Brooklyn Brewery Packages Bel Air Sour as New Limited Release

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belair-6pk-lrBrooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, New York) recently announced that they have officially released Bel Air Sour for the first time as a packaged offering.

After over two years of development and an incredibly successful release in 2016 as a draft-only Brewmasters Reserve offering, Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver and Lab Manager and Microbiologist Drew Bombard have plenty of reasons to be proud of Bel Air Sour.  This special brew was meticulously crafted to have “the precise balance of sharp, clean acidity and tropical fruit they dreamed of striking in a sour ale.”  They achieved this feat in large part due to the use of the brewery’s house ale yeast, lactobacillus, “and a generous helping of Amarillo dry-hopping.”  The beer is then smoothed out with barley and wheat malts “to keep things dry and refreshing, and the whole thing comes together to close with a fine dry finish.”  Since fans could not seem to get enough of last year’s limited Brewmasters Reserve release of Bel Air Sour, the brewery decided to brew up a larger batch and put it in bottles this time around.

Bel Air Sour is a Limited Release offering available now in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles, and on draft.  You can find this brew for a limited time at craft beer-friendly bars, restaurants and retailers in Florida and throughout the rest of Brooklyn Brewery’s distribution footprint.  If the first release of Bel Air Sour is any indicator, this brew will not be hanging around for long.  Get you some while you can.  Prost!

Vital Information for Bel Air Sour from Brooklyn Brewery

Release – Limited/Seasonal, January 2017
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 5.8%
Hops – Challenger, Perle, Mosaic & Amarillo
Malts – American 2-Row & Pale Wheat 
Yeast – Brooklyn House Ale Yeast
Additional Ingredients – Lactobacillus
Suggested Pairings –  “Sorbets, fruit, classic car design, grilled chicken, throwbacks, snapbacks, snappy comebacks, seafood, goat cheeses, loud shirts, margherita pizzas, and style.”
Availability – 6-packs & 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://brooklynbrewery.com/find

Bell’s Brewery Begins 2017 Release of Hopslam Ale

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2017hopslamBell’s Brewery (Comstock, Michigan) has announced that Hopslam Double India Pale Ale has officially begun its yearly, staggered release into distribution as of January 2.

January is upon us and that can only mean one thing: Hopslam Season! For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this incredibly popular brew, Hopslam Ale is a sizable Double India Pale Ale that receives an initial dose of six different hop varietals in the brew kettle and then dry-hopped with a “massive” addition of Simcoe hops.  This bombardment of hops makes for “the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell’s repertoire.” For added complexity and balance, all of this hoppy goodness rests atop a foundation built with “a generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey.”  At 10% ABV, Hopslam Ale is a surprisingly easy-drinking DIPA boasting “a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit and floral notes.”

Due to this beer’s popularity, Bell’s Brewery approaches each year’s arrival of Hopslam Ale with a staggered release across their distribution area.  The release schedule and areas are as follow:

  • Week of January 2 – Lower counties of Michigan (Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Clare, Clinton, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lake, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa, St. Joseph, Shiawassee, Van Buren, Washtenaw & Wayne)
  • Week of January 9 – Northern Michigan and the U.P. (Upper Peninsula), Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia & Wisconsin
  • Week of January 16 – Alabama, Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, Southern California, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee & Virginia

Once this offering arrives in your area, you will be able to find limited amounts of Hopslam Ale in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer establishments.  A word of warning here: this beer never lasts for long once it hits shelves and taps.  Make a note of your area’s release week, stay vigilant, and grab your sixer or pour whenever you see it because odds are that it will not be waiting for you on your next visit. Prost!

