URKontinent is a limited-edition beer created from suggestions from Google employees around the globe. Dogfish Head Beer brewed this draft-only beer and recently debuted it at their Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats Brewpub in Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach. URKontinent is not currently available for purchase outside the Dogfish pub but it may go into full production if the demand is present, though Google states they are not looking to make money on this project.
URKontinent is brewed in the style of a Belgian Dubbel. It begins with Pilsner, Munich and Chocolate Malts and Belgian Dark Candi syrup. Then we add unique ingredients from around the world. Wattleseed from Australia imparts a chocolate, coffee, and hazelnut taste to the beer. Toasted Amaranth from South America gives it an earthy, grainy flavor and a little additional roast flavor. Green Rooibos from Africa contributes a floral aroma and slight astringency. Myrica Gale from Europe supplements the bitterness from minimal hopping. Hive Plex Honey from California adds a subtle sweetness while maintaining the dry finish.The careful combination of all these ingredients creates a complex dark Belgian style ale with wonderful coffee and chocolate covered cherry flavors. The roastiness of the malt and wattleseed melds with the fruity esters from the yeast, the floral notes from the rooibos, and the malty yet dry signature of a Belgian Dubbel. Perfect to enjoy with friends as the weather begins to cool.
Craft-brewing aficionados at Google and the Dogfish Head crew collaborated on this project using a variety of Google products including Google+ Hangouts, Google Docs, Google Moderator and Google Apps for business.
With an ABV (alcohol by volume) content of 8.1%, URKontinent is about twice as strong as a standard beer.
In a related note, in 2009 we reported that Dogfish Head Brewery is the permanent home to the Steampunk Treehouse.
