Singular Focus

While it’s difficult, maybe impossible, to be everything to everyone, it’s even harder for most brewers to self-impose the limitation of brewing a stylistically narrow range beers. But Funkwerks Cofounder/head Brewer has done just that, and his six-pack exercises a similar restraint.

“DO ONE THING WELL”

is a refrain you’ll hear often when talking to brewers, but moving from principle to action is harder than most think. Going all-in on saison was a risky move in 2010 for Fort Collins, Colorado-based Funkwerks, as the style was a commercially underappreciated one at best, but partners Gordon Schuck and Brad Lincoln had the vision and talent to stick to their guns. They’ve since brought home a handful of gold and silver medals from the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup for their Belgian-style beers and have earned the respect of fellow brewers around the world.

With that focus on Belgian styles in his brewing, it’s no surprise that Schuck’s six pack of meaningful and inspirational beers is focused on classics of the oeuvre and best-of-the-best American riffs.

La Folie

New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, Colorado) When I first started homebrewing and exploring Belgian styles, La Folie was one of the first sour beers I tried. Peter Bouckaert is a legend in the industry; that really was an inspiration for me. The first time I tasted La Folie, it was exotic. I’d never had anything like it. How the sour came through as a tart cherry character—it was something that was unique. When I first wanted to get into professional brewing, I dreamed of owning a brewery someday—or starting my own— but really I wanted to work at New Belgium. I tried to get a job there for at least eight years—i sent resumes, tried to get a foot in the door, but dreams only get you so far.

As great as it was, La Folie has only gotten better over the years—it’s a lot more balanced. When my memory goes back to those original bottles, it’s hard to gauge based on palate then and now, but they really have it dialed in today.

For the Oud Bruin we do here, that’s one of the beers we’re trying to emulate as best we can—we have our own house character but aspire to that same balance and drinkability. A lot of sour beers tend to get too vinegary and too sour. But they manage to stay away from that. Lauren [Salazar, blend-