Edgefield’s Wonderberry is like Spiced Holiday Cranberry in Beer Form

The Berliner Weisse with cranberry relish medaled at the Portlan Beer Pro/Am this month

(Thomas Teal)
By Matthew Korfhage

Edgefield McMenamins' Wonderberry beer is a strange thing: a Berliner Weisse made for winter. The tart German style is usually a refresher for warm days, but Edgefield's collaboration with homebrewer Mike Marsh for Willamette Week's Pro/Am festival on October 14 is like holiday cranberry in beer form, complete with wine and Christmas spice. The brewers deepened the flavor of its Berliner Weisse by stashing the beer in Edgefield pinot noir barrels for about a month. They then finished the beer with a cranberry "relish" made with whole cranberries grown on Edgefield's property, along with cinnamon, orange zest and cooked-down orange juice. The result is like a mulled fruit cup, a beautiful side to turkey and stuffing. Amid strong competition, it won third place in the judges' voting at the festival. Drink it soon: There are only a few kegs left, though a second batch may be on its way.

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