Black Friday. Small cans. Bold taste.
Noble Roots Brewing Company debuts its fourth annual Tsary Not Tsary Russian Imperial Stout
By Josh Koerner
The hustle and bustle of Black Friday shopping can shake even the heartiest extroverts to their core. Noble Roots Brewing Company (2790 University Ave) is releasing an antidote to the Black Friday madness.
The Green Bay brewing company debuts the fourth annual rendition of its Russian Imperial Stout, Tsary Not Tsary, on Black Friday this year. The release event will also feature a new House Cider wine barrel cider and food by Blue Suede Foods food truck.
Tsary Not Tsary features a deep, rich roast and a smooth, sweet edge that easily persuades the drinker to forget about the hefty 10.5% alcohol by volume.
Noble Roots Brewing Company Head of Operations Alex Falish said the new stout comes in “stubby” cans, a feature he’s been after for quite some time.
Falish said the staggering ABV is one of the reasons the brewery has sought out the—for lack of a better term—stout cans the past two years.
Falish said the small, 8oz sized cans faded into obscurity with the canning boom that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to breweries. His “white whale” finally secured, Falish said he is eager to use the easy-to-swallow serving sizes on many of the brewery’s heartier beers.
Noble’s new serving size comes as no surprise. It all falls in line with Falish’s manufacturing background. Even from Noble Roots’ first batches—which were brewed on their home stovetop following inspiration from a European vacation—Falish said he applied a mindset of continuous improvement to his beer. He became obsessed with the science of the brewing process and began to study the specific chemical reactions that different brewing styles imparted.
Falish’s dedication to excellence and years of study directly translate to his products. The choice to use real local maple syrup over thick, heavy extracts in the Boils Down To This Maple Stout makes it a contender for one of the best maple stouts I have ever tasted.
Along with his business partner and father Marvin Falish, the pair also keep a keen eye on emerging beer trends to which they apply their unique process. This has led to the development of several unique entries into the beer menu such as the Pucker Punch, a cherry-centric sour that will leave behind the nostalgia of Door County, or the equally fruited dragon fruit Saison.
Noble Roots’ Garage Series of brews serves as a testing kitchen meets mad scientist laboratory for new and upcoming beer ideas there, making each release a new adventure.
Food fit or a king
With all the beer that promises to be consumed on Black Friday, it would be inadvisable to head in on an empty stomach. Luckily, Noble Roots has booked a rising star that has the food truck scene “All Shook Up.”
Husband and wife duo Rachelle and Scott O’Donnell-Lance arrived on the scene following Rachelle’s accumulated weariness with traditional restaurant work. With a resume stretching back to kitchens in Green Bay’s famous Lambeau Field, O’donnel-Lance finally decided that it was time to seek their own fame. Blue Suede Foods’ menu began small with simple soups and salads, but as it grew, the duo would soon come to include the from-scratch comfort food such as savory omelets and biscuits with gravy.
“We really enjoy being a part of a community that is supportive and just as excited as all of us food truck operators are to be out and sharing with everybody,” Rachelle O’donnel-Lance said.
Blue Suede Food will be onsite on Black Friday preparing cheesy steak sandwiches, savory chicken and spinach sandwiches, from-scratch crepes, and its stellar signature sides. Noble Roots’ beer will be on display in the meal as well as it helps form in the truck’s beer cheese! On a personal note, I have to recommend the bacon-wrapped jalapenos. The peppers feature a cheesy artichoke filling and a side of sweet pepper jam. I am also quite partial to the buffalo poppers which feature tender bits of buffalo marinated chicken stuffed into sweet peppers and comfortably blanketed in a crisp wonton wrapper.
With apps like these, I “Can’t Help Falling in Love” with Blue.
Josh Koerner grew up in De Pere and has a passion for local food. He’s written for The NEWcomer and Nosh Green Bay alongside his personal Facebook food blog, Josh Eats Green Bay.