Which Beers are in the Soap? - Part 2

Hey there! Have you ever wondered which beers are in the beer soaps here at White Pine Bath & Brew? How does the beer selection process work when I design a new soap? After covering all the year-round and fragrance-free soaps in Part 1 of "Which Beers are in the Soap?" I had to come back and chat you up about the beers in my seasonal soaps! My seasonal soaps are only offered for a limited time each year! Some come back every year while others I might discontinue or pause to perfect the recipes. So let's dig into the seasonals starting at the beginning of the year, the Valentine's Day/Spring seasonal soap...

 

KETTLE ROSE

Available January - sellout

Kettle Rose is one of the very few floral soaps I've made. I'm not usually a huge floral scent girl - you know how some of them just smell like Grandma's house or an overpowering, cheap perfume? Kettle Rose is definitely the exception. Gentle and romantic with a touch of citrus, I needed to pair this soap with something fruity and enchanting. What beer could be more perfect for that than Charms & Hexes by Banded Brewing Co. If you read Part 1, you already know why I love the crew at Banded Brewing, but have I told you how much I love a good sour? Charms & Hexes is a spirited sour ale with rotating fruits, so the exact ale in Kettle Rose isn't always the same. With Kettle Rose coming out just in time for Valentine's Day, I knew this sweet and tart beer was the perfect fit! Fun fact: while usually a pink or red color, the Charms & Hexes beer has always turned bright green when initially combined with sodium hydroxide in the soap making process. Luckily, the end color of the bar soap remains unaffected by this. The pinkish hue of Kettle Rose actually comes from the natural rose clay powder it contains. 

DARK & STORMY

available July - sellout

If there was ever a soap I would make forever, it would be this one. My all-time favorite, the Dark & Stormy is the dramatic, dark soap I bring around every summer! I may make beer soap, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a classic cocktail once in a while. Let me tell you, there is no happier flavor or scent combo in the world than ginger and lime! Just like I love sour ales, I love getting heavy-handed with the lime juice in a cocktail. This soap, however, is anything but heavy-handed. Dark & Stormy is so perfectly balanced that it needed a beer that sang the same tune. Dark & Foamy from Foulmouthed Brewing was the obvious beer for this soap. Dark & Foamy is an amber ale brewed with real ginger for a zing like a stormy night at sea! Unfortunately, Foulmouthed Brewing closed down over the summer, preventing me from using their beer in future batches of soap. With this soap being my personal favorite and a best-seller, I do have plans to find a replacement beer down the road. It will have to be something that still honors the spirit of the dark and stormy cocktail. Keep your fingers crossed that I find that dark storm soon ;)

AMERICAN BLONDE

available July - sellout

Craft beer should be enjoyed by all. That said, there are plenty of folks working hard on their sobriety or just looking to cut back on their alcohol intake. A conversation with a fellow small business owner got me thinking. As a sober individual, she expressed her own discomfort with using beer soap. Although none of my soaps contain alcohol by the end of production, I realized none of my soaps represented her community. After asking for her favorite non-alcoholic brewery, I reached out to Kit NA Brewing. 

Thus, the 2023 summer seasonal soap was born: American Blonde. The smooth vanilla and fresh mint scent of the soap pairs perfectly with On Your Mark American Blonde. On Your Mark is Kit's multiple award-winning flagship beer! Citrusy, crisp, and hop-forward, you would never know this blonde was both non-alcoholic and crafted to remove gluten! By using On Your Mark in the American Blonde beer soap, I found a way to represent those of us that love craft beer but still want to keep our k*t together.

SPICED PUMPKIN PORTER

available September - sellout

A fall necessity, there was no way I was going to skip out on a pumpkin soap! This scent profile was another original recipe from the early days at White Pine Bath & Brew. Luckily, it was easy to find a beer for this soap as there is no shortage of pumpkin ales come autumn. Pumpkinhead from Shipyard Brewing has been my go-to for this soap as a wheat ale with festive aromatics and spiced sweetness. Shipyard's use of real spices in this beer mirrors the exfoliating spices I use in the Spiced Pumpkin Porter soap. While I can't say I'm always in the mood to drink a pumpkin beer, I do always love the scrub of a good pumpkin soap.

