Beer With an Ingredient Only Found in the Hudson Valley

Mike O'Herren from 2 Way Brewing Company in Beacon brews his Confusion Saison with a very special and unique ingredient that can only be found in The Hudson Valley.

We're not talking about some strange herb or fruit that gets mixed into the beer, what makes Confusion Saison special is the yeast it's brewed with. O'Herren went through the painstaking process of extracting and cultivating a wild yeast strain that is native to the Hudson Valley.

There's lots of science that went into the process, but Mike explains that the yeast was found living on a black raspberry growing on his family's farm in Newburgh. The yeast gives Confusion it's unique and signature taste.

A Saison is usually referred to as a Belgian Farmhouse Ale, with lots of fruit and spice characteristics. These flavors are traditionally derived from the Belgian yeasts used to ferment the sugars in the grain. Because Mike uses a Hudson Valley yeast, he's coined the term "Hudson Valley Farmhouse Ale."  As local beer drinkers we just love the sound of that, and the taste too.

We talked more with Mike O'Herren and asked him to explain Confusion and his newly-opened brewery in Beacon:

If you have a chance to enjoy Confusion for yourself, drop us a line and let us know what you thought. And if you have any suggestions for our next Beer of the Week, we'd love to hear what you think we should drink next!