Beery Christmas Jour 20 : Ninkasi – Flower To The People
The Ninkasi brewery in Lyon
If the city of Lyon is famous for its Lumière brothers and the invention of the cinematograph in 1895, it is also famous for the construction of its Ninkasi brewery in 1997. At the helm is a certain Christophe Fargier who will call his brewery Ninkasi. Mythology fans will understand the reference to the goddess of beer in Sumerian mythology. Yes, beer is a nectar that has been appreciated for a long time! With more than 25 years of development, experience, travel and brewing, Ninkasi has established itself as a key player in the world of craft beer in France, but as you can imagine, it didn't happen overnight.
It all started in the mid-90s, when Ninkasi founder Christophe Fargier left to discover the world, starting with the United States. His goal in going there was to discover the concept of microbreweries that were emerging more and more. Once there, he meets Kurt with whom he becomes friends and travels through the American states in order to discover all their secrets and to keep the best ones. It is with all this, this concentrate of secrets that he will open a store in 1997. And by store, we mean brewery, bar, restaurant, café stage and concert space! The Ninkasi is on all fronts and allows to receive many people around a good local foam. The first year was difficult, but the 1998 World Cup saved the brewery, which is located right in front of the Gerland stadium.
A huge stroke of luck! From then on, numerous openings were made throughout the Rhône-Alpes region. For almost ten years now, the Ninkasi brewery can be proud of selling more than 500,000 burgers every year. It also attracts crowds to participate in cultural projects such as concerts and shows, making it a place of conviviality and sharing, where people come to relax and have a good time with their friends. And since it is a monument of French beer, the brewery from Lyon had to be present in our tenth edition of the Beery Christmas advent calendar. For this, they made us Flower to the People.
Ninkasi - Flower to the People
Now that's a classy bottle! Do you see its well worked label? It was imagined and designed by the talented tattoo artist from Marseille Mellegee. Yes, Beery Christmas has a habit of highlighting the designers of the world, as it is often the case directly with its design itself. If the container seduces, then what about its content? After many years of brewing, creating and exploring styles, Ninkasi comes to us with Flower to the People, a flower lager that is 6.5% alcohol. With so many clues in its name and style, we quickly understand that this is a beer that will be very much focused on flowers.
When poured into a glass, you'll see a bright, blonde, yellow color topped with a fine, airy white head. Infused with acacia flower petals, it is brewed with Chinook hops from the Pacific Northwest. Floral, thirst-quenching and sweet, its hops have the particularity to develop spicy, woody and fruity notes, with notably touches of citrus. It is a beer with cereal aromas, brewed exclusively with barley malt, revealing notes of honey, white bread and sugar. Its relatively low carbonation mixes with a very soft syrupy body that reminds once again of honey. The whole is well-balanced, for a tasting at a temperature of 6 to 8°C, with a fresh goat cheese.
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