Fans of the television and movie phenomenon known as Star Trek are likely familiar with Montgomery Scott’s – the Chief Engineer on the USS Enterprise – affinity for Romulan Ale. Or, perhaps they know that Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy is partial to Mint Juleps. And then there are those scenes at the beginning of the first blockbuster retelling of the Star Trek stories produced by J.J. Abrams in which James T. Kirk sips a cold brew. But, not until now have fans of the show been able to drink an officially licensed adult beverage based on the seminal television and movie property.
With Star Trek, Into Darkness burning up the box office, it was only a matter of time before some enterprising soul (see what I did there) decided to brew up a beer to tie in to the sizzling series. Contract brewed by Belt, Montana’s Harvest Moon Brewing Company, Vulcan Ale is the first of several beers planned for release. Also planned for production is the afore mentioned Romulan Ale.
Vulcan Ale is the brain child of the folks at Canada’s Delancy Direct to help celebrate the centennial of Vulcan, Alberta. And as any good Trekkie knows, Vulcan is the home world of the show’s unshakably logical First Officer, Mr. Spock. The beer itself is a 5.4% ABV Irish Red, which may sound odd but one only has to consider that Vulcan, in Star Trek lore, was a red planet. Then the choice seems, well, logical.
The packaging describes Vulcan Ale as, “Mind-meldingly good.” One reviewer on beer rating website Beer Advocate describes the beer; “It smells of mild grainy, bready malt, some tame apple and muddled citrus fruitiness, and leafy, weedy hops. The taste is more biscuity, bready malt, fairly sweet in its bearing, with some sugary nuttiness, middling neutered citrus, and edgy leafy, earthy hops.”
Alas, should you set your scanners to find the brew you will have to set them for Canada. For the time being, the beer is only available north or the U.S, border. But, officials at Delancy claim that they should be available to the States sometime in 2014.
Part of a “season,” each brew is called an “episode.” Vulcan Ale will soon be joined by a Klingon-themed beer and later by other beers themed after Star Trek episodes. The company also has plans to release special editions that will fall under the auspices of the “Federation of Beers.”
