So...what is Splash?
You may have seen this bold and colorful can burst across your social media feeds or the shelves of your favorite shop. The bright and eye-catching appearance is certainly no accident, but our Splash series is more than just a fancy sight. It’s the result of extensive brainstorming by our production team, representing a new direction for our tart, fruited beers.
Splash began with a bit of inspiration from our Production Manager, Weston Shepherd. After witnessing the explosion in seltzers, Weston was looking for a way to take what's great about seltzers--they're fun and refreshing-- and combine it with what's great about Mast Landing beer-- flavor forward, authentic and always interesting. The splash series was created to deliver the fresh fruit flavor of a seltzer but enlivened with interesting botanical notes and backed up with the light tartness of a kettle sour.
With Splash, Weston and the rest of the team aimed for something different. The inspiration comes not only from the tried and true combination of fruit and tartness, but also from botanicals, plants, and other natural ingredients that evoke effervescence, complexity and culinary qualities. Our first trip down this road took another name - Luminosity - a tart ale featuring strawberry & basil. We loved the way the basil added a slight herbaceous quality to the beer, without overpowering the luscious flavor of the strawberry. More recently, the inaugural edition of Splash married the vinous sweetness of raspberry with the earthy and mellow flavor of figs.
What about the mouthfeel and the body of this beer? What emotions and ideas is the drinking experience designed to evoke? Of course, some of that is up to the individual, but our intent is to create a beverage that is vibrant and effervescent, intensely refreshing, approachable yet expressive, and above all, fun to drink. In some ways, Splash is our answer to the overwhelming interest in seltzers, craft cocktails, and natural wine that we see happening around our industry. While we certainly enjoy a variety of types of beverages in our fridges and glasses, at Mast Landing we find joy in drawing from the experiences of offerings we love and bringing them into our world of beer. Splash is just that - a creation that captures something we hadn’t quite focused on before - bursting and approachable, the gentle and tart base beer paves the way for enticing fruit character and nuanced balance from adjuncts like fig, ginger, and others you may not initially expect.
As we continue to experiment and explore within this framework, you can expect to see new and exciting flavor combinations under the Splash banner. Next up on the schedule: Orange, Cranberry, and Ginger Splash - a nod to the season that proves tart easy drinking beverages are a good choice regardless of the season. We’re looking forward introducing more folks to this new series; whether they’re already tart beer fans, cider & seltzer enthusiasts, or just curious and bold drinkers, we think Splash will bring all sorts of people together to crush some cans.