As the year winds down, I think of the great beers I tried in 2013. Some were classics that have been around for years, and others were new. With such a variety of local, national and imported beers now available in St. Louis, it’s a great time to be a beer fan, and the momentum of the local craft breweries in the region seems unstoppable.
One of the smallest of our area’s breweries is 2nd Shift Brewery located just west of St. Louis in New Haven, Mo. It’s hard to talk about 2nd Shift without talking about its head brewer, Steve Crider. His free spirit shows up in many of his beers and on his label descriptions. Crider also puts out one of the most delicate and refreshing beers on the market. 2nd Shift’s Katy is simply described by the brewery as a “Brett Beer.” Brett, or brettanomyces, is a wild yeast strain added to some beers to give it just a touch of delicious funk.
Katy is aged for three months in white wine barrels. Along with the light funkiness from the Brett, the barrel adds some dry, wine-like notes of white grape skin. Its spritzy effervescence makes Katy that much more enjoyable. Very light, slightly funky and refreshing, Katy is a beer everyone can get into.
Quite simply, Katy is one of my favorite beers of 2013. Local beer blogs, message boards and social media platforms were buzzing with just how beautiful this beer is. And yet, with 2nd Shift’s small size, it’s still one of the area’s best-kept secrets. Find Katy in 750-milliliter bottles at better bottle shops and on draft at beer bars throughout the area.
Eric Hildebrandt is the moderator and ambassador for STL Hops. Find him on Twitter at @EricSTL6.
This article appears in December 2013.