Anchor Christmas Ale Returns for 42nd Year

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2016christmas-beerandglassAnchor Brewing Co. (San Francisco, California) has announced that the 42nd Annual release of Anchor Christmas Ale has headed out to distribution.

For over four decades, Anchor Brewing has gifted craft beer fans a new Anchor Christmas Ale to enjoy during each holiday season.  Although every year’s release of Anchor Christmas Ale is brewed with a new recipe and then wrapped in a label displaying a different festive tree, the brewery’s intention “remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life.”  The recipe for each release may be “a heavily guarded secret,” but craft beer fans can always anticipate a Winter Warmer boasting “notes of seasonal spices and a malty backbone.”  For a better idea of what to expect from the 2016 vintage of Anchor Christmas Ale, here is what Brewmaster Scott Ungermann had to say about the brew:

“This year’s Christmas Ale has a strong malt profile enhanced with wintry spices. The beer is a deep mahogany brown with a creamy, tan head and boasts aromas of fruitcake, molasses, and fresh cut wood. The beer tastes of a roasted caramel malt, with notes of spiced chocolate and nuts. And it has a rich, smooth, and velvety mouthfeel. Every year we look forward to formulating our new Christmas Ale recipe and tasting the fruits of our labors. We are always excited to please beer fans with its ever-changing recipe and label. This year’s ale is the perfect beer for the winter season, whether you’re out on the slopes or relaxing next to the fire.”
– Anchor Brewmaster Scott Ungermann

Anchor Christmas Ale is only available from early November until mid-January.  This offering is available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, gold-foiled 50.7 oz. magnum bottles, and on draft at select craft beer establishments in Alabama**, Florida and throughout Anchor Brewing’s expansive distribution area.  Secure your bottles when you can and make Anchor Christmas Ale a part of any holiday celebration you plan on attending this year.  Prost!

(**Due to the fact that Alabama law currently prohibits the sale of beer in packaging larger than 750 ml, the magnum bottles will not be available in that state.**)

Vital Information for Anchor Christmas Ale (2016) from Anchor Brewing Co. 

Release – Seasonal, November 2016 through mid-January 2017
First Release – 1975
Style – Winter Warmer
ABV – 6.5%
Malt – “TOP SECRET”
Hops – “TOP SECRET”
Dry Hops – “TOP SECRET”
Fun Fact: The Tree – “Along with an evolving recipe, Christmas Ale portrays a new label every year. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew. This year’s tree is the ‘1,000 Mile Tree’ or the lone pine found during westbound construction of the transcontinental railroad. Discovered in 1896, it was a lone pine amidst a vast and desolate landscape. The tree on this year’s label was hand-drawn by Bay Area artist James Stitt, who has been creating Anchor’s Christmas Ale labels since 1975. His charming illustration of the 1,000 Mile Tree includes a person at the top of the tree with a mug of beer, honoring an old legend that railway passengers sometimes attempted to climb the tree.”

Funky Buddha Brewery to Introduce Strawberry Shortcake Wheat Wine

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strawberryshortcakenewFunky Buddha Brewery (Oakland Park, Florida) recently announced that Strawberry Shortcake Wheat Wine will be joining their family of brews as a limited release in November.

Arriving as the brewery’s latest offering in the Little Buddha Small Batch Series, Strawberry Shortcake is a Wheat Ale that has been brewed with “whole strawberries and fragrant vanilla beans.”  Clocking in at a domineering 9% ABV, Funky Buddha warns that this “fierce, frosted goddess” is more than just another dainty fruit beer and should be given the respect she demands.

Strawberry Shortcake Wheat Wine will officially launch in November in 22 oz. bottles for the suggested retail price of $10 each and on draft.  More information will soon be released concerning the launch’s exact dates and details, but fans of Funky Buddha can expect to find this offering to be available in the brewery’s taproom and at select craft beer retailers in Florida.  I’ll be sure to update you here just as soon as more details surface.  Prost!

Vital Information for Strawberry Shortcake Wheat Wine from Funky Buddha Brewery

Release – Limited/Little Buddha Small Batch Series, November 2016
Style – Wheatwine
ABV – 9%
IBUs – 20
Availability – 22 oz. bottles (suggested retail of $10 per bottle) & draft
Beer Finder – https://funkybuddhabrewery.com/beer-finder

 

Heavy Seas Goes Year-Round with TropiCannon Citrus IPA

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hsbtropicannonbottleHeavy Seas Beer (Baltimore, Maryland) announced this week that TropiCannon Citrus IPA has officially been reclassified as the brewery’s newest year-round offering.

