In late September, Odell Brewing Co. will release Fernet Aged Porter, a robust imperial porter aged in emptied Fernet barrels from a local favorite — Colorado distiller, Leopold Bros.
“We have always been huge fans of Leopold Bros.,” said Brent Cordle pilot brew and barrel aging manager at Odell Brewing. “We’ve experimented with a variety of barrels, but Leopold’s Fernet was by far the most unique oak we’ve had the pleasure of working with.”
Fernet is a dark minty liqueur made with herbs and spices and aged in oak barrels. Leopold Bros. has crafted their own unique recipe which includes lavender, honeysuckle, ginger root, bitter aloe, dandelion root, rose petals, chamomile and peppermint.
“Our Fernet is the most bitter type of Amaro [Italian word for bitter] that is prepared by steeping various botanicals, with a large proportion of bitter roots, in spirit,” said distiller Todd Leopold, “so far as we are aware, it is the first of its kind produced in America since well before Prohibition.”
Odell Brewing began collecting the emptied Fernet barrels, as they became available over the past year, and filled them with a rich porter. The herb-soaked oak has a remarkable effect on the beer. With a 9.8 percent ABV, the roasty chocolate malt character is infused with hints of mint and licorice creating a decadent aroma and flavor.
Odell Brewing and Leopold Bros. will celebrate their partnership with a special release party on September 26 at 7:00 p.m.at Freshcraft in Denver, and in the brewery’s Tap Room on September 28 and 29. Fernet Aged Porter will be available in limited quantities throughout the brewery’s ten state distribution footprint.
Leopold Bros. is a family owned and operated small batch distillery located in Denver. Founded in 1999, Todd Leopold got his start in distilling after he received his Diploma in Malting and Brewing from the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago in 1996. After graduation, he trained at the Doemens School in Munich, focusing on the production of lager beers. He then apprenticed at several breweries and distilleries throughout Germany. Scott Leopold began his career in manufacturing after receiving a B.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and a Masters in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. Together, the Leopold Brothers designed and developed a unique distillery in which environmental sustainability is a daily practice and the art and science of fermentation and distillation is practiced at the highest possible level.
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