I have yet to catch a sturgeon, at least partially because I’ve never targeted them. I’ve been in the boat musky fishing when one of my partners hooked one and quickly released it, but that’s the extent of my experience with them. One day I hope to visit my friend Ryan Rosenbaum in Idaho to catch one of those 8- to 10-foot long acrobats, and then tap out and whack on a bunch of smallmouths on the same water. Until then, I’ll have to get my sturgeon fix through alcohol.
That’s possible through Alberta’s Sturgeon Brewing Company, which has built an entire brand around these primitive fish.
Of course they also live in Russia, where caviar is prized, so it’s no surprise that you can buy Sturgeon Russian Imperial Stout
How about a Sturgeon Stout from Buckin’ Bass Brewing?
Virginia’s Hardywood offers up the Great Return American IPA in honor of the “symbolic return of the endangered Atlantic sturgeon, a prehistoric, yet majestic behemoth of a fish, spotted as far up the James River as the fall line in Richmond.” A portion of the profits go to the James River Association.
Similarly, The People’s Pint Brewery in Massachusetts created Shortnose Stout in 2016 as part of a partnership with the Connecticut River Watershed Council, as part of an attempt to benefit the endangered shortnose sturgeon in the Connecticut River.
In Idaho, where I someday hope to catch that big sturgeon, Broken Horn brews Sturgeon Tale Pale Ale
Finally, Tennessee’s Naked River Brewing Company, not far from great fisheries like Chickamauga and Guntersville, brews another American IPA called Sturgeon General (I’m equally anxious to try Cosmic Turtle, Moonpie Stout and of course Salty Knockers).
Bass may be America’s favorite sportfish, but the bottom-dwelling, omnivorous catfish is pure Americana. We’ve caught giants here on the Potomac River, tried to catch them on blue soap in Zambia, and still hope to land some surubim in South America – but we’ve never had a brew named after one.