First released as a new Spring Seasonal earlier this year, TropiCannon Citrus IPA arrived as a fruit-infused take on Heavy Seas Beer’s flagship Loose Cannon IPA.  To achieve the desired level of juiciness, the brew’s foundation was shaken up by swapping out Loose Cannon’s piney Centennial and Palisade hop additions for the more citrus forward varietals of Amarillo and (even more) Simcoe.  The brewers then blasted the beer with “dried grapefruit, orange and lemon peel in the brewing process and added mango, blood orange and more grapefruit post-fermentation.”  The result was a massive hit with the brewery’s fans, and the folks at Heavy Seas have now decided that TropiCannon Citrus IPA has more than earned the right to become a year-round offering.

“TropiCannon was a pleasant surprise for us in 2016,” says Heavy Seas Founder, Hugh Sisson. “It was originally planned as a limited release product, but so many people kept asking for it that we decided we needed to make it available on a year-round basis. At least for now. This is part of what makes the beer industry so fun!”

A steady and constant flow of TropiCannon Citrus IPA is headed back to shelves and taps in the very near future.  Look for this one to turn up in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer establishments in Alabama, Florida and throughout the full distribution area of Heavy Seas Beer.  Prost!

Vital Information on TropiCannon Citrus IPA from Heavy Seas Beer

Release – Year-round
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 7.25%
IBUs – 45
Hops – Warrior, Amarillo, Cascade, Citra & Simcoe
Malts – Pale, Munich & Caramalt
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://www.hsbeer.com/beerfinder

Dogfish Head Goes Dark Side with Release of Beer for Breakfast and World Wide Stout

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dfhb4b1Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) has announced that they will officially release Beer for Breakfast Stout and World Wide Stout as limited offerings beginning on Monday, November 7.

To celebrate the 21st year of brewing Chicory Stout (the first beer brewed at Dogfish Head’s pub when it opened in 1995), the folks at the brewery have decided to trick this old favorite out with a little culinary influence this year and create Beer for Breakfast.  This new release is a full-bodied Stout that has been brewed with RAPA Scrapple, “a classic Mid-Atlantic staple to the most important meal of the day . . . affectionately described as an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ type of meat as it’s a patty made from pork scraps, cornmeal and spices.”  Coffee, brown sugar and maple syrup join the scrapple to provide craft beer fans with a breakfast-themed brew boasting “notes of coffee and smoke, subtle maple and spice.”  Beer for Breakfast weighs in at 7.4% ABV and 30 IBUs.

“The recipe for our original breakfast beer Chicory Stout, just turned 21 this year.  Legal drinking age.  To mark this momentous occasion, we have taken a couple decades experience brewing with culinary goodness and combined our favorite pure, all-natural breakfast ingredients into a beer that we will think you will agree is the most important meal of the day,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head founder and president.  

dfhwws2If news of Beer for Breakfast’s release is not enough to get you excited for Stout Season, the always impressive behemoth known as World Wide Stout will be joining that offering in a November that Dogfish Head appears to be dedicating to “dark beer aficionados.”  World Wide Stout first debuted back in the winter of 1999, and this 15-20% ABV Imperial Stout has been wowing craft beer fans ever since.  With a “depth more in line with a fine port or a rich madeira,” this is a Stout that is truly meant for sipping and sharing.  World Wide Stout can be enjoyed fresh, but patience will serve you incredibly well here because this beer ages beautifully.

“Like Fort and 120 Minute IPA, World Wide Stout only gets better in its golden years. Allow it to mature in your beer cellar and you’ll find the heat of the booze fades into the background and the port notes and roastiness take over and merge harmoniously into a timeless aged ale”, said Calagione.

Beer for Breakfast Stout and World Wide Stout will both begin hitting shelves and taps as limited release offerings on November 7.  Beer for Breakfast Stout will be available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft through the month of December.  World Wide Stout will see availability in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft while supplies last.  Both beers will be available at select craft beer retailers found in Florida and throughout Dogfish Head’s full distribution footprint.  The best strategy to employ here is to grab a few bottles of World Wide Stout to stash away for aging and pick up a sixer or two of Beer for Breakfast to make that aging/waiting process a bit more bearable.  Prost!

