Baltimore’s newest brewing endeavor – Stillwater Artisanal Ales
We’ve been sitting on this for some time now and are very excited to finally spill it!
Baltimore native and brewer extraordinaire, Brian “Stillwater” Strumke is officially announcing Stillwater Artisanal Ales.
Stillwater Artisanal Ales are set to make a big splash in the mid-Atlantic region very soon.
The first beer in Stillwater’s lineup is called Stateside Saison.
The Stateside Saison, as Brian describes to local Belgian beer writer Chuck Cook, is an ‘American Farmhouse Ale.’ It’s a Belgian-inspired brew that uses a combination of European malts, hops from New New Zealand and the United States.. and a classic farmhouse yeast to achieve a fruity, yet spicy, melange of flavors and aroma.
30 barrels of Stateside Saison have been produced to-date and a second batch is already scheduled. We’ve been told that distribution of Artisinal Ales throughout the mid-Atlantic region will begin by mid to late March. Stateside Saison will be available in kegs, casks, and 750ml bottles. (via Twelve Percent Imports.)
We had the opportunity to sample Stillwater’s Stateside Saison and were immediately blown away. (trust me, if we weren’t – we wouldn’t have bothered with this write-up!) The smell, the taste.. everything about this beer is quality.
We’re also very excited to announce that Stateside Saison will be making its first public appearance, in cask form, at Max’s Belgian Beer Fest – Saturday, February 13th.
More about the brewer, Brian “Stillwater” Strumke. He’s not only got an illustrious brewing background, winning numerous local homebrew competitions, wins in both the Sam Adams Longshot and Holiday Competitions, as well as the AHA (American Homebrewer’s Association) Nationals; he’s also got a worldly background. Brian has traveled the globe during his time as a DJ and music producer. He spent lots of time in Europe during his travels and when he returned to the states in 2004, Brian became highly interested in homebrewing. His inspiration comes, not only from his time overseas, but also from local Belgian-inspired brewpub The Brewer’s Art and the beers they were/are producing.
And as someone who knows Brian, we can also say he’s an all-around great guy. Quiet and modest… but it’s clear he’s very proud of and passionate about his beer and his brand.
If you plan to attend the Belgian Beer Fest next Saturday, make an effort to not only order the Stateside Saison, but say hi to Brian and let him know your thoughts on his beer. Also be sure to look out for bottles of Stateside Saison at your local beverage retailer within the next month or two.
And while we’re pretty sure of Stillwater Artisinal Ale’s next release, we’ll keep that one under wraps until it’s ready 
Read more about Brian and Stillwater Artisanal Ales here.