SPICED CHAI

available September - sellout 

It's all about balance, right? For every ice-cold beer, we need something cozy and hot! When the weather turns cooler, nothing says "hibernation" like an oat milk chai latte. So after years of asking, my sister finally convinced me to make her the soap of her dreams, Spiced Chai. I wanted to do this for a long time but never seemed to get around to it. Now that it's here, it's one of my favorite soaps! I use Oktoberfest, a malty Märzen-style lager from Rising Tide Brewing Co. This golden, light-bodied fall brew is the perfect way to celebrate the beginning of the season as we are all hunkering down for those long, Maine winters. So, whether you prefer a shower beer or a shower chai, you can't go wrong with the Spiced Chai beer soap.

CRANBERRY FROST

available September - sellout

I had no idea how popular this soap would be! Its effervescent scent, stunning pink color, and whimsical speckles from the poppy seeds make it irresistible! I think I first made Cranberry Frost back in 2022 in a mad dash to round out my fall/holiday soap offerings in time for the autumn buzz. Cranberry Frost has always shared beer with Maine Woodsman beer soap, meaning that historically, I used The Town IPA by Lone Pine Brewing Co. The Town is a limited-release session IPA that Lone Pine created with their friends at The Anchor in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston. Being the first brewery excess I have ever collected for soap, The Town will always hold a special meaning at White Pine Bath & Brew. However, with my current stock of The Town all used-up, I have made recent batches of Cranberry Frost with Flume from Battery Steele Brewing Co. I have plans in 2025 to revise the beer in Cranberry Frost to something that reflects its same level of fruity playfulness. If you have any favorite Maine beers that would be a good fit, let me know!

LUMP OF COAL

available November - sellout

You might find it ironic that my darkest-colored beer soap (it's black), is made with Allagash White from - you guessed it - Allagash Brewing Co. Leaning into the paradox, this refreshing, crushable beer is brewed with raw wheat to give it a hazy white appearance. Look at it as the snow on Christmas morning when you wake up to find Lump of Coal in your stocking. Maybe being naughty is a little bit nice after all! Allagash White is the award-winning, iconic, Maine staple that has managed to make waves well outside of New England. But if you have ever tried it, you understand. As for me, I always love a crisp, Belgian-style wheat ale, and Allagash White is no exception. A malty finish is such a comfy end to a refreshing beer.

BEER & CHRISTMAS CHEER

available November - sellout

Ah yes, the soap that celebrates all my childhood nostalgia and good holiday memories. I find this soap ended up smelling exactly like Constant Comment Bigelow tea. This wasn't an intentional mimicry on my part, but I do love how it turned out! My mom always has this orange and clove tea on hand, making this soap a strong reminder of her for me. Love you, Mom. The notes of spicy clove and citrus smell just like Christmas! A holiday special soap requires a holiday special beer! In this case, I didn't stray from the 'dad beer' lineup at Geary's Brewing Co. Their Hampshire Special Ale (or HSA) has been the long-standing beer in Beer & Christmas Cheer. This "winter warmer" is a strong, heavy-bodied ale with a thick mouth feel. Malty and sweet with a hoppy build, the HSA is here to create that creamy lather we all love in a good soap! 

Do you have a favorite soap - or beer - from all of the ones I discussed? A favorite brewery in Maine, perhaps? I'd love to hear about it! If you haven't already, check out Which Beers are in the Soap? - Part 1 for all the details on the beer I chose for my year-round soaps and their fragrance-free counterparts! You can sign up for the newsletter here to get discounts and updates on all the exciting things happening here at White Pine Bath & Brew!

Cheers,

Elaine