“Classical music fans planning a July Fourth picnic can currently turn to a handful of melodious brews including Rheingold beer, Amadeus Blanche and Falstaff Beer,” writes Brian Wise at Tuesday’s (7/1) WQXR blog. “Next month brings another entrant to the repertoire-themed beer market: Bells Brewery of Kalamazoo, MI is launching The Planet Series, inspired by Gustav Holst’s 1920 composition The Planets. The series will feature seven beers, each inspired by a movement from the orchestral suite…. The company plans to launch a successive installment every other month through July 2015,” starting with “Mars, The Bringer of War” (Double IPA) and including “Venus, The Bringer of Peace” (Blonde Ale brewed with honey, apricot, vanilla and cardamom), “Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age” (Bourbon Barrel-aged Barleywine), and “Neptune, The Mystic” (beer inspired by Dr. Bell’s Medicinal Stout). Wise notes that “Bells has previously created a limited-release French-styled beer called Le Contrebassiste, which it says ‘reflects the deep, rich flavors’ of the double bass. The week of July Fourth typically sees beer sales of about 30 to 40 percent higher than the average week, according to industry data, and many breweries are hoping to overcome an industry-wide slump.”
Posted July 2, 2014
