Beerland’s great Colorado Springs Doña Neta
Colorado Springs homebrewer Jessica Fierro wasn’t expecting to be on TV or mass-produce her home brew. But thanks to some confusion and convincing, Fierro won VICE’s Beerland series.
The last three month’s of Jessica Fierro’s life have been a non-stop whirlwind of surprises, brewing, hard work, and a ton of fun.
Fierro, who currently lives in Colorado Springs, was recently crowned the winner of Beerland, a dock-series produced by VICE.
Her prize? Golden Road Brewery out of Los Angeles, Cali., with the help of Fierro, brewed and packaged her beer, Doña Neta, and is now distributing it throughout the US.
Beerland trekked through five US cities in search of homebrewers with a passion for the craft who had a unique homemade beer of their own.
Fierro competed against a brewer out of New York that used a log he found in a local park to provide yeast, and another brewer in New Mexico who added neomexicanus hops to his brew for a distinctive flavor.
“I actually was under the impression I was turning in a beer for a local homebrew competition. I was part of a collaborative brew in Denver called Making Noise: A Pussy Riot beer, and they needed a homebrewer to submit a beer and I thought “Why not?”, Fierro recounted to the PULP.
Innocent enough, right?
She continued, “The next thing I know I have the assistant producer from Vice calling and interviewing me. At one point I stopped her and asked what brewery she was with.”
Fierro had no idea she entered a competition for a television show, and the thought of being on TV scared her. Understandably, being in front of a camera was out of her comfort zone. After some convincing by the producer, Fierro agreed to participate.
A day or two later a TV crew showed up at her house, and a month later Fierro found herself standing in Golden Road Brewery’s taproom, with owner and show host Meg Gill, declaring her the winner.
After a quick stop in Las Vegas to celebrate, Fierro returned to Colorado Springs. She then worked with the “brew-crew” at Golden Road Brewery to scale up her recipe, and once it was fine-tuned, she flew back to LA and brewed 150 barrels (enough for nearly 50,000 12oz bottles) of Doña Neta.
Doña Neta is a Bière de Garde, a farmhouse ale that originated in France. However, Fierro took inspiration from her Latino background and added a unique flavor: Tamarind.
Fierro recalled visiting her grandmother in Mexico each summer, where her and her sister would wake up before the sun and help her grandma peal tamarind before turning it into snacks they would then go out and sell.
Using such a unique ingredient in a beer was challenging, with multiple batches and attempts to fine tune the recipe taking two years.
Fierro’s homebrew setup isn’t any different from what most homebrewers use. She brews 5-gallon all grain batches, with two recycled kegs that are converted to a brew kettle and a mash tun. A turkey fryer serves as her hot liquor tank. Living in Colorado, she tells me, is reason enough to not treat her water before brewing.
Her husband, who she refers to as “a Mexican MacGyver,” built all necessary piping along with the various odds and ends that make her brew day easier.
Fierro doesn’t do anything special when it comes to fermentation. In fact, when asked about a temperature control during fermentation, Fierro quipped she is the temp controller as she walked me through her process of moving glass carboys full of fermenting beer throughout her house and even outdoors during the winter to achieve the fermentation temperature she wants.
Any homebrewer can relate to her process. It’s simple, perhaps not ideal, but in the end it works.
Colorado is the craft beer capital of the world. Not only thanks to the countless quality breweries throughout the state, especially up north. But also due to the passion local homebrewers have for the craft — and believe me, it’s a craft — of making beer is unmatched. Fierro’s win only helps solidify Colorado’s lore in the craft beer industry.
On Tap: I was lucky enough to get my hands on some Doña Neta shortly after talking to Fierro.
Let me start by saying before drinking Doña Neta my exposure to tamarind was — as far as I know — nonexistent. In other words, I had no clue what to expect in terms of flavor.
The first couple of sips I was puzzled by the tart yet sweet profile competing with the maltiness of the beer. After a bit, the full flavor of the beer started to blend together and I found it to be a beer unlike any I’ve ever had. There’s a slight spiciness to it that helps tie the malt, tart, and sweetness together into a beer I can picture myself drinking (and drinking a lot of) on a hot summer day.
Doña Neta is available on tap in the following spots in Denver:
- Cheba Hut Boulder
- The Lobby
- Recess
- Hayters
- Tavern Downtown
Wider distribution to Colorado Springs and Pueblo should also be in full swing, but it’s best to check with your favorite liquor store to be sure.
