Kentucky Proud Beer Series using home-grown ingredient to highlight state’s flavors

Even during a pandemic, Kentucky breweries are keeping up the innovations.

This year for the fifth annual Kentucky Proud Beer Series, 25 participating breweries are releasing special beers that incorporate a variety of farm products including lavender extract, honey, molasses, carrots, apples, blueberries and pumpkin.

“Every October, Kentucky’s craft brewers use locally grown products to brew one-of-a-kind beers to showcase their creativity and honor the commonwealth’s producers,” said Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles in a news release. “We are pleased to collaborate with the Kentucky Guild of Brewers once again on what has become a staple of Kentucky’s fall calendar.”

And, for the first time, many of the breweries are using malt made in Kentucky from locally grown grains, produced by South Fork Malthouse in Cynthiana.

“This is my favorite beer series that we do every year,” said Derek Selznick, executive director of the Kentucky Guild of Brewers. “This series is a chance for our brewers to get together with our farmers to put their creative minds together to make beers that truly capture the essence of Kentucky. From grains and hops to every berry under the sun, these beers are totally unique and Kentucky Proud.”

Kentucky Proud Beer Series breweries

The 25 local breweries will release limited edition beers at the individual locations beginning Oct. 28. Participating breweries include:

▪ 3rd Turn Brewing, in Louisville and Crestwood;

▪ Abettor Brewing Co., Winchester;

▪ Alexandria Brewing Co.;

▪ Broken Throne Brewing, Pikeville;

▪ Country Boy Brewing, both Lexington and Georgetown locations;

▪ Dreaming Creek Brewery, Richmond;

▪ Dry Ground Brewing, Paducah;

▪ Ethereal Brewing, Lexington;

▪ Flywheel Brewing, Elizabethtown;

▪ Fusion Brewing, Lexington;

▪ Gallant Fox Brewing, Louisville;

▪ Goodwood Brewing, both Louisville and Frankfort locations;

▪ Gravely Brewing Co., Louisville;

▪ Hopkinsville Brewing;

▪ Maysville Brewing;

▪ Monnik Beer Co., Louisville;

▪ Old Louisville Brewing, both Louisville and Shelbyville locations;

▪ Paducah Beer Werks;

▪ Pivot Brewing, Lexington;

▪ Ten20 Beer Exchange, Louisville;

▪ Turtleback Ridge Brewing, Ewing;

▪ Uncrafted Territory Brewing Co., Beaver Dam;

▪ West Sixth Brewing’s Lexington, Frankfort and Louisville locations;

▪ Wise Bird Cider, Lexington; and

▪ Wooden Cask Brewing Co., Newport

Janet Patton

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-379-5233

Janet Patton covers restaurants, bars, food and bourbon for the Herald-Leader. She is an award-winning business reporter who also has covered agriculture, gambling, horses and hemp. Support my work with a digital subscription