Hotel Launches Line of Craft Brews With a Unique Twist: No Booze

The U.S. Grant, a Luxury Collection Hotel under the umbrella of Marriott International located in San Diego, has created a unique line of beverages from its mixology team: non-alcoholic craft beer. Billed as the first non-alcoholic craft beer to come from a hotel, the bottled brews come in five varieties: Office IPA, Strawberry Blonde, PC Pilsner, Safe and Sour, and Button-Down beer.
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The birth of these boozeless brews, formulated by the beer, wine, and mixology team at the Grant Grill Lounge^[3], was led by lead mixologist, Jeff Josenhans, who is also a Certified Cicerone and Level II Sommelier. According to a U.S. Grant spokesperson, to make the beverages, Josenhans and his team used local cask ales, removed the alcohol through a heated centrifuge process, then kegged and re-carbonated and bottled the new brews in custom bottles.

The entire process took place at the U.S. Grant in downtown San Diego, and launched June 18.

This creation doesn’t come completely out of left field — Josenhans, along with being a Cicerone, has actively elevated beer at the Grand Grill Lounge, established a reserve and vintage beer cellar collection^[4] at the hotel that includes such aged and rare brews as Stone Imperial Russian Stout (2006), AleSmith Olde Ale MMXIV (2014), and a bottle of FiftyFifty Eclipse^[5] aged in Pappy Van Winkle Barrels (2008), autographed by the brewer.

The Grant Grill Lounge also hosts regular Cask Ale Nights in which Josenhans and “Chef de Bar” Cory Alberto partner with a local San Diego brewery to serve a special offering out of the U.S. Grant cask. Past collaborations have included Fall Brewing Co. Green Hat IPA infused with guava, Mission Kolsch with Douglas fir and Saaz hops, and Modern Times Oneida Pale Ale with grapefruit.

Additionally, every Friday, a rotating cask ale is released, available at the bar by the glass ($8) or as a cask ale cocktail ($12).

References

1. ^{^} U.S. Grant, (www.grantgrill.com)
2. ^{^} More: The 101 Best Beers in America (www.mensjournal.com)
3. ^{^} Grant Grill Lounge (www.grantgrill.com)
4. ^{^} reserve and vintage beer cellar collection (www.grantgrill.com)
5. ^{^} FiftyFifty Eclipse (fiftyfiftybrewing.com)