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Mixing wort with whiskey

Here’s a quick tip about whiskey, wort and beer brewing I picked up at my last Craft Beer and Brewing retreat in Colorado. John Mallett from Bell’s Brewing shared it with me though I’ve since found that other brewers also know this trick.

Hot Wort and Whiskey or Scotch

So the tip is this: while you are boiling, draw a tumbler full of hot wort from your boil pot and mix in a shot of whiskey or scotch. You can pull the wort at the beginning of the boil, during the boil or even at the end – it really does not matter as long as it has had enough boil time to sanitize the wort. Wear a pair of gloves or use a spoon or ladle so you don’t get burned when drawing the hot wort.

In every brew I have tried with this, the pairing of sweet hot wort and whiskey or scotch is a real treat! The whiskey perfectly complements the sweetness in the wort and slight bitterness from the hops. I particularly enjoy it with darker beers but the technique seems to work with just about any beer.

Article written by Brad Smith