Fantasia Beer Release Party | Fun Stuff

Last Friday, I spent the evening like a true Portlander would - attending a beer release party for Uprights Brewing’s latest inspiring creation, Fantasia – a sour peach beer named after a musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation.

Upright Brewing is located in the basement of the Left Bank Project building and has an incredibly cool vibe to it. Unlike many of the tasting rooms that are essentially bars in close proximity to the production, Upright’s tasting room is incorporated into the brewery.  The setting provides for a casual environment while allowing beer enthusiasts to observe and appreciate the equipment that was used to produce the craft beer they’re currently enjoying.  As seating is limited, many patrons even used the equipment as temporary places to rest their beer.  It has a quintessential Portland feel that must be visited by even the most passive of beer drinkers.

Alex Ganum, the owner and brewmaster, was at the event and couldn’t have looked happier to be serving up his latest experiment. He described Fantasia on his blog as “very lambic-esque, despite the fact that it wasn't brewed strictly to style.”  It’s a barrel-aged beer with fresh peaches that were sourced locally from Baird Family Orchards, laboriously sliced and added to the barrel.  The wort (unfermented beer) was then poured into the barrels to begin fermentation.  The sour or funky quality of the beer apparently comes from bacteria that the brewers introduce to the beer. 

I’m no beer connoisseur and I’m new to sour beers but I thought the beer came out delicious – beginning with a velvety mouthfeel, the peaches provide a nice backdrop to the high acidity of the beer.  It was also surprisingly quenching.  When drinking it on a cold day in Portland I could picture sitting outside during the summer and enjoying it after a long hike or bike ride.  And like a higher acid wine, I think this beer would go great with food.  For anyone that hasn’t tried sour beers before, I highly encourage you to overlook the unfortunate name and give them a shot.  It might change the way you look at beer.