Surly MSP Senior Brewer Francis Willette’s first Intelligent Design offering was so successful that it never went away–you can find Pizza Party on both levels of our Beer Hall.

His follow-up? The Mediterranean-inspired Lido Deck. Here, we’ll let him tell you about it.

• The Inspiration: Last year I had the pleasure of traveling to Sicily for a wedding. I tried a beer there called Messina Cristalli di Sale. The beer was light, crisp, slightly cloudy, and finished with just a touch of salinity. It was perfect for a hot Sicilian day or with fried arancini. Lido Deck is my interpretation of this beer.
• The Style: It’s an Italian-Style Pilsner with Sicilian sea salt. So we’re calling it a Sicilian-Style Pilsner.
• The Difference: Italian pilsners include a dry-hopping process, whereas German Pilsners do not. They typically use noble European hops and are dry hopped in very small quantities, giving you a light, unfiltered pils with a subtle hop aroma. Lido Deck was dry hopped cold towards the end of the lagering process.
• The Salt: Adding sea salt makes an already dry beer finish just a little drier and crispier. It provides just enough salinity to make you want to take another sip, but not so much as to be overpowering.
• The Expectation: Drinkers can look forward to an unfiltered, very light-bodied, bready pils with a very subtle hop aroma and a touch of salinity on the finish.
• The Name: The “Lido Deck” is by the pool or beach and where you play, drink, swim, and hang out. It’s a nice thought in the midst of even a mild winter.

Lido Deck is on draft in the Beer Hall right now!