Edible flowers in beer

[Ray Grace]

I recently read an article in Imbibe magazine where a Southhampton beer called Cuvee Des Fleurs was mentioned, a saison brewed with edible flowers. My question to all the intrepid alechemists out there, how would you add flowers to a brew? Would you add them like a hop during the latter portions of the boil, use them as a type of 'dryhop', or maybe steep them in a neutral liquor like vodka and then add the steep?

[Chipper Dave]

I recently tried a new kind of beer that used brewing water that had been infused with Orange Blossoms prior to the boil. Buckbean Brewing of Reno Nevada brews a beer called Original Orange Blossom Ale and according to their web site, they brew their beer with Orange Blossom water. I can only imagine that they let a boat load of orange blossoms soak in water for a certain period of time and then use that water to brew their ale in.

You can definitely smell the orange blossoms in this beer. The flowers gave the water an herbal/floral/honey characteristic. Very different kind of brew but good nonetheless. So I guess you can use flowers pre-boil, during boil or even post boil (dry-hop like). Best way is to try something and see how it works.

[Shawn, the Beer Philosopher]

Yeah, this is a different beer, for certain. Can't say I was a fan of this can ...

http://aleuminati.ning.com/photo/1501346:Photo:14447

Their Black Noddy lager on the other hand ... very nice!