Harvest time. Chokecherry beer and wine.

August 4, 7:22 PMBeer ExaminerCharlie Papazian

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Red ripe chokecherries awaiting wine and beermaking. Photo
©2008 Charlie Papazian

It’s chokecherry harvest time in my area. My wife and I just picked 16 pounds.   More will be picked in the next 7 days. These small cherries usually ignored by humans and relished by birds ripen red or deep purple depending on the conditions and genetics of the individual small tree/sometimes shrub.   Growing wild in areas relatively near a water source these astringent and not very good tasting cherries are wonderful for making chokecherry wine, mead and beer.   Our wine batch last year was made at a rate of 20 lbs of crushed cherries for 5 gallons along with 14 pounds of sugar. It is now resting on toasted oak chips in the closed fermenter ready to bottle. Our 1997 “vintage” is nearly gone.

            What’s even more exciting for me is the notion of making another batch of what I call “Return to Innocence.” It’s a chokecherry infused ale with the addition of mountain juniper branches (berries and woody fronds).   My 2006 batch has aged well. It’s not particularly strong ale. The reddish brown color is inviting but the real come-on is the aroma of juniper wood/berry and cherry, which also carries through to the flavor.   A great mealtime or anytime brew.

            Look around your area for unique or even usual fruits, berries and either brew an experimental batch up yourself or connect with a homebrewer who will.   You harvest it. They brew it. You both share it and perhaps next time you’ll be inspired to brew it yourself, because half a batch is simply not enough.

    August 4 supplement:  More information about chokecherries.