Have you ever heard of a beer called the Kentucky Common? Neither did Corktown nanobrewery Batch Brewing Company when they set out to collaborate with Windsor nanobrewery Motor Craft Ales. The collaboration resulted in their spin on the Kentucky Common, the Canucky Common, which was launched this Monday.
Motor Burger owner Gino Gesuale said the collaboration is the “first of many to come.” Motor Burger is where Motor Craft Ales is sold.
The Kentucky Common is rich, dark, and malty. It has a distinctive caramelized sweetness due to the large percentage of corn used to brew it. Stephen Roginson, owner of Batch Brewing Company, said it reminds him of a mix between a porter ale and a cream ale.
It originated in the region around Louisville, KY, when it gained popularity after the Civil War before disappearing into the annals of history around the time of Prohibition. The Kentucky Common is enjoying a millennial resurgence after home brewers began sharing its rediscovery through word-of-mouth.
“Other beers will continue to be rediscovered,” Roginson said. “Beer used to be hyperlocal. You brewed the ingredients you have available with things easy to get your hands on. In this day and age, everything got very streamlined and everything tasted the same. Bud Light, Miller Light, they are all the same. And in the 80s, there was a ground up of home-brewers that started opening small breweries. Homebrewing is a hobby that a lot of people are into. And some people dork out on the history, combing through old texts and finding things like the Kentucky Common that have vanished into obscurity.”
The Canucky Common can only be found on tap at Batch Brewing Company ($5 for 16 oz.) and Motor Burger in Windsor. The beer is served from a special tap handle with a Canadian and American flag at the Detroit location. Batch plans to discontinue Canucky Common after three weeks and Motor Burger will sell it until its supply runs out.
Motor Burger’s supply is already down to its last batch. The beer was received well in Detroit too. People who tried Batch Brewing Company’s variation liked it so much that they crossed the border to try Motor Craft Ale’s version.
Roginson recommends pairing the Canucky Common with their pork belly sandwich. Omar Bolbol, bartender at Motor Burger, recommends pairing it with their DEUX CHEVAUX because the beer’s cinnamon and caramel undertone goes nicely with the sandwich’s balsamic caramelized onions.
