Tapping on Oct. 7
Firkin Fridays continues at Steamworks with a caramel-apple brew

DURANGO, Colo. – The traditional Halloween game of bobbing for apples will take on a whole new meaning on Friday, Oct. 7, 3 p.m., when Steamworks Brewing Co. taps its latest unique brew, the Caramel Apple Firkin.
Steamworks’ Firkin Fridays, held the first Friday of each month at the brewpub, is designed to introduce a range of specialty craft beers, coordinated with the season or holidays, not necessarily suited to large draft production. A firkin is an old English unit of volume, typically a wooden cask equal to approximately one-quarter of a regular barrel, or nine gallons.
“The base of our Caramel Apple Firkin is our award-winning Steam Engine Lager, which already has a caramel flavor component derived from the malt,” said Ken Martin, Steamworks head brewer. “Then we added two gallons of fresh, unfiltered western slope apple juice and a little more caramel flavoring. The flavor and aromas of our trials were just what you’d expect – just like a caramel apple.”
“There are a lot of fermentable sugars in both the apple juice and the caramel flavoring,” explained brewer Spencer Roper. “So it should lose some of the initial sweetness. We expect it to be a very smooth brew, and that nine gallon firkin won’t last long.”
Firkin beer is unpasteurized, unfiltered and naturally carbonated, or conditioned, it its cask. It is served at approximately 55 degrees – cool but not cold, and because it contains no preservatives, it’s designed to be consumed after tapping.
The award-winning Steamworks Brewing Co., open 11 a.m. to closing seven days a week, is located at 801 E. Second. Ave., Durango (970.259.9200). For further information, visit www.steamworksbrewing.com.