Mikkeller Baghaven - Stevnsbær Release!

Mikkeller Baghaven represents the pinnacle of art and science, old-world and new world, primitive and contemporary. It is the result of human influence, microbiology, and environment. Our Rustic Farmhouse Ales and reminiscent of a time when beer was a provision, not a luxury. Our Wild Ales are a product of pure innovation, building on age old traditions and adapting them to a new Danish heritage.

We strive to incorporate as many Danish ingredients in our beers as possible. This includes grain, honey, flowers, yeast, bacteria and fruit. Nothing is more iconic to Danish fruit than the Stevnsbær cherry, also known as “the grape of the Nordic countries”. This cherry was made famous by the notorious cherry wine producer Frederiksdal Kirsebærvin.

The Frederiksdal plantations are situated on the westernmost tip of the island of Lolland which is one of the sunniest and warmest regions in Denmark, making it an ideal climate to grow the best cherries in the world. It was a no brainer to use this cherry in our cherry beer.

(Photo: Frederiksdal)

It is no secret that cherries and beer are a match made in heaven. For centuries, brewers in Belgium have been infusing cherries into Lambic, also known as Kriek. For our initial release, we thought it was fitting to take the most iconic cherry in the world, and infuse it into a wild ale aged in oak tanks. 

Mikkeller Baghaven is proud and excited to announce the release of our very first beer, Stevnsbær! This is our way to pay homage to the beautiful cherries grown on Lolland and the age-old traditions of Belgian brewing.

We took a simple wild ale base and fermented and aged it in a French Oak foeder for 18 months. The base exhibited characteristics of hay, light barnyard, gooseberries, peach skin, chardonnay, and mild acidity. We though this base would be perfect to highlight the rich deep flavors of the cherries. We incorporated 350 grams of Stevnsbær cherries per liter of beer which brought a deep red hue with flavors of cinnamon, almond, oak, barnyard, and balanced bright acidity.

After the beer was macerated on the cherries for 3 months, it was packaged in 37,5 cL bottles, where it refermented and aged for an additional 3 months.

Release Details:

At Baghaven we believe that beer is a wonderful device that can be used to bring people together. On January 20^th we welcome you to join us in our inaugural release party. Not only are visitors welcome to purchase bottles and draft of Stevnsbær, but we are also hosting a bottle share. Come join us and other fellow beer enthusiasts and share your favorite beers from your personal cellar. Don’t have a personal cellar? No fear, we will have bottles available for purchase from Hill Farmstead, Side Project, Mikkeller, The Veil, and our very own Master Blender’s previous project Toolbox Brewing Company. We will also have guests taps from Brasserie de la Senne, Brasserie Fantôme, Saison du Pont, Hill Farmstead, and Toolbox Brewing Company, and many others. Additionally, we will also be previewing a keg of our next release!

{{cta('97f1f6ca-81bd-470f-9943-e3eeb34b3fe6')}}

Timeline:

11.00-14.00: Mikkeller Running Club Event 
15.00: Bottle share starts
16.00: Stevnsbær bottles available for sale
22.00 Closing time

Stevnsbær details:

American Wild Ale fermented and aged in a French Oak foeder for 18 months & then aged on 350 grams per liter of Danish Stevnsbær cherries. Refermented and naturally conditioned in the bottle for an additional 4 months.

Also read: First Mikkeller NYC Beer Ready To Debut