Following the shiny, star-studded lineup that has comprised our previous beer reviews, we decided to write about something a little closer to home. This week, we try a beer from Hardy Eville (DC ’26) who, in addition to being a loyal food columnist for the Herald, has embraced a side hustle of beer brewing. Over the past year, he has fine-tuned his process and recipe, which uses locally-sourced hops to emulate, but ultimately transcend, the popular Guinness flavor. A full list of ingredients can be found below.
Hardy brought a sample of his stout to the Herald office, and was immediately met with enthusiasm from our editorial board. Adjectives lobbed at him to try to explain the flavor include “mealy,” “soy sauce-like,” “syrupy,” and “chocolate-esque.” It’s a dark beer with a coffee-like aftertaste that might feel alien to lager and pilsner loyalists. The stout has a delicate bite that is quickly soothed by a familiar, homey flavor—its plain glass bottle, lined with residue from a previously-attached sticker, helps to evoke this sense of coziness. The beer is fantastic, packed with a complex flavor and a subtle carbonation that makes sure not to drown out the brew’s nuances. But the bulk of the enjoyment comes from the knowledge that it was brewed carefully by hand, with love, by a man passionate about his craft.
Rating: 8.9/10
RECIPE:
Grain: 10lb Pale 2 Row Barley, 1lb Dark Chocolate Malt, 1lb Roasted Barley, 1lb Caramel Malt, 1lb English Brown Malt
Hops: 1oz Columbus Hops, 1oz Amarillo Hops, 0.5oz Saaz Hops
Yeast: Omega Lutra Kviek
