Brewers go large when bottling their finest beers

Beer shoppers scouring the shelves for their favorite brands these days will be excused if they think they've mistakenly stumbled into the wine aisle. Increasingly, the premium varieties are packaged not in typical 12-ouncers and sixpacks, but large, 750 ml and 22-ounce bottles seemingly more suitable for the chardonnay set.

Many are corked or wrapped in foil or even carefully packed in commemorative boxes. Elaborate labels often show how to decant the contents into the proper glassware.

A vintage barleywine called Gratitude from tiny East End Brewing in Pittsburgh is wrapped in hand-printed brown paper that's been autographed by the brewer, hand-numbered in ink and sealed with wax. You almost want to bring in a string quartet to accompany the sommelier while he opens it up.

Big beer bottles have been around for years, of course, but unlike those familiar 40s of malt liquor, today's variety isn't meant to be consumed from a brown paper bag. These bottles are for sharing over dinner, or with a group of friends, because in most cases, they're the brewer's best ales and lagers.

Vermont's Otter Creek, for example, produces a decent line of classic styles in 12-ounce bottles — an amber ale, a porter, the usual suspects. But its World Tour series, a collection of unique 22-ouncers representing unusual styles (Australian sparkling ale, Aztec chocolate beer, Jamaican stout) from around the globe, cranks it up two or three notches.

The same goes at New Hampshire's Smuttynose, a traditional brewery that cuts loose with its seasonal release of Big Beers. Its S'muttonator double bock and Wheat Wine Ale are imaginative groundbreakers.

The trend is remarkable because most breweries are not equipped to produce large packages. Often, these bottles must be filled, capped and labeled by hand.

Moreover, they are intended to be sold as singles — a daunting obstacle in many locations where beer is typically purchased by the case or sixpack. Some distributors flatly refuse to handle large bottles because a case can run $100 or more. That single bottle of Gratitude, for example, cost me $22.

Not all big bottles, however, are pricey.

Six bucks will get you a 22-ounce bottle of the beautifully hopped Bear Republic Racer 5 (California). For a little less than that, you can grab a bomber of lip-smacking Rogue Chocolate Stout (Oregon). And maybe the best deal of 'em all: $5 for a 22-ounce bottle of Southampton Imperial Porter (New York).

But shelling out hard-earned cash for these bottles is only half the challenge.

When you get them home, you've got to find room for the tall boys in the fridge. Which is to say, goodbye milk carton.

Or, find a cool spot in your cellar and stand them upright. Most corked bottles don't need the added moisture that accrues from laying them on their sides. Plus, standing them upright will keep any yeast sediment on the bottom, where it belongs.

Here's a (very large) sixpack to track down this autumn:

Widmer Cherry Oak Doppelbock (Oregon) — the first in Widmer Brothers' new Brothers Reserve series, fermented with tart and dark cherries, then aged on new, toasted American oak; 22 ounces.

Sierra Nevada Estate Brewers Harvest Ale (California) — made with hops and barley grown on the brewery's premises in the Central Valley; 24 ounces.

Elysian Dark of the Moon Pumpkin Stout (Washington) — the rich, dark brewpub favorite is being bottled for the first time this season; 22 ounces.

Flying Fish Exit 1 (New Jersey) — a stout brewed with oysters; 750 ml.

The Bruery Rugbrød (California) — a malty Danish-style ale made with rye; 750 ml.

Boulevard Harvest Dance (Missouri) — a strong (9.1 percent alcohol by volume) wheat wine, the latest in the brewery's Smokestack series; 750 ml.

Joe Sixpack appears Wednesdays in the Appeal-Democrat. For more beer news, visit www.joesixpack.net. E-mail: joe@joesixpack.net.