Best of Cleveland 2016: Lavender Beer

We can only drink so many pumpkin beers and heavy Christmas ales before it starts getting difficult to finish our glass. “Your palate gets fatigued,” says Pete Velez, brewmaster at Sibling Revelry Brewing. Velez’s answer is the light and crisp Lavender Wit ($5). He first brewed up the idea of adding the flower to the orange peel and coriander usually found in Belgian-style white beers in 2005. When Sibling Revelry opened in Westlake this year, Velez brought it back as a year-round offering. Our noses get a kick out of the fresh lavender, which Velez adds later in the brewing process so it isn’t overwhelming. He uses sour malt in many of his beers, but ups the ante for this one to give it a welcomed tartness that keeps us coming back for more. “That’s by design,” Velez says. “It’s low-alcohol. It’s refreshing.” 29305 Clemens Road, Westlake, 440-471-8589, siblingrevelrybrewing.com