Beer Blessed by the Axe Blade

During a lovely autumn morning, I met with homebrewers Tyler and Teresa Stuart of Axe Blade Brewing. There is a cool, crisp breeze today tempting me to wear a sweater. "Do you still have anything left from Oktoberfest?" I ask them, while taking a seat by the window. "All of them, actually!" Tyler responds. That autumn breeze wafts through the window screen. A short pour of the Pilsner sounds like a nice start.

Every Beer has a Story

My friends currently have three beers on tap. This Pilsner was brewed for their annual Oktoberfest party. I'm a fan. It has a clean profile that is pleasantly driven by light malt and a modest kiss of hop bitterness for a quick finish. The real trick is to pair it with some of their homemade pretzels and a healthy dollop of rich, zesty mustard. The other beers they have on are both IPAs.

Four Giants IPA was born as a bit. A SMASH beer (Single Malt and Single Hop) that Tyler wrote the original recipe for in just a few minutes while playing D&D (Dungeons & Dragons). The next day, he and Teresa brewed it based on the same recipe. They were surprisingly happy with the results and have since only made some small tweaks. It isn't quite a Cold IPA, though it is certainly driven by hop character. It is soft, crushable, and has a fruity expression without harsh bitterness.

The Gullet's Greatest is a West Coast IPA. Named after "The Gullet of the Gods," the communal tavern in their local D&D game, this is a beer of solemn dedication to fallen heroes. Even a villain like myself can appreciate the concept. This IPA is fairly floral on the nose with botanical elements that border on anything overtly dank. The fruity sweetness on the tongue is met by a bold bitterness that builds and heavily hangs on like grief itself. While drinking this beer, I'm filled with the bittersweet feelings of delivering an eclectic bouquet of flowers to a late loved one's resting place. It's poetic.

I'm a sucker for a good beer, but it's not the main reason I'm visiting the Stuarts today. The real reason is to learn the story behind Axe Blade Brewing.

Wort for a Whetstone

"Do you want to tell the story?" says Tyler, glancing over at Teresa. I was quietly admiring the beautiful lacing from each sip taken in my empty glass. Tyler took it as a sign that I might want another and gestured for me to hand it to him. Teresa continues, "So we inherited a brewing kit from Tyler's father-in-law, and during Covid, we just started brewing together." This is their origin story.

It takes time to develop homebrewing skills like Teresa and Tyler. Similar to many folks, the two of them started with a Northern Brewer homebrewing kit, but not nearly as many will go any further than that.

"This was like two, three brews in, and [the wort] was boiling over, so Tyler started panicking. He's like, 'Give me something to stir this with!' and I came back with the paddle, but also with an axe." As Teresa is telling the story, I'm chuckling quietly.

Tyler jumps in now, "Yeah, she handed it to me, and I said 'That'll do!' I grabbed it and dunked it right into the boiling wort."

"Handle side first, or axe side?" I ask curiously.
"Axe side," Tyler assures me. "–It was our first drinkable beer. I remember that much."

I'm enraptured by their story, and personally, I like to think there was a bit of magic in that hand-axe. With wort for a whetstone, the Stuarts of Axe Blade Brewing continue to sharpen their skills, beer after beer. Teresa and Tyler are passionate, talented brewers who love nothing more than to be able to share their beers with friends and community.

Thanks for reading the blog! You should check out some of my other articles as well. I write about lots of different food, beverage and sensory topics.

Short Read: This Petite Espresso

My Origin Story: Villain Blog Issue 001