Vital Information for Hopslam Ale from Bell’s Brewery

Release – Limited/Specialty, staggered release beginning week of January 2
Style – Double India Pale Ale
ABV – 10%
Hops – Pacific Northwest varieties, dry-hopped with Simcoe
Shelf Life – 6 months (best enjoyed as fresh as possible)
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – http://www.bellsbeer.com/beer-finder/

Innis & Gunn Launches Non-Alcoholic Innis & None Pale Ale

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innis-none-badge__largeInnis & Gunn (Edinburgh, Scotland) announced this week that they are entering “Dry January” with the release of their first alcohol free beer, Innis & None Pale Ale.

Designed to be a detox beer for those “taking part in Dry January, or just cutting down after the festive season, for the tee-totaller or the fitness fanatic,” Innis & Gunn has developed Innis & None Alcohol Free Pale Ale as a perfect alternative for “the increasing number of adults who just opts to give their bodies a break.”  Innis & None more than makes up for its lack of alcohol with an impressive hop bill comprised of Columbus, Zeus, Tomahawk, Magnum, Hercules, and Apollo hops.  With the additions of ginseng and vitamin C, this 0.0% ABV brew ultimately comes together as “a delicious citrus pale ale with big hop bitterness, balanced with a touch of sweetness.”

With packaging in 4-packs and 12-packs of 330ml cans, Innis & None Alcohol Free Pale Ale is available for purchase exclusively in Innis & Gunn’s online store (click here) and at the brewery’s Beer Kitchen locations in Edinburgh, Dundee and St Andrews.  Shipping costs aside, Innis & None might just be the perfect way to satisfy a hop craving no matter the time of day or circumstance.  Prost!

Vital Information for Innis & None Alcohol Free Pale Ale from Innis & Gunn

Release – Limited, January 2017
Style – Pale Ale
ABV – 0%
Hops – Columbus, Zeus, Tomahawk, Magnum, Hercules & Apollo
Malt – Pale Ale 
Added Ingredients – Ginseng & Vitamin C
Availability – The Innis & Gunn Beer Kitchen locations in Edinburgh, Dundee and St Andrews, and at the brewery’s online shop
Online Shop – http://shop.innisandgunn.com/products/innis-none

Jester King Brewery to Release Bière de Blanc du Bois

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jkblanc_editedOn Friday, January 6 at 4 p.m., Jester King Brewery (Austin, Texas) will release their 2016 vintage of Bière de Blanc du Bois- Barrel-Aged Beer Refermented with Blanc du Bois Grapes.

Officially returning for its third batch, Bière de Blanc du Bois is a true embodiment of Jester King Brewery’s unwavering commitment to create Farmhouse-style Ales with mixed fermentation techniques and local agriculture.  This brew begins as a blend of barrel-aged sour beer that has been fermented with a “mixed culture of native yeast and bacteria.”  Once the proper blend has been achieved, the beer is then refermented with Texas-grown Blanc du Bois grapes.  This lengthy process results in a unique offering that is a study in both Farmhouse brewing and ancient Georgian winemaking.

Due to the limited number of bottles (about 1,800 total), Bière de Blanc du Bois will only be available for purchase in Jester King’s Tasting Room beginning on January 6.  These 500ml bottles will be $20 each and there will be a bottle limit of two bottles per person per day.  There is an outside chance that Bière de Blanc du Bois may turn up at a handful of special events, but your only confirmed shot at this brew is at the brewery itself.  If Sour/Wild Ales are your thing and this beer is speaking to you, you need to either hit up your favorite travel website now for a last-minute deal – Austin is awesome any time of year – or make some good friends in Texas.  Prost!

Vital Information for Bière de Blanc du Bois from Jester King Brewery

Release – Limited/Brewery only, January 6, 2017
Style – American Wild Ale
ABV – 6.0%
Malts – Pilsner Malt, Wheat Malt
Hops – Golding
Fermentation – Farmhouse Yeast, Native Yeast and Souring Bacteria from the Texas Hill Country
Added Ingredients – Blanc du Bois Grapes
Treatment – Refermented in oak barrels
Availability – Brewery only, 500ml bottles for $20 each (limit of 2 per person per day) or by the glass

jesterkingonecolorlogo

J. Wakefield Brewing Expands Distribution to Orlando and Tampa

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jwakfield-launch-01-700x1082J. Wakefield Brewing (Miami, Florida) announced this week that they have partnered with Cavalier Distributing (Lakeland, Florida) to officially extend their reach to the areas of Orlando and Tampa.

