Werk Force Dark Kvassy, Eh

Historically, a Kvass is a low ABV Slavic & Baltic beverage made from fermented rye bread. Instead of throwing away the old, stale bread it was soaked in water for a number of days and allowed to ferment with the native bacteria and yeast present on the surface of the bread. Typically under 1% alcohol, Kvass showcases the unique marriage of refreshing acidity and a prominent baked bread flavor.
We’ve done our Kvass-inspired sour rye ale once before, but this time around we sourced some outrageously tasty (and freshly baked!) sourdough bread from Ashley of Pain de Chicago!
In our version we mashed in with 20LBS of rye bread on top of pilsner, flaked rye, & crystal rye. We then kettle soured to reach our desired acidity. It’s lightly hopped with Czech Saaz & whole leaf Centennial hops that help drive a lightly tart, citrus, & spice character.
Pain de Chicago breads are naturally-leavened with a sourdough starter, containing only whole grain flour, water, cultures, and beneficial wild yeasts. Each batch is produced by hand in small batches, with seasonal and local ingredients.
Ashley surprised us with two options: a classic rye sourdough and a dark, rich pumpernickel-esque rye. Unable to decided which was more delicious, we decided to do two versions of our Kvass-inspired sour rye ale. One dark and one light, we will be releasing this very special brew as a 4 pack with two of each!