Saison Sunday — Wild Blue Sky

A solemn moment of appreciation you are invited to be intentional while sharing craft brews. Our tasting group is open to all the ritual involves a finely crafted beverage and a music listening session.

June 8th, 2025 – 1:30 PM

Host Brewery:

Ozark Beer Company
Northwest Arkansas
Address: 109 N Arkansas St
Rogers, AR 72756
https://www.ozarkbeercompany.com

Beer Release:

Blue corn lager bottle conditioned with local wild yeast for long term aging.
Corked & Caged / Bottled On 2025.01.09 / Best Before 2030.01.09

Ozark Beer Company has hosted our collaboration series since 2022. We are unique in the way we co-exist. - Barrett Tillman

Saison Sunday collaboration event beer release and music listening session. A creative moment of with Barrett Tillman of BlackMan Brewing. We are tasting wildcrafted blue corn lager finished with local wild yeast. Join us at the brewery on Sunday June 8th for a group tasting. Event tickets are redeemable at the bar for draft pours and bottles to go. Allocations are limited. Tasting the beer on draft is the best way to understand this vintage may develop over time. The wild yeast wrangled from a collection of Lake Atlanta cultures will render the beer with a rustic handshake. The flavor will change becoming more tea like with an earthy husk, sweet at times, and fruity at others.

Cellar like fine wine to enjoy during moments of personal reflection. While taking a break from normal routine enjoy a sip of nature. The yeast for this project has waited a year before being introduced here. The Lake Atlanta area is recreational a peaceful water reserve. The yeast holds more mystery the samples were funky, moderate acidity, wet barnyard, stone fruit notes of cherry, and citrus. Wildcrafting with yeast is a self-guided study. Like keeping a sourdough starter. We discarded feed and selectively maintaining the seed.

We select dominate cultures to make fascinating wild ales from simple ingredients. Maintaining a collection of cultures over time to see how things shift. Each bottle holds a distinct mystic. At the time of service and temperature the yeast is speaking. We sip to understand the journey. Let us know what you find. Tag photos. Share Stories. Save the yeast for your own creations for fermentation, baking, or cooking. The beer will not last forever. We can accept the conditions relax for a moment and savor. Today's bottle may not be so great tomorrow. Keep the wins and embrace the journey.

I've enjoyed working with the local community and so sharing beers, stories, time, and space. Ozark Beer Company is a safe creative space. I am currently working with OBC existing stock blending and refermenting wild ales designed for long-term keeping. The idea is to create for intentional consumption. The beers released are sold at the taproom direct to consumer. Working in this way is a walk by faith not all things turn out great. There is lost. We learn. We grow. We continue.

OBC Blue Sky Lager is a seasonal favorite brewed with Texas blue corn. The collaborative wild release finishes the beer with Lake Atalanta native yeast. The carbonation stage is active refermentation in contact with the wild yeast. Kegs and bottles contain active yeast. The carbonation can range. Age the bottles at cellar temperature like fine wine with great care and consideration. This batch is cork and caged store horizontal. Then upright before serving allow bottles to fully cool 24 hours. When ready carefully pour gently leaving the sediment behind.

2025.05.27 — 138 days – current character of stone fruit aroma with diminished hop presence maintaining soft corn sweetness very well in balance low white pepper spice. The beer is six months in the bottle.

We prepared a beer for aging providing a base for rustic barnyard moments. Over time the it will rest at medium-light body with well placed earthy funk. At three years it shall change yeilding to oxidative notes. We suggest a best before date of five years from bottling. This is reflected in the best before date.

Blending and hand bottling wild ales with industry friends is an intentional rebellion. I prefer beers with yeast contact for long term aging. I continue to promote wild expression as well as beer in glass bottles. Working with the team at Ozark has been a joy. We are creating community one beer at a time. The area deservers this type of presence were we collaborate for profit making a long lasting impact for the sake of holding space for the next leaders. I enjoy wild crafting with nature. The yeasts are collections from my travels. They have morphed and shifted as much as I. Their natural expressions continue with maturity. So has the craft beer culture we once knew. I am in the brewery inspired by the next change generation. My work will be to chart a new course. The project has great impact as well as community.

The bottles scheduled for this release are young fresh beer still holding the character of primary fermentation. The wild yeast is active maturing in varying degrees for the next two years. From a brewer’s perspective we are trying them too early. Brewers usually access the stages alone. These moments offer intimacy with the product and insight into its development. The beer is not any greater just different. We pray the bottles age well within context.

Saison Sundays are filled with conversation, music, and friends. I am a brewer working with yeast and wild fermentation. The tasting group has access to upcoming beer releases featuring rustic ales I've created or collected. The brewery hosted tasting events happen when beers are released.

The concept of critical listening is taken from Hi-Fi audio meetings with a group of audiophile enthusiasts. We meet monthly to share new music, enjoy analog sound, and chat all things vintage. Private gatherings are hosted by request.

Send a message to visit or request to join. - Barrett Tillman