How is Allagash White Made?

Allagash Brewing Company is one of the premier breweries in America, for good reason. Since it opened in 1995, owner Rob Tod has been creating delicious Belgian beers including their signature White ale, which is the hallmark and pinnacle of the American-brewed Belgian witbier style. Tod was interested in Belgian, rather than more common British and German style beers being produced in America at the time.

Allagash is based in Portland, Maine, and they distribute their beers throughout the East Coast and in some large cities like Chicago and LA where Allagash White is one of the most popular selling beers on the market. Allagash is dedicated to quality with a world-class laboratory and is also an excellent employer, making it on many “Best Places to Work” lists. Besides their excellent White ale, Allagash focuses on Belgian beers like dubbels and tripels but has recently branched out into American styles like IPA and stout to diversify their beer portfolio. Their Haunted House hoppy black ale at 6.66% ABV is a Halloween favorite and their Hop Reach IPA will be making it on shelves soon as their first year-round IPA.

Several things set Allagash White apart from other beers. It is flavored with a variety of spices. It is double fermented and the bottle conditioning leaves some yeast in the bottle. Allagash was one of the first breweries in the US to build a traditional coolship for spontaneous fermentation by wild yeasts. The second fermentation or bottle conditioning is known as method champenoise. Highly rated and awarded, it is fruity, spicy, full-bodied not to mention thirst quenching, and has made its mark on the American craft beer scene.

Allagash is one of the largest regional breweries in America and most of that is their White ale, which is a beer that stands apart as the gold standard for witbier. I can only name a few beers in America which have such a devoted fan base. Join me as I illustrate how this very important beer is made. Cheers!