Moonshrimp + Brewed By Gnomes Fairy Food Ale

Fairy Food Ale: Organic Hopped Honeysuckle Ale

Brewed by Moonshrimp Brewing + Brewed By Gnomes

Do you remember a few months ago when I travelled to Portland to visit Moonshrimp Brewing and record a brew tour? It was a special day because I got to watch the brewmasters of Moonshrimp Brewing and Brewed By Gnomes team up to brew a collaborative beer, a brew they later named Fairy Food.

The head brewers, Dan (Moonshrimp) and Shay (Brewed By Gnomes) decided to brew a session saison with organic hops. They also chose to include honeysuckle and nasturtium flowers in the brew, which were harvested from the backyards of Portlanders.

This brew tour was an incredibly unique experience, and by far the most playful of the three I’ve done so far. Moonshrimp Brewing is a very small family run brewery, and everything about this brew process made me nostalgic for my home brewing days.

When this beer was finished, the yield was split between the two breweries. Shay opted to keg his for local restaurants and Dan bottled most (if not all) of his half in 22’s. I am excited to announce that the beer is finally in my hands a couple months later and I’m excited to crack it open and taste what we (they) created that day!

The Taste Test

Fairy Food Ale

The first thing that surprises me about the Fairy Food is how much it foams when I pour it. I think this is the most robust head I’ve ever seen in a Moonshrimp brew. The second thing that shocks me a bit is the color. It has this beautiful bright reddish gold hue. It’s an absolutely beautiful beer. And unlike some of their other brews, the head is going no where. It’s settling nicely in the glass and I can hear it audibly fizzing beside my computer.

Ok, here we go. First sip.

Fairy Food is unlike any saison I’ve ever tried before. It is extremely light and floral. The honeysuckle and nasturtium flowers impart a soft herbal spice and honey sweetness to the brew that I find incredibly unique. The Fairy Food is so very smooth. It doesn’t have that sharp crispness that many saisons have.

The subtitles of this beer could be easily overpowered by strong food flavors as there isn’t much kick to the beer, so I recommend enjoying it over lunch or a lighter meal, such as fish. The softness of the beer is what stands out to me the most. It has such a delicate taste to it. Backyard beer.

I am so happy to have had the pleasure of experiencing this brew full circle. From conception to consumption. What a fun experience.

If you want to read more about the brew tour or watch the teaser video, check it out here. I have also released the teaser for Ground Breaker Brewing (also in Portland), and the teaser for Ghostfish Brewing Company is on it’s way! I just finished gathering the last few pieces of footage I needed. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

P.S. Like what I do for the gluten free beer community? Consider buying me a beer for my efforts! ;)