Crosby's Kitchen & CocktailVintage Blonde

We never know what will inspire our brewmaster, Keith Villa, next. For our limited-edition Vintage Blonde, it just happened to be a grape from California and a 27-year after-work hobby. Keith has an obvious passion for brewing beer. That goes without saying. But he also has a little-known passion for wine-making. In 1995, while he was crushing grapes and thinking back to his travels through California and French wine country, the idea of blending a beer with a wine popped into his head. Intrigued, he had to give it a shot. He started by using the juice of Chardonnay grapes to give the beer a crisp, light quality, very much like a glass of Chardonnay. He then used white wheat as the only grain to create a clean, smooth finish that could not be achieved with other malts. After cellar-aging the batch for a couple of months, he tasted his latest work. He was pleasantly surprised with the clarity and refreshing taste. In 2006, with wine and Craft beer growing in popularity with drinkers, he decided it would be a good time to bring it back. After a couple of years at festivals and special events, it started to gain a following. Then in 2010, it just happened to take home a gold medal from the Great American Beer Festival®. Knowing an ale this good should be shared, we distributed it in 2011 as Vintage Blonde Ale™. So now, after six years, Vintage Blonde Ale is released nationally for all to enjoy.