From the Beer Writer: In asking breweries to take part in the Beer to the Rescue anti-lupus campaign, I’ve been surprised to find how many people at these businesses have had their lives touched—or impacted—by this auto-immune disease. It speaks to the widespread nature of the condition. It rarely comes up in conversation, so this campaign has provided an opportunity to insert it into the public discourse…over beer. When I contacted Twisted Manzanita Ales (10151 Prospect Avenue, Santee), head brewer Daniel Cady was very enthusiastic about brewing a beer to help raise funds for the Lupus Foundation of Southern California, because his mother was diagnosed with lupus 19 years ago and has struggled with it ever since. Rather than he or I deciding on the type of beer that would be brewed, he left that decision to her, and the result is this aptly named dessert beer, which is built to emulate the flavors of a chocolate oatmeal cookie via a 6.7% alcohol-by-volume porter. This mama has good taste…and a good son!
From the Brewer: “One of my favorite memories growing up was coming home from school and being greeted with the unforgettable aroma of freshly-baked chocolate oatmeal cookies. There was always something very special about enjoying about ten of them straight from the oven. To this day, on every holiday, my mama bakes a fresh batch that is exponentially better than the last. When I learned about Beer to the Rescue, I knew it would be a special opportunity to bring my mother—who was diagnosed with lupus in 1996—into the brewery. The first thing that we came to imagine was recreating these legendary cookies. I twisted her arm to get an out-of-season batch together so we could brainstorm how to introduce the flavor components into a beer. Starting with a brown porter base, we added toasted oats, cacao nibs, nutmeg, cinnamon and a brewer’s dozen of her cookies straight to the mash tun. Dubbed ‘Sweet Mama,’ this luscious brown porter oozes with sweet chocolate, toasted nuts and warm oats.”—Daniel Cady, Head Brewer, Twisted Manzanita Ales