Clown Shoes Beer- Clementine: A contract for greatness.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 5:08PM | by Steve 
There has been a topic that I’ve seen in beer magazines, on the internet, and spoken from those in the beer community lately. They’ve been talking about the pros and cons of contract brewing. For those who are unfamiliar with the term contract brewing is when a beer or beers from one brewery are brewed at and in some case by another brewery. I bring this up because Clown Shoes beers are brewed at Mercury Brewing Company in Ipswich, Massachusetts. The question is posed as to whether the care that any one brewer would put into their own beer is given to beers destined for another brewery. Being that this is a case-in-point study, I decided to give Clementine White Ale from Clown Shoes a go to find out for myself.
An eggshell white head poured out above the cloudy orange hue of the beer and the head quickly dissipated to a thin coating. I dipped my beak in the glass and noticed strong Belgian yeast character as well as citrusy fruitiness and some spiciness from the coriander. The carbonation was moderate and appropriate. At first sip I noticed lots of bitterness along with the spiciness of the coriander & Belgian yeast as well as subtle orange flavor.
I have to say that I am quite impressed with Clementine. The bitterness plays well with the citrus and the strong Belgian character subsides by the time the fist glass empties and what remains compliments the beer overall. If what Mercury Brewing Company does for Clown Shoes is an indication of the care that one brewing professional can provide to another than I see no hindrance to the practice of contract brewing. If contract brewers can bring the voice and vision of a brewer that either has limited capacity or limited investment capital, then I’m all for its benefit to the industry. Bravo! Cheers!
ABV: 6.0%
Consumed: Mother Earth Pint Glass
Verdict: Buy a Case
