Side Project Brewing Ambrosia 375ML

Side Project Brewing Ambrosia 375ML is a small-batch, oak-aged wild ale from Maplewood, Missouri, sold in a 375ML bottle. Side Project has built a devoted following for its barrel-fermented ales, and Ambrosia exemplifies the brewery's commitment to old-world production methods — blending raw honey, fruit, and spice with wild yeast fermentation and extended oak aging. Note that multiple versions of Ambrosia have been released with varying ingredients and ABVs; specifications may differ by batch.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~6.0% (varies by release)  |  Origin: Maplewood, Missouri, USA  |  Style: Barrel-Aged Wild Ale / Saison  |  Brewery: Side Project Brewing

Production & Heritage

Side Project Brewing was founded by Cory King in Maplewood, Missouri, with an exclusive focus on barrel-aged beers — particularly saisons, wild ales, and spirit barrel-aged expressions. Ambrosia undergoes open and barrel fermentation, paying tribute to Belgian and farmhouse brewing traditions. The beer is conditioned on fruit, spices, and raw honey in oak barrels, resulting in layers of complexity that evolve with each release. The 375ML format reflects the brewery's limited-production ethos, treating each bottle as a specialty release rather than a volume product.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Tart stone fruit and wild yeast funk lead, followed by gentle oak and baking spice. A honeyed sweetness lingers underneath, grounding the more rustic, farmhouse-forward aromatics.

Taste: The entry is bright with lively acidity and citrus, moving quickly into notes of peach, cinnamon, and clove at mid-palate. Raw honey adds body and a subtle sweetness that balances the assertive tartness without masking the wild fermentation character.

Finish: Dry and tangy, with lingering oak tannin, spice, and a light barnyard funk. The finish is clean but persistent, inviting another sip.

How to Drink Ambrosia

Ambrosia is best served at cellar temperature (50–55°F) in a tulip glass or wine goblet to concentrate the complex aromatics. Pour slowly and allow it a few minutes to open up — the flavors shift meaningfully as the beer warms slightly. While this wild ale is designed primarily for sipping on its own, it performs exceptionally in food-pairing contexts (see below). It is not a typical cocktail ingredient, but adventurous bartenders have used wild ales in beer cocktails such as a Wild Ale Spritz (blended with sparkling wine and a citrus twist), a Berliner Shandy (mixed with lemonade and fresh herbs), or a Stone Fruit Radler (combined with peach nectar for a lighter, fruit-forward drink).

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer collector who values rare, small-batch releases
• Pairing with a multi-course tasting menu or cheese board
• Celebrating a milestone with a bottle meant to be savored slowly
• Introducing wine enthusiasts to the complexity of barrel-aged wild ales

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ambrosia taste like? Ambrosia delivers bright, tart acidity balanced by raw honey sweetness, with flavors of stone fruit, cinnamon, clove, and a dry, funky farmhouse finish shaped by wild yeast and oak aging.

How does Ambrosia compare to Jester King wild ales? Both breweries champion mixed-culture fermentation and oak aging, but Ambrosia tends to lean into honey and baking-spice character, while Jester King's wild ales often showcase terroir-driven fruit and more pronounced Brett funk from their Hill Country environment.

Is Ambrosia good for sipping on its own? Ambrosia is designed for contemplative sipping — the layered acidity, oak influence, and evolving fruit and spice notes reward slow, deliberate tasting at cellar temperature.

Where is Ambrosia made? Ambrosia is brewed and barrel-aged at Side Project Brewing in Maplewood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis known as a hub for innovative craft brewing.

What foods pair well with Ambrosia? Aged goat cheese or Comté complement the beer's tartness. Roasted duck with stone-fruit chutney mirrors its fruit and spice notes. Charcuterie with honey and nuts echoes the honeyed sweetness. A lemon tart or fruit galette works as a dessert pairing, and grilled pork with a cinnamon-spice rub amplifies the mid-palate baking spices.

What sizes does Ambrosia come in? Ambrosia is released in the 375ML bottle format, consistent with Side Project Brewing's approach of offering its barrel-aged ales in smaller, specialty bottles.

Is Ambrosia worth the price? Ambrosia positions as a premium, limited-release wild ale — its extended barrel aging, small-batch production, and use of raw honey and whole spices place it among the more sought-after American wild ales in its price tier.

Why Ambrosia?

Side Project Brewing has earned a reputation as one of the most respected wild ale producers in the United States, and Ambrosia is a signature expression of that identity. The combination of open fermentation, extended oak barrel conditioning, and thoughtful additions of raw honey, fruit, and spice creates a beer that bridges the gap between farmhouse tradition and modern American craft innovation. Each release reflects slight variations in barrel character and ingredient sourcing, making individual bottles genuinely unique. For drinkers who appreciate complexity, restraint, and the kind of depth that only time in oak can deliver, Ambrosia stands as a compelling example of American wild ale at its most intentional.