"tej" news and stories

Back in 1970, jazzman Miles Davis released the boundary-busting album Bitches Brew, which brought jazz-rock fusion to the mainstream. Now, forty years later, a special anniversary edition of Davis' masterpiece is being released with a special feature that beer fans can appreciate -- a real Bitches Brew made by Delaware's Dogfish Head, sold in a bottle featuring the album's trippy original artwork.

"There's a spirit of innovation, of creativity and individuality that's at the core of Miles' music," notes Adam Block, Legacy Recordings' senior vice president and manager. "Sam [Calagione] and Dogfish Head approach their art from the same place."

To pay homage to Davis' tunes, head brewer Calagione constructed what he dubbed a threaded beer -- that is, batches of separately fermented brew that are blended into a cohesive elixir. Of Bitches Brew's four threads, three constitute an imperial stout made with Muscovado sugar. The last thread is an African honey wine called Tej, which receives its bitterness from the gesho root (hops aren't native to Africa).