Averie Swanson is a genuinely wonderful human being, a gifted brewer, an exceptionally hard worker, an inspiringly creative individual, and, most importantly, a friend. She is in the final stages of opening her much-anticipated brewery in Sante Fe, N.M., so this serves as a bit of a cross-continent toast and celebration.

Organic spelt, organic buckwheat, organic oats, and organic barley serve as the base, along with a gentle hopping of Perle and German-grown Cascade. Ground into a coarse powder, locally foraged medicinal chaga was integrated into the wort, along with Vermont wildflower honey. The beer was open-fermented in a wooden foudre with our house yeast and conditioned in wine barrels with both our yeast and Averie’s unique house culture for a fully integrated collaboration. Following three years of maturation in the bottle, this complex and unique expression of friendship is ready to be shared with many other friends.