Weekend Plans

The Berliner-style Weissbier is a top-fermented, bottle conditioned wheat beer, made with both traditional warm-fermenting yeasts and lactobacillus culture. The style of beer is usually tart, slightly citrusy and generally lower in alcohol.

Weekend plans is a Berliner Weisse but a twist on the style, using oat malt instead of the classic wheat. Steel & Oak have used a fair amount of lacto (the stuff which makes beer sour) in the making of this beer so naturally it has a slight tartness. However, this plays nicely with the citrusy notes and makes for a very sessionable Berlinner Weisse. Weekend Plans is one of those beers that is so light and dry that it almost evaporates in your mouth. Perfect for long weekends in the sun.

Interesting story about the label for this beer. When Jorden Foss (co-owner of Steel & Oak Brewing) briefed their designer Sami to create the label design, he envisioned something that “felt like you were hanging out on your porch or patio, relaxing with a beer after mowing the lawn.” However, when Sami sent over the first draft of her design ideas, her rationale was quite the opposite: “The thought of ‘weekend plans’ made me think of running around all over the place, doing different things every weekend. Scattering yourself around the city if you will.” They ended up going with Sami’s vision and the first label for Weekend Plans was designed. However, after staring at the design for a while, Jorden felt like it looked a little too similar to Big Boy Pants by Twin Sails (which had been released earlier in the year). Not wanting to step on any toes they decided to switch it up to a more minimalist design, the version you see illustrated above.

Tasting Notes

Hazy blonde appearance with a medium white head. Aroma is lemon zest, grapefruit peel, yeast and spice. Taste is light and tart, with hints of citrus fruit, spice and lacto. Well-rounded mouth-feel and character. Finish is hoppy and almost bone-dry. The hoppiness is definitely exaggerated by the dryness of the beer.

Will I like it?

If you like sours, grisettes and dry-style saisons you’ll likely enjoy Weekend Plans. Even if you’re not into these styles you may still dig it, as it’s a very drinkable beer. It’s sour but not like a lambic. It’s hoppy, but more like a session IPA than a hop-monster. There’s nothing here that is too intense. Just a light, enjoyable, easy-drinking beer.