Arizona Beer Class: Arizona Wilderness Lil Gye Rye

(Every Thursday, MXSW reveals the story behind one of Arizona’s noteworthy craft beers. See previous Arizona Beer Classes here.)

This week’s subject: AZ Wilderness Lil Gye Rye

Lil Gye Rye is a session ale (3.7% ABV) brewed with rye malt by Arizona Wilderness Brewing in Gilbert. It debuted the day Wilderness opened in August 2013, and is one of just two beers (along with Refuge IPA) the brewery tries to keep on tap at all times.

What was the inspiration for Lil Gye Rye?

“We did CBC (Craft Brewers Conference) 2010 in San Diego,” says Jonathan Buford, referring to himself and Arizona Wilderness co-owner Brett Dettler. “At that time, it was kinda the tail end of giant IPAs. If it wasn’t 8.2% (ABV) it wasn’t an IPA. Our livers got destroyed from that week.

“On the way back, we stopped at Alpine Brewing Company. We had Nelson, which has a beautiful Nelson Sauvin hop character. And I said, ‘Brett, we could put this (hop) in rye, because it tastes very similar to me. I think we would have a great session ale.’

“So we came back and immediately – I think the next day even – we made a recipe together, went to the home brew shop, and started brewing it.”

How do you describe the beer’s style?

“I like the term ‘session ale,'” Buford says. “I don’t like the term ‘session IPA.’ If it’s an IPA, it’s an IPA. I think session ale kinda fits. We don’t try to bitter it like an IPA. We try to balance it out and lean a little toward hop bitterness. But if you really take some time to look at it, it plays as a unique beer that deserves its own category.”

Where did you get the name Lil Gye Rye?

“Somewhere in the garage, when we were home brewing,” Buford says. “I can’t remember what triggered it. Everything has been wilderness names. This was something a little cheeky.”

What has been people’s reaction to the beer?

“The guys from (popular website) RateBeer were here yesterday,” Buford says. “‘How did you pack that much flavor into a 3.7% ale?’ That’s the first impression. ‘This has gotta be 6%.’ And we tell them, ‘No, it’s 3.7% alcohol.’”

Wilderness brewmaster Patrick Ware points out, “If you come in with a preconceived notion that it’s an IPA and you’re a hophead bitterness guy, it’s not an IPA.”

“Hence the reason I don’t like the name session IPA,” Buford says. “You’re typecasting it into this one section and really it’s a broad beer. It’s comparable to bitters, in my opinion.

“I like the term session ale because of that. You don’t have the guy going, ‘This is not hoppy enough.’ It’s not supposed to be hoppy. It’s supposed to be balanced and nuanced and dry and drinkable and refreshing.”

Where does Lil Gye Rye rank in your sales?

“Refuge IPA is our No. 1, but Lil Gye is only a short way behind it,” Buford says. “We brew it every other week. If you think about how we brew things here – Aravaipa Dubbel is coming up, Suit-n-TiePA – we only brew those once a quarter. So think about how much we brew Lil Gye (in comparison).

“It does very well for us. We’ve made a price change on it. About two weeks ago, we decided to take it from $4.50 a pint to $4 a pint. On happy hour, it’s $3 a pint. The whole idea is to have a working-class beer.

“When you’re here – whether you’re a HVAC tech or you’re a plumber or you work for Go Daddy – when you come for a couple beers after work, to put $12 into a tab when you just want to have a couple beers with the guys, we just didn’t feel comfortable with that.

“We really want this to be the working person’s beer. That’s why we put it in a can (shaped) glass. It fits the theme.”

You’ve occasionally brewed a Big Gye Rye?

“We’ve committed a lot of our hop storage and contract to Nelson for Lil Gye Rye in particular, but also Big Gye Rye,” Buford says. “We’re actually gonna come out with four ‘Gye’ rye beers: Lil Gye, Middle Gye (5.5% ABV), Big Gye (7.5%), and Gigantic Gye (9%).”

Can people find Lil Gye Rye anywhere else?

“Only here,” Buford says. “I think this would be a incredible canned beer. However, we have no commitments to that. We are expanding. We have plans we’re going to announce soon. There’ll be a lot more of this beer, so you’ll probably see it on accounts (at some other bars).

“But that’s really not our focus. Our focus isn’t about other people serving our beer, it’s about us serving our beer.”

Final thoughts on Lil Gye Rye?

“People have caught on to this beer,” Buford says. “It’s amazing. I was looking at the quotes on Facebook, and I didn’t realize how many people love it. It’s really become a cult classic. The RateBeer guys were so impressed with it. We sent it to Russian River – we traded some beers with them –they were very impressed.

“It’s kinda slowly becoming – I wouldn’t say our staple because Refuge sells so well – but I want it become our staple. I love the idea that we can pack all that flavor into a 3.7% beer.”