The New Year has certainly gotten off to a good start for craft beer fans in Orlando and Tampa now that J. Wakefield Brewing has decided to expand distribution of their draught beer portfolio into those areas effective immediately.  The brewery will enter these areas with “flagship beers including El Jefe Hefeweizen, Hops 4 Teacher IPA, Amber Waves, 24th Street Brown Ale, and UJP Porter, as well as seasonal and limited releases as they are available.”

“We are excited to partner with Cavalier to bring our beers to our fans and friends in Orlando and Tampa,” said Johnathan Wakefield, Owner/Brewmaster of J. Wakefield Brewing. “Cavalier has been entirely focused on distributing great beer for nearly 25 years, and has contributed greatly to the growth of craft beer in Florida, since starting their business here in 2012.”

Cavalier Distributing will handle all distribution responsibilities in these areas for J. Wakefield Brewing.  Although the brewery’s offerings are starting to hit taps in these areas now, J. Wakefield Brewing and Cavalier Distributing have planned official Launch Parties to begin on January 5 in Orlando and on January 12 in Tampa.  The confirmed list of launch events and locations are as follows:

Orlando Area

Tampa Area

  • Thursday, January 12 at 6 p.m. – The Stein & Vine (827 West Bloomingdale Ave., Brandon)
  • Friday, January 13 at 6 p.m. – The Ale and the Witch (111 2nd Ave NE, Saint Petersburg)
  • Saturday, January 14 at 6 p.m. – Mermaid Tavern (6719 N. Nebraska Ave. Tampa)

If you are a beer lover in the Orlando or Tampa areas, be sure to start the New Year with some new beer and give J. Wakefield Brewing a proper welcome to your favorite craft beer spots this month.  Prost!

 

Southern Sixer IPA to Make Seasonal Debut for Highland Brewing

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hbcsouther6er_editedHighland Brewing Company (Asheville, North Carolina) has announced that Southern Sixer IPA will officially release on Friday, January 27 as the brewery’s first Seasonal of 2017.

Brewed in recognition of “a group of Southern Appalachian mountains over 6,000 feet in elevation” known as the “Southern Sixers”, Southern Sixer IPA has a serious fixation with the number six.  Hopped with six varietals (Ekuanot™, Mosaic, Columbus, Cascade, Chinook & Simcoe), this West Coast-style India Pale Ale boasts “assertive citrus and tropical fruit notes . . . along with hints of pine and green pepper.”  Clocking in at 6% ABV and 60 IBUs, this golden “brew finishes bitter and crisp with a lingering, dank hop presence.”

“I am excited about Southern Sixer because the bulk of the hops we are using, Equinox now rebranded as Ekuanot™, have never been used in a Highland beer before. Ekuanot™ and Mosaic® will carry the beer together, and the complementing four others are in the dry hop. Ekuanot™ is a very unique flavoring and aromatic hop that will give us cool characteristics, like ripe berry and cedar forest. Mixed with tropical Mosaic® and others, Sixer is going to be a uniquely fruity and resiny IPA, not just classic citrus and pine.”

Hollie Stephenson, Highland Brewing Company Brewmaster

Highland Brewing Company will officially launch Southern Sixer IPA with an event in their taproom on January 27th at 4pm (click here for more inf0).  Since every Seasonal release from Highland Brewing is named for a protected feature of Southern Appalachia, “every glass of Southern Sixer sold on January 27th will result in one dollar donated to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.”  Shortly after the launch party, Southern Sixer will become available on draft and in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles in Alabama, Florida and the rest of the brewery’s distribution area.  If you are in search of a new hop fix in 2017, keep an eye out for this one when it lands at the end of the month.  Prost!

Vital Information for Southern Sixer IPA from Highland Brewing Company

Release – Seasonal, beginning late-January 2017
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 6%
IBUs – 60
Hops –  Ekuanot™ (a.k.a. Equinox), Mosaic, Columbus, Cascade, Chinook & Simcoe
Malts –  2 Row base, C-20 & C-40
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft

Ballast Point Brewing Introduces Manta Ray Double IPA

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02-beers-primary-image-mantarayBallast Point Brewing Company (San Diego, California) starts the New Year off in proper fashion with the debut of their newest Year-Round offering, Manta Ray Double India Pale Ale.  

Previously brewed as “The Landlord” or “Roots to Boots Double IPA” from the brewery’s R&D program, Ballast Point Brewery has now officially upgraded this Double IPA’s status to become a packaged, Year-Round release under the name Manta Ray.  In true West Coast style, this hop experience is laden with “aromas of fresh, citrusy tangerine, melon and light pine [that] leap from the beer and linger over a smooth finish.”  Ballast Point offers this brew up with one simple warning: “Like its namesake, this brew can sneak up on you – a big ABV (8.5%) without a bite. ”  Wasting absolutely no time, Manta Ray Double IPA has already been named a 2016 Euro Beer Star Gold Medalist.

Manta Ray Double IPA is available now at all Ballast Point Tasting Room locations and will eventually roll out across the country during the month of January 2017.  You can expect to find this offering in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at fine beer establishments in Alabama, Florida and throughout the rest of Ballast Point’s expansive distribution territory. Hopheads, be sure to take notice of this new release and give Manta Ray DIPA a try in 2017.  Prost!

Vital Information for Manta Ray Double IPA from Ballast Point Brewing Company

Release – Year-Round, January 2017
Style – American Double India Pale Ale
ABV – 8.5%
IBUs – 70
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Suggested Food Pairings – Chinese salt & pepper wings, Bay Blue Cheese, Dungeness crab cakes

Dogfish Head Brewery Announces Return of Olde School Barleywine

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oldeschool1_editedDogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) will officially reintroduce Olde School Barleywine as a limited release beginning on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

First released back in 2002, Olde School Barleywine quickly achieved the status of being one of Dogfish Head’s most popular seasonal beers.  This is in large part thanks to the addition of dates and figs to tame the trademark hop bitterness found within the American-style Barleywine.  Although this ageable ale weighs in at a sturdy 15% ABV, it proves to be a gentle giant that is “beautifully balanced . . ., dark red to amber in color, with a sweet and velvety flavor profile and huge complexity and warmth.”  You can either enjoy Olde School Barleywine fresh to enjoy its full hop power or stash your bottles away in the cellar to later experience developing “oxidative characteristics, including honey and toffee flavors and aromas, and lessened bitterness.”

“Our approach was to do a new world take on traditional English barleywine,” says Dogfish Head president and founder, Sam Calagione. “American style barleywines tend to be more hop-forward while, in comparison, English barleywines are malt-forward and develop their fruity attributes from the esters. When properly aged, the pit-fruit and sweet, sherry characteristics mature into something spectacular.”

Olde School Barleywine officially returns on January 3 as a Limited release offering.  This brew will be available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles at craft beer-friendly establishments found in Florida and throughout the rest of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s 31 state (+ D.C.) distribution footprint.  Olde School Barleywine is released quite infrequently these days, so be sure to grab an adequate supply this month to hold you over until its next release.  Prost!

Vital Information for Olde School Barleywine from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited, beginning January 3, 2017
Style – American Barleywine
Original Release Date – 2002
ABV – 15%
IBUs – 85
Added Ingredients – Figs & dates
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles
Beer Finder (a.k.a. Fish Finder) – https://www.dogfish.com/brewery/fishfinder