2016 marks the Twentieth Anniversary of Silver City Brewery. To commemorate the occasion, we present our 20th Anniversary Series of beer releases. Some are vintage throwback recipes, fan favorites that have been revived for the occasion. Others are recipes of the future, yet still inspired by our past. Deluxe Malt Liquor is the second of these Twentieth Anniversary releases.
Originally brewed by Silver City Brewery in 2008, Deluxe Malt Liquor is a tribute to the first-ever production brewery in Kitsap County, Silver Springs Brewing Co.
Founded in the 1930s in Port Orchard, Silver Springs’ flagship brew was titled “DeLuxe Beer” and was marketed for its “mellow, well-aged flavor”. Silver Springs’ DeLuxe Beer was an early example of a Malt Liquor, a strong American adjunct lager. Over the past decades, the term has lost its classic definition and the style’s reputation has been tarnished by the inexpensive-yet-high-alcohol swill hocked in large packages at convenience stores. Ironic, as the style was originally developed to provide a high quality beer to discerning tastes at a time when traditional brewing grains, like barley, were in short supply. Brewers of the day experimented with supplemental, or “adjunct”, grains to their malt bills such as corn or rice.
A lifelong apostle of brewing history, Silver City brewmaster Don Spencer painstakingly studied every detail he could find about DeLuxe Beer and other American lagers of the era, and developed a recipe that married those classic flavors and ingredients with the precision of modern brewing science.
“Corn lends a very distinctive, pleasant flavor to this traditional American lager,” says Spencer. “For Deluxe Malt Liquor, we source the highest-quality flaked corn we can get our hands on, and its impact is evident in the subtle sweetness as it first hits your palate to the hints of graininess in the mellow, refreshing finish.”
A cult classic among Silver City Brewery’s long time fans, Deluxe Malt Liquor will return on draft & in limited-release 22oz bottles on March 3rd.
The description on the bottle, adorned with a classic coupe of the Silver Springs era, reads “Throw back a throwback. This golden lager is crafted in the classic, American malt liquor tradition with the addition of flaked corn to the mash. With a depth of body unique amongst lagers and a slick, refreshing finish, it’s the perfect fill-up after a day in the garage.”
