.
The first time I'd seen the attempt was in the summer of 2017, when the mad scientists at Earthbound Brewing on Cherokee Street in St. Louis, debuted their Red Hot Riplet Gose at the Rare Tastings Tent at the 2017 St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival.
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The beer was my top pick for the festival, but sadly, because it was a 'rare' tasting, not many folks got a sip, nor did I see it around.
Now, as part of St. Louis Craft Beer Week, BrewHub is releasing it's a new Lager version featuring the Red Hot Riplet. The brewery, which opened in the St. Louis market this past February, wanted to brew a beer that was quintessential St. Louis. Yesterday they released Gooey Butter Beer, today it's Red Hot Riplet.
The choice of making this an ale came with the hope that the fruity character of ale yeast would balance out the Red Hot Riplet spices.
This ale is not a big beer, ringing in at just a 5.1 ABV or alcohol by volume, and a bitterness rating of 24.
