If you ask Capital Brewery brewmaster Ashley Kinart about her accomplishments, she’ll give you a humble response, though she probably could afford to be a little more boastful given what she and her team have just received.
Kinart and the team at Capital were recently awarded nine medals by the World Beer Championships in their most recent round of beer ratings in the lager category. The Capital “Special Pilsner,” “Wisconsin Amber,” “Lake House Lager” and “Supper Club” were each awarded a silver medal, while gold medals were given to the “Munich Dark,” “Autumnal Fire,” “Oktoberfest” and “Winter Skal” beers.
“Fishin’ in the Dark,” however, was one of only nine beers to win a platinum medal. It was chosen as the top beer in its entire category with a rating of 97 out of 100. But most impressive is the fact it’s Kinart’s first ever original beer recipe for Capital.
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Kinart, a former University of Wisconsin biology and Spanish student, had originally intended to go to medical school after her undergraduate career. But while working as a bartender, the brewing process interested her enough for her to take up homebrewing.
“I just became fascinated behind the process that goes into making beer, and realized that through my education, I already knew a lot that went into the brewing process,” Kinart said.
Kinart took this homebrew experience with her to the Siebel Institute in Chicago and Munich, Germany, where she received her International Brewing Diploma. This translated to part time work at Capital, and with the beer maker’s expansion, Kinart managed to pick up more hours and move up the ranks to become the current brewmaster.
To create “Fishin’ in the Dark,” Kinart started by looking at Capital’s current lineup to see if she could expand upon a category the company had already found success in before. She decided that making a German lager — specifically an Imperial Schwarzbier — would fit the bill.
Kinart was involved in the entire process for
“Fishin’ in the Dark,” which included developing the recipe and name, and even collaborating with the graphic designer to create the beer’s label.
Kinart’s goal while crafting the ingredient list was to keep hops and malts local.
“We know that beer made locally can be expensive, but the quality of the product is so much better, and it’s made in a much more sustainable process,” Kinart said.
Making a platinum-winning beer is a huge feat, but for a company that has won more than 230 awards for their beers since their founding nearly 30 years ago, it seems excellence has become the rule.
Despite her successes, Kinart maintains a humble attitude, something her coworkers see daily.
“I’m sure if you were to ask Ashley about it, she would give a lot of credit to the other brewers and rest of the staff here that help make it such a great beer,” Capital’s Beer Garden Manager Ken Laczkowski said. “She’s almost too humble.”
Moving forward, Kinart said she will continue to approach new recipes with ambition and an open palate. With the 30th anniversary of Capital slowly approaching, Kinart said this means fresh new releases for the eager Capital fanbase.
For people who haven’t tried it, “Fishin’ in the Dark” is unfortunately a limited-release beer, making it often hard to find. Luckily, Kinart said new recipes for the 30th anniversary will start rolling out early this spring.
