Raison D'Etre

A deep mahogany ale brewed with Belgian beet sugars and green raisins

ABV:

8.0

IBU:

25

Release:

Rarities

Original Release Date:

Style:

Belgian-style

A deep mahogany, Belgian-style brown ale brewed with beet sugar, raisins and Belgian-style yeast.

We began brewing this one at our pub in 1996 (we began packaging and selling it sometime in 1998) as the answer to the question, "What beer should I enjoy with a wood-grilled steak?" Raison D'Etre fits the bill. It's as tasty and complex as a fine red wine.

In the Quick Sip Clip video, Sam talks about Raison D'Etre inside the new cellars for our 600-bbl fermentation tanks. The cellars were designed specifically to allow sterile yeast management. The system also allows us to automatically dose the yeast into the fermentation tanks. At Dogfish, we use multiple strains of yeast for our different beers, so we are acutely aware of all that can go wrong when you don't love and protect the yeast.

Looking to find Dogfish brews in your neck of the woods? We currently sell in 30 U.S. states plus Washington D.C., although we hope to add more someday! Select your brew of choice, enter your zip code and we will tell you where it has been delivered in the past 60 days. But wait! Before you hop in your ride and drive to pick up that elusive Dogfish you see on the screen, please, please call ahead to confirm availability. Just because a beer has been delivered doesn’t mean it is still on the shelves or that the keg has been tapped.

Here is the list of where we currently have wholesalers.

Find This Beer Near You

Enjoy

Goblet or Snifter
Blue, goat
Steak, duck, game, wine-reduction sauces, ham, mussels

Experience

Deep mahogany
Sweet dried fruit esters, malty and plums
Sweet and malty raisins, slightly herbal
Medium to thin body with lingering bitterness, slightly dry and warming