Four years, four beers

Perry Street Brewing celebrates its fourth anniversary this weekend with the return of a fruity favorite and the release of three new barrel-aged beers.

The Kumquat IPA, which went fast during its debut last year, will be back on tap when the festivities kick off Friday from 4 to 11 p.m.

“It’s shaping up to be really awesome,” owner/brewer Ben Lukes says. “It’s still pretty early in the season, so (the kumquats are) super tart. I think it’s got brighter citrus this year, and the aromatics are great.”

And this year, Lukes brewed two double batches, so it should last a lot longer.

The barrel-aged offerings that will flow when the doors open Saturday at 11:30 a.m. include:

– An imperial stout that’s been aging for four months in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels.

– A Belgian-style tripel which has spent six months in 2013 Robert Karl Cellars cabernet sauvignon barrels.

– And Perry Street’s first-ever Brett beer, a tart saison that’s been in a chardonnay barrel for more than a year with wild Brettanomyces yeast and assorted bacteria.

“It’s like the tart saison with a little bit of the Duchess going on,” says Lukes, referring to the revered Duchess de Bourgogne sour red from Belgium.

Only a sixth-barrel (about five gallons) of each will pour on Saturday, while they last. But look for them to return here and there throughout the coming year.

A special condensed food menu will be served both days, to keep up with the crowds, and there again will be raffles to benefit nearby Grant Elementary School. Grand prizes are a stand-up paddleboard and the perennially popular Golden Growler, which entitles its owner to a free pint and growler fill each week for the following year.