Born In A Blizzard – The DuVig Brewing Story

, Born In A Blizzard – The DuVig Brewing Story

2013 will be remembered for the snowstorms that blasted the Northeast. Residents of towns like Branford, Connecticut were snowed in and without power for days. Many spent their days digging out – others succumbed and dug in – and the Dugas and Vigliott families spent their time together drinking beer and talking about what would eventually become the DuVig Brewing Company.

A brewery born in blizzard is a great place for any journalist to start – and the fact that it’s a two-family venture was intriguing. So I had plenty of questions for DuVig’s co-owner Kimberly Vigliott when we sat down over beer recently.

So, DuVig Brewing was born in the blizzard in 2013. Is this really when everything came together?

DuVig Brewing Company is owned by two families that live across the street from each other. The two families became friends. Each family enjoyed homebrewing before meeting each other, and then began to homebrew together. The idea to open a brewery was discussed during the blizzard of 2013. While snowed in, and without power, the families socialized, ate food before it spoiled, and drank homebrew. It was during this snowstorm, which had the families trapped for three days that the idea of opening a brewery was born. 

, Born In A Blizzard – The DuVig Brewing StoryTell us what’s behind the DuVig name.

The whole brewery was set up by the families. The name and logo was created by the families. The location of the business, the selection of equipment, the applications for licensing, and all other aspects of the business were handled by the families. No experts or consultants had any role in the setup or operation of DuVig. DuVig survives on the hard work of the two families. Each member has specific duties to keep the business running. The beers that DuVig brews are created by the owners. The recipe formulation, the brew sessions and manufacturing process, the sales and marketing, and the state/federal compliance are all accomplished by the families.

What kinds of beers are you currently brewing at DuVig – and what are your flagships? 

DuVig specializes in full-flavored beers brewed to style. We know it sounds odd for a craft brewery to say that it ‘brews to style’, but it’s not as odd as one might think. After all, one of the main points of ‘craft beer’ is producing unique and interesting flavors. DuVig does not sacrifice that element by brewing true-to-style beers. The exact opposite is true; beers styles have been around for centuries. Beers became styles because people who lived long before us realized that certain amounts of grains, hops, alcohol content, and color produced the best flavors. When examined, you realize that brewing true to style is difficult because you are informing customers that the beer will taste exactly as expected. Any off-flavors or surprises will be noticed immediately. DuVig follows a strict, hands-on approach with constant monitoring by the families to produce beers that are crisp, clean, flavorful, and taste exactly as the beer guidelines say they should taste. Here are our three constant beers:

, Born In A Blizzard – The DuVig Brewing StoryCream Ale – The original cream ale was brewed to compete with the Pilsner during a time when it was difficult to cold ferment beers. At DuVig, we brew the Cream Ale to have a slight malt flavor with a nice crispness that is accented with American hops added for flavor and aroma, not bitterness. The DuVig Cream Ale is a thirst quencher and can be served at cold temperatures (35-40 degrees) but you will experience more flavors at a slightly higher temperature, 45-48 degrees.

American Pale Ale – This is a classic beer brewed to perfection. The DuVig Pale Ale has a wonderful bouquet of aromas and flavors. Let the beer roll over your tongue for few minutes and you will taste citrus, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, and many other flavors. DuVig’s Pale Ale is best enjoyed at 40-45 degrees.

English Brown Ale – This beer is brewed to have hints of roast and chocolate. These flavors come from dark roasted malts used sparingly to produce a Brown Ale with flavors such as caramel, toffee, and biscuits. The yeast used to ferment DuVig’s Brown Ale adds traces of fruity flavors and aromas such as plums, raisins, or ripe apples. These rich, dark flavors are most apparent at 45-50 degrees.

We have also produced the following specialty beers. 

Oktoberfest – The first Oktoberfest was held in Munich on Oct. 12, 1810, as a celebration for the wedding of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese. The event grew in popularity each year until it became a 16-day celebration. The beer served at these celebrations is the Oktoberfest beer – a bottom-fermented lager that is cold fermented, cold, filtered, stored and served cold to eliminate any off-flavors. The DuVig Oktoberfest has a pleasing, sweet malt character with a nice caramel finish and a low hop presence. There are just enough hops to balance the beer, but the hops definitely take a backseat. The best temperature to enjoy the smooth malt flavors and creamy mouth feel is 47-52 degrees.

Oatmeal Stout – The Stout is often misunderstood because of the many versions of the style and its similarities with the Porter. Throughout history, breweries have made sweet stouts (Milk Stouts) using lactose, dry stouts, and Oatmeal Stouts, which land in the middle of the flavor profile. The Stout is usually considered the first beer made from a grain bill that is used again to brew a Porter. The DuVig Oatmeal Stout is an extremely complex beer brewed with various dark grains used in proportion to create a silky smooth experience. The chocolate taste comes from chocolate malt, the roasted taste comes from roasted barley, and the hints of caramel come from crystal or caramel malts. Our Oatmeal Stout is not a heavy beer, but it is flavorful and smooth with a nice dry finish.

We have also brewed an American Wheat Ale and a Berliner Weisse.

Craft beer collaborations are a big deal right now. If you were to do one, who would you like to work with and why?

In this early stage of our company, it is too early to say who we would brew a collaborative batch with, but we proudly acknowledge Thimble Island Brewing Company as friends. The owners and employees of Thimble Island are true gentlemen and ladies that have made the Town of Branford a great place to brew and own a company.

 

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