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 Blue Heron Pale Ale

Blue Heron Pale Ale, aptly named for the many beautiful Great Blue Herons which nest along the Russian River, was first brewed in 1985 as one of Mendocino Brewing Company's spring seasonal ales. Its immediate and overwhelming popularity led to the decision to brew it all year round. Blue Heron Pale Ale is a delightful medium bodied golden ale brewed using premium two-row Pale malted barley, generous amounts of both Cluster bittering hops and Cascade finishing hops as well as our special, proprietary yeast strain.

Historically, Blue Heron Pale Ale follows the India Pale Ale, or IPA tradition in British brewing. An IPA was a pale ale, characterized by a high alcohol content and a very high hop flavor. Both alcohol and hops were used as preservatives in the days prior to refrigeration when the beer had to make its way to the British Raj in India.

Blue Heron Pale Ale is an ale with a distinctive clean mouth-feel and a fresh hoppy finish. The emphasis is not on extremes, as was with the early IPA'S, but rather on balance. We want you to be able to taste not just the hops, but also the malt. We view our ales as delicious complements to fine dining, and indeed as a food unto themselves. Lisa Hemenway, owner and head chef at the renowned Hemenway's Restaurant in Sonoma County, California, has this to say about Blue Heron:

"Each year for the past six years I have gone to Asia and guest-cheffed at some elite business clubs. I think it would be exciting to take a selection of micro beers and show Asia how well we're doing in the brewing art. A typical beer dinner with an Asian influence might start with Mendocino's Blue Heron Pale Ale, with its light citrus flavors and fruity herb tastes, paired with sautéed prawns with lemon grass, mint and lime. This could be done in a salad over mixed field greens, or on warm stir-fry with mung bean sprouts. And if the gourmet in you is fired, try a simple sweet and sour sauce and spring rolls."

Blue Heron Pale Ale was awarded a Bronze Medal at the Great American Beer Festival. The highly respected Underground Wine Journal awarded Blue Heron Pale Ale a Gold Medal, with a Special Award of Excellence, in their Great American Microbrew Awards. Like all of the traditionally brewed ales from the Mendocino Brewing Company, Blue Heron Pale Ale is bottle conditioned - A process where our special, proprietary yeast is introduced to the mature ale before it is bottled, producing natural carbonation in the container and a rich complexity in aroma and flavor.
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131 Excelsior Avenue ~ Saratoga Springs, New York  12866 ~ 518-581-0492