This Finnish Sahti (traditional farmhouse beer brewed with juniper & rye) was our Brewer’s Choice award for the 2017 Ohio Brew Week Homebrew competition. Homebrewer Jessica Ihms took 2nd place Best of Show, and stole our hearts with this intriguing beer. We scaled up her batch to our 10 barrel brewhouse, and brewed it with her here on October 24th, 2017.

Hiprakka (the Finnish word for a pleasantly and happily buzzed state) was brewed with Ohio-grown barley and rye, juniper branches that we cut from a tree just down the road, and some organic juniper berries. It contains no hops, but relies on the juniper to balance out the malt sweetness. It’s brewed with a hefeweizen yeast, which brings in some banana and clove notes to the flavor and aroma. It’s a unique traditional style that you really have to experience firsthand!