It has been nearly five months since we last brewed and shared a fresh batch of our American pale ale, Edward. This coming week, the beer that has marked each step of Hill Farmstead’s path returns to curbside retail—renewed. This newest batch is once again brewed with organic malt. While we are working to establish a transparent and aligned relationship with growers and maltsters, this fundamental backbone of our beer may oscillate between conventional and organic.

During our sabbatical, our leadership conceived a mission and strategy in alignment with a new vision for Hill Farmstead. This will carry us along into the next decade and likely beyond. While we as a team are implementing the embodiment of these values and this vision, we are quickly discovering the challenge in pairing with vendors, farmers, and growers who align with these goals. There are seemingly innumerable variables to consider for each element—soil health, farming practices, company responsibility, transport and packaging, and more. We continue to evaluate ingredient options and share our pursuance of not only minimizing our impact but positively contributing locally and globally.

From time to time, we are afforded the opportunity to furnish Brother Soigné—our Farmstead® ale brewed with blood orange, lime, and hibiscus—with a residency in gin barrels from Vermont’s own Caledonia Spirits. This combination of juniper’s subtle botanical bitterness and the base beer’s inherent but inferred underlayment of fruit and effervescence creates a mature and pleasantly delicate result. Packaged as 750ml bottles for the first time, this is the same batch that we released previously in 375ml but has appreciated during that subsequent conditioning and rest time. This variable—bottle size—allows us to observe and learn the different factors impacting development and advancement over the course of a single beer, side-by-side.

We will also have fresh cans of our German-style Helles, Marie, available in the curbside retail shop, along with Mary, our German-style Pilsner, and a range of bottles to go, including Civil Disobedience Blend 31 and Foudre Florence.