Fenton Winery & Brewery has been one of my favorite places to visit over the years because I never know what I’m going to find on tap. I like the tasting adventure the winery/brewery has to offer its guests, especially with all of the fusion concoctions that come with having a winery AND a brewery at your disposal.
A recent trip to the Fenton area had me stopping in at the winery/brewery. Things were somewhat back to normal in our global pandemic world. Both the taproom and outdoor seating areas were bustling and following COVID-19 regulations. There was a wedding taking place, as well.
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Whenever I go to a brewery, lately, I always snag to go beers to support the breweries during these uncertain times. When I visited Fenton Winery & Brewery this time, I wanted to revisit a beer that I was blown away by at the 2018 Detroit Fall Beer Festival – Swingin’ Berries.
Swingin’ Berries is a complex brew. It is a Blackberry Merlot Double Cream Stout that comes in at 8%. Let me say that again. It is a Blackberry Merlot Double Cream Stout. When poured, it looks thick like motor oil but is exactly the opposite, thankfully, as a beverage.
Fenton Winery & Brewery is known to sell this beer in 22 oz bottles, but I found it on draft and in a nitro form. I was able to get Swingin’ Berries to-go in a 12 oz can, thanks to the canning machine that the winery/brewery picked up in 2019 to can a specialty wine. The bartender told me that the canning machine has made it so customers can make their own 12 oz six-packs instead of committing to a 32 oz howler or 64 oz growler. She said people like how they are able to try and share more beers this way.
This nitro form gave me a spoiled sense of how good this beer is. To begin, it had a slightly lower ABV at 7.4%. The double cream stout was extremely smooth with a lovely blackberry presence from the blended merlot. The roasty notes from the stout complimented the blackberries. It’s a fun combination that helps make a good case that fruit can work well in stouts.
I’m not the only one who has recognized Fenton Winery & Brewery’s greatness with this beer. Swingin’ Berries won a Gold Medal at the 2017 World Expo of Beer in the Specialty Category.
Wineries that brew beer and breweries that make wine have amazing potential to make a name for themselves in both industries based on the ingredients and equipment they have. Fenton Winery & Brewery is leading the way in these regards and is worth checking out!
Cheers!
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