Vital Information for Beer for Breakfast from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited, November & December 2016
Style – Stout
ABV – 7.4%
IBUs – 30
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Aroma – Strong aroma of coffee and smoke, subtle maple and spice notes
Flavor – Roasted coffee, smoked bacon, subtle maple and herbal notes, slightly sweet and roasty
Food Pairing – Hearty breakfast foods (eggs, homefries, scrapple/sausage/bacon), steak, vegetable hash, creme brulee

Vital Information for World Wide Stout from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited, November 2016
Style – Imperial Stout 
ABV – 15-20% (varies by release)
IBUs – 70
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Aroma – Roasted malt, coffee and licorice
Flavor – Roasted malt and subtle coffee notes
Food Pairing – Chickpea falafel, lamb sliders, short ribs, IBA five-onion soup, bacon chocolate cheesecake
Beer Finder (a.k.a. FishFinder) – http://www.dogfish.com/brewery/fishfinder

 

Avondale Brewing Prepares for Winter Release of No Joka Mocha Stout

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avondalenjmslogoAvondale Brewing Co. (Birmingham, Alabama) recently announced that No Joka Mocha Stout will officially make its annual return to shelves and taps on Monday, November 21.

As the days move forward into the final months of the year, colder temperatures will soon become the norm in Alabama.  Although some may cringe at this idea, lovers of rich, warming Stouts will most assuredly rejoice knowing that this means Avondale Brewing can once again treat them to the brewery’s Winter Seasonal No Joka Mocha Stout. This Oatmeal Stout is laced with decadent chocolate notes and then weighted heavily “towards the coffee end of the taste spectrum.”  For the back story on No Joka Mocha Stout, here is the full brewery description:

Before Miss Fancy came to Avondale, she belonged to a travelling circus that toured the country. One of Miss Fancy’s favorite companions at the circus was a joker and magician. He was a mischievous fellow, doing card tricks, juggling acts and other feats of amazement. You should see what he can do with some coffee beans and hops! This brew has a blackish pour with a creamy tan head. Solid coffee aroma greets the nose with deep rich malts in the background.

No Joka Mocha Stout is slated for an official release on Monday, November 21 and will be hanging around through the winter months.  Upon release, this offering will be available on draft at Avondale Brewing’s taproom and in 22 oz. bombers and on draft at fine craft beer establishments found throughout the brewery’s distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information on No Joka Mocha Stout from Avondale Brewing Co.

Release – Winter Seasonal, available beginning November 21, 2016
Style – Oatmeal Stout
ABV – 7.2%
IBUs – 21
Availability – 22 0z. bottles & draft

Founders Brewing Co. Backwoods Bastard Returns to Shelves and Taps

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backwoodsfoundersFounders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, Michigan) recently announced that the limited release Backwoods Bastard Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels has officially begun its annual roll out to distribution.

When you consider that this brew is one of the finest and most consistent examples of barrel-aged beer released each year, it is absolutely no surprise that Backwoods Bastard returns as an incredibly popular, fan-favorite offering from Founders Brewing Co.  The brewery earned this acclaim by carefully aging this Scotch Ale in Bourbon barrels to achieve “a glorious combination of oak, bourbon heat, sweet caramel and roasted malts, a bit of earthy spice and a touch of dark fruit.”  The finished beer clocks in as an 11.2% ABV sipper that is the perfect nightcap to enjoy after a long, cold winter’s day.

Backwoods Bastard has started rolling out to distribution now and will be available in Alabama, Florida and throughout the full distribution footprint of Founders Brewing Co. by the middle of November.  This limited release offering can be found at fine craft beer establishments on draft and in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles.   Considering the celebrated status of this brew and the craft beer community’s current obsession with Bourbon barrel-aged beers, you can expect Backwoods Bastard to move quickly once it hits store shelves. Take heed of this warning, hit up your local beer store whenever you can, and stock up now to ensure you have an adequate stash to enjoy all winter long.  Prost!

Vital Information for Backwoods Bastard Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels from Founders Brewing Co.

Release – Limited, November 2016
Style – Scotch Ale, Bourbon Barrel-aged
ABV – 11.2%
IBUs – 50
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://foundersbrewing.com/find-our-beer/

Sixpoint Brewery Releases 5BEANS Bazaar Porter

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5beans_angleSixpoint Brewery (Brooklyn, New York) is hitting craft beer fans with even more beans in 2016 as they send the newly created 5BEANS Bazaar Porter out to distribution.

With the release of 5BEANS Bazaar Porter, the brewers at Sixpoint are approaching this year’s release from a slightly different angle and staying true to the intentions of their Cycliquids Series, a constantly rotating lineup of beers in which the brewery experiments with new styles and/or reformulates new takes on past releases.  Boasting a bigger bean experience than the previously released 3BEANS (Romano, cacao & coffee beans) and 4BEANS Imperial Porter (Romano, cacao, coffee & vanilla beans), 5BEANS Bazaar Porter is the brewery’s take on the complexities found in Turkish coffee.  The brewers were able to create these flavors and aromatics thanks to the additions of Romano beans, cacao, vanilla, coffee and cardamom.  The result is a 10% ABV Imperial Porter that is sure to delight coffee and craft beer lovers alike.

5BEANS Bazaar Porter is available now as a limited release offering.  Look for this one to show up in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer establishments in Alabama, Florida, and throughout the full distribution footprint of Sixpoint Brewery. Each year’s “*BEANS” release has absolutely flown off of shelves, so coffee beer fans should take notice and snag their 4-pack whenever they happen to run across it.  Prost!

Vital Information on 5BEANS Bazaar Porter from Sixpoint Brewery

Release – Limited/Cycliquids Series, available beginning in late October/early November 2016
Style – Imperial Porter
ABV – 10%
IBUs – 38
The Beans – Romano beans, cacao, vanilla, coffee & cardamom
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft

JDub’s Brewing to Expand Distribution to Georgia, Bell Cow Milk Chocolate Porter Goes Nitro

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jdubsbellcowposterJDub’s Brewing Company (Sarasota, Florida) recently hit craft beer fans with two exciting pieces of brewery news:

  1. Beers from JDub’s Brewing Company will soon be available in Georgia.
  2. The brewery’s Bell Cow Milk Chocolate Porter will now be available on draft exclusively as a Nitro offering.

As far as that first nugget of brew news goes, the folks at JDub’s Brewing are pleased to announce that they are currently interviewing distributors so that they can soon expand distribution into the state of Georgia.  Thanks to recent data showing that JDub’s Brewing Company is currently “the #1 selling Florida craft brewery amongst all beers sold in Florida liquor stores” (source: IRI sales data), the brewery now has the confidence to undertake this expansion and introduce Georgia craft beer fans to their offerings.  The brewery currently has a “solid relationship” with Kroger, and this will be a focus of the distribution expansion into Georgia.

“Kroger is a giant account, for any brewer in America. We’ve been eager to get our beers in the Kroger stores for a long time and are thrilled to roll up our sleeves and being working with them. They truly ‘get’ craft beer.” Jeremy “JDub” Joerger

In other news that is sure to delight all fans of Bell Cow Milk Chocolate Porter from JDub’s Brewing, the brewery has “decided to discontinue production of the CO2 version in draft form and from this point forward, will only produce Nitro Bell Cow on draft.”  This move comes after the public has created a high demand for the richer, creamier experience found in the nitrogenated version of Bell Cow, and the decision makers at the brewery feel that this is the right direction to take moving forward.  With that said, the canned version of Bell Cow Milk Chocolate Porter will remain in CO2 form “for the foreseeable future.”

This is fantastic news for JDub’s Brewing Company and the brewery’s growth moving forward.  Beer lovers in Georgia can expect to see offerings from the brewery in the very near future, and JDub’s fans throughout the brewery’s distribution footprint can enjoy Bell Cow’s full transition to Nitro draft effective immediately.  Prost!

Vital Information for Bell Cow Milk Chocolate Porter from JDub’s Brewing Company

Release – Year-round
Style – American Porter
ABV – 5.6%
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans (CO2 only) and draft (Nitrogenated only)

The Florida Brewers Guild Barrel-aged, Sour & Cider Fest Returns

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flbrewersOn Saturday, November 12 at 2 p.m., the Florida Brewers Guild will hold their 2nd Annual Barrel-aged, Sour & Cider Fest at Intuition Ale Works (929 East Bay Street Jacksonville, Florida).

The good folks of the Florida Brewers Guild (FBG) are bringing the FUNK to Jacksonville on November 12 with the return of the FBG Barrel-aged, Sour & Cider Fest.  This event will feature an impressive lineup of rare barrel-aged brews, enticing sour beers, and delicious ciders from these participating Florida craft breweries:

Not only is this event a fantastic way to try some amazing creations from the brewery’s above, but it also acts as a fundraising effort for the Florida Brewers Guild, a “nonprofit trade association committed to preserving the rights and interests of all craft brewers throughout the state.”

Tickets for this event are still available and can be purchased in advance by clicking here or at the gate day of the event (of course, that is if the event does not sell out in advance).  Tickets are available in the following tiers:

  • General Admission: $35 each + fees if purchased in advance or $40 each if purchased at the gate – Ticket includes admission to the event at 2 p.m., unlimited beer and cider samples from Florida craft breweries, a commemorative tasting glass, and a Florida Brewers Guild sticker and koozie.
  • VIP Ticket: $50 each + fees, only available for advance purchase and limited to just 75 tickets – VIP Ticket includes early admission at 1 p.m., a commemorative event t-shirt courtesy of Shipyard Dog (screen-printed onsite), unlimited beer and cider samples from Florida craft breweries, a commemorative tasting glass, and a Florida Brewers Guild sticker and koozie.

If you happen to be free on November 12 and in the Jacksonville area, go ahead and secure some tickets to the Florida Brewers Guild Barrel-aged, Sour & Cider Fest today.  Not only will you get to experience some ridiculously tasty beers and ciders at this event, but you will also be supporting the Florida craft beer community in the process.  You simply cannot go wrong with that combo.  Prost!

The Bruery Set to Release Share This: Mole Imperial Stout

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sharethismole_web-167x480The Bruery (Orange County, California) recently announced that they will officially release Share This: Mole Imperial Stout as a limited offering in November.

Share This: Mole Imperial Stout arrives as the latest offering in The Bruery’s Share This Series, a lineup of collaborative and charitable releases that give back to the impoverished areas where so many craft beer ingredients are sourced.  For this release, The Bruery partnered with Chef Anne Conness, celebrate Los Angeles-area chef and Certified Cicerone, to develop a beer that mimics the “many nuances that mole sauce is known for.”  They achieved their goal by utilizing the following added ingredients:

  • Cacao Nibs – to “work in unison with [the] already chocolatey imperial stout to form a savory base perfect to layer flavors upon”
  • Ancho Chilies and Chipotle Peppers – this blend provides “smoke and a subtle heat character that doesn’t overpower”
  • Vanilla and Cinnamon – an “ample” dose of these two ingredients round the beer off with “a decadent conclusion”

To fulfill the charitable intentions of the Share This Series, The Bruery will donate one dollar from each bottle of Share This: Mole Imperial Stout sold to support the efforts of the Free Wheel Chair Mission,  “a humanitarian, faith-based, nonprofit organization that provides wheelchairs at no cost to people with disabilities living in developing nations.”  Since Share This: Mole Imperial Stout focuses on the culinary traditions of Mexico, funds raised with this beer will go directly toward Free Wheel Chair Mission’s “efforts in Mexico where they will be providing wheelchairs at no cost to people who have never enjoyed mobility before.”

Share This: Mole Imperial Stout will become officially available for purchase on Thursday, November 10 at a public bottle sale at The Bruery Tasting Room, The Bruery Terreux Tasting Room, and TheBrueryStore.com.  On the same day, 750 ml bottles of Share This: Mole Imperial Stout will be sent out to distribution and can be found at select craft beer establishments in Florida and throughout the rest of The Bruery’s distribution footprint (full list of states below).  A word of warning: you can pretty much count on any Imperial Stout release from The Bruery to move quickly off of shelves. Since Share This: Mole Imperial Stout is a limited release offering that will only be available while supplies last, make sure that you are vigilant around the release date if you hope to secure a bottle.  Happy hunting out there, folks.  Prost!

Vital Information on Share This: Mole Imperial Stout from The Bruery

Release – Limited, official release on November 10, 2016
Style – Imperial Stout
ABV – 11.1%
Added Ingredients – Ancho chilies, chipotle peppers, cinnamon, vanilla and cacao nibs
Availability – 750 ml bottles
Distribution – FL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI