In 1999, Allagash Brewing Company had three full-time employees and three beers: Allagash White (a wheat beer), Dubbel (a dark abbey-style ale), and Grand Cru (a seasonal spiced golden ale we only released in the winter). So it felt right to add a Tripel, a golden style of beer with high-ish alcohol content that was also brewed in the Belgian Abbey style.

It was also the perfect opportunity to start using 750mL cork-and-cage bottles, something that wasn’t widely used in the United States at the time. Traditionally associated with sparkling wines, the 750mL bottle fit nicely with the balanced and elegant flavors you tend to find in a Tripel. More on those bottles later.

When it came to creating the beer, our founder Rob Tod got to work writing the recipe. What he came back with was simple: one type of grain, two types of hops, sugar, and our house yeast strain. It was so simple that one of our employees at the time said “maybe it’s too simple.”