We love to hear stories about people turning their dreams into reality. People who are so passionate about what they want to do and fully pursue it from the very beginning. Such is the case for Wynn Whisenhunt, owner and brewer for Emeryville, California-based Wondrous Brewing Company.

Off to School

Wondrous Brewing Company is a dream project of Wynn’s. He grew up in the East Bay area near San Francisco, California, and has been brewing professionally in Northern California for about 13 years.

“I found a unique passion for brewing early in my life, started homebrewing, and soon after, found myself enthralled with working as a brewer in a commercial brewery at the age of 17,” Whisenhunt said. He didn’t stay put long though. By the time he was 21, he was off to Chicago, Illinois, and then Munich, Germany, where he attended the World Brewing Academy.

He obtained his International Diploma in Brewing Technology and spent the following years working at breweries big and small.

“During this time, I honed in on what my brewing style would be and dreamed of building a brewing facility of my own,” Whisenhunt said. His dream became a reality in May 2021 with the opening of Wondrous Brewing Company, which focuses on small-batch Lagerbiers and fresh West Coast hoppy beers.

Keller Pils

Among Wondrous’ offerings is Keller Pils, a German-style Pilsner beer.

“So, this is a pretty simple beer like most of our Lagers here,” said Whisenhunt.

It is 100% German Pilsner Malt and hopped with Loral in the kettle, fermented with one of Whisenhunt’s favorite yeasts, followed by a little post-fermentation dry hop with Loral to help push its aromas out.

“We’ve been loving this hop a lot actually, it’s an American grown hop with some European descent and has very nice Noble hop qualities to it, sort of between an American hop and Noble Germany hop, so kind of perfect for what we’re doing at Wondrous, an American (mostly) Lager brewery,” stated Whisenhunt.

Leckeres Bier

If you’re not familiar with loosely translated English to German, Leckeres Bier means delicious beer, which is just what Keller Pils is.

The beer is bright, clean and very crisp. The initial, fresh floral aroma teases your nose. You can’t really smell freshness, but if you could, Keller Pils would be a splendid example of what it would smell like. Picture yourself having a picnic in the German countryside with a nice warm breeze blowing in, all while enjoying a pint of Keller Pils!

This is one of the best German-style Pilsners we’ve had the privilege of coating our taste buds with. You get some of the floral notes with the taste, but accompanied by some bright, fruity characteristics. Whisenhunt attributes the flavor profile to the authentic ingredients and the Loral dry hop. It has a nice, clean dry finish with a touch of hop bitterness to cut out some of the sweetness. Overall, the beer isn’t sweet, but the fruitiness lends just a touch of sweetness balanced by the crispy finish.

Keller Pils is available mostly through the spring, summer and fall. Wondrous debuts winter-style Lagers during the colder months, allowing them to shine while fans of Keller Pils eagerly await its return when the weather turns sunny and nice.

---

Can't visit the site everyday like us? Bummer! No worries, we've got you covered. Submit your email below to receive our monthlyish newsletter on reviews, tours, events and more!

Email address:

Leave this field empty if you're human: