If Walt Whitman were a beer……
Apparently he is Two beers! I am a huge foodie, and along with that I am very interested in my beers and wines. Upon stepping into a local bar near my home, I came across a bottle of beer called Walt Wit. My first thought was, if Walt Whitman were a beer, what would he taste like? After reading the various selections from Children of Adam and Calamus, I’m beginning to wonder if he shouldn’t be some sort of aphrodisiac instead of a beer…. but I haven’t come across anything of the sort as of right now.
Regardless, I couldn’t help but order a bottle. Walt Wit is a wheat beer (which is what “Wit” really means) and is quite fruity and light on the pallet. I enjoyed it, and found myself wondering what the Philadelphia Brewing Company’s opinion was of Walt Whitman, and how Whitman influenced the flavor of the beer. Their web site description is as follows:
Walt Wit
The American poet Walt Whitman once portrayed a sunset over Philadelphia as,“…a broad tumble of clouds, with much golden haze and profusion of beaming shaft and dazzle.” Pour yourself a bottle of Walt Wit Belgian Style White Ale and see what he was talking about . A pinch of spice and a whisper of citrus lend complexity to this fragrant, satisfying ale.
Walt Wit – it’s transcendentally delicious.
4.2%ALC/VOL
I find this very amusing, and quite clever. I was impressed with the description of it being “transcendentally delicious”, and was glad they had a line from one of his poems that inspired the beer.
I researched further and came across another beer called “Old Walt Smoked Wit Beer”, which has a picture of Walt Whitman on the front reading, in what was purportedly his favorite spot in West Hills, where he lived in New York City.
I would be very interested to try this beer as well, and wonder what the inspiration for the flavors are that deem it worthy of Whitman’s name. The brewery’s web site (Blind Bat Brewery) was not working, so I could not find a detailed description from them, or what their inspiration was for naming the beer as such. One site described it in quite a similar fashion to the Walt Wit, as a smoky spiced beer with a citrus suggestion. If anyone happens to come across a bottle I would love to try it.
The only thing missing now is a beer from the D.C. area.