Brettcave 01: The Dude

Brettcave is our Wild Sour series, launched in 2022. It’s named after our cellar – the place where we laid the foundations for this style of beer and began our journey into the world of spontaneous fermentation.

The idea of making a beer with mulberries (dud/murva) had been on our minds for a long time. Every time we mentioned it, we’d say: “That beer will be called The Dude.” But whenever we asked people about mulberries, the answers were always the same: “Oh, that used to grow here… no one has that anymore. It’s a nuisance tree, people cut it down.” Over time, we started to think it might never happen.

But in 2022, we posted a poll on Instagram: “Hey folks, does anyone know where we can pick 30 kg of mulberries?” The responses surprised us. Turns out, not everyone had given up on dud. Thanks to our friends and followers who generously shared their trees with us, we managed to collect enough. Every berry was hand-picked by the Mlinarica brewing team – and without you, this beer wouldn’t exist.

A spontaneously fermented beer, aged for 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels, then refermented in the bottle for another year on its own native yeast, following the principles of the champagne method, but without disgorgement.

The mulberries give this beer a distinct dark fruit profile, hints of peppery spice, and a subtle wine-like note that blends beautifully with the funky Brett character and bright acidity.