Sun King Brewery Releases 10-4 Good Buddy Collaboration 4-Pack

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SunKingVertBannerLogoSun King Brewery (Indianapolis, Indiana) has officially announced that it is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with the Limited Release of 10-4 Good Buddy, a mixed 4-pack of 16 oz. cans comprised of collaboration beers with 3 Floyds Brewing Co. (Munster, Indiana), Austin Beerworks (Austin, Texas), Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, Florida) and Rhinegeist Brewery (Cincinnati, Ohio).

Since “collaboration [has been] at the core of Sun King’s success” for ten amazing years, the brewery has decided to celebrate that “decade of award-winning beers, and the collaborative spirit of the brewing industry” with the release of 10-4 Good Buddy. This mixed 4-pack of 16 oz. cans contains the following four beers brewed in collaboration with “independent breweries from across the U.S” (descriptions sourced directly from the Sun King’s press release):

  • Collabergé | Austin Beerworks – An Imperial Brut IPA that brings the dryness of champagne with an assertive hop profile.

    “This collaboration was what it is all about,” said Will Golden, co-founder of Austin Beerworks. “A true friendship, complete with a lot of the bad jokes! The hospitality from Hoosiers is not just a saying y’all, they mean it! All I have to say is I can’t wait to come back!”

  • Highway Queen | Cigar City Brewing – A Sour Golden Ale with Zinfandel grapes, sour cherries, and raspberries aged on oak.

    “Working with Dave and the Sun King team was a great, innovative experience that was in the planning process for months,” said Wayne Wambles, brewmaster at Cigar City Brewing. “The beer makes use of an experimental yeast strain that produces lactic acid combined with a combination of fruits that lend complex acidity as well as fruit harmony. It was a pleasure to celebrate Sun King’s tenth anniversary by creating this wonderful beer with them.”

  • Hoppiness Jones | Rhinegeist Brewery – An IPA that was aged in both Tequila and Pinot Noir barrels, infused with hibiscus, and is dry hopped.

    “We’ve known Sun King for a long time, since before we even existed as a brewery, and they have been a great mentor and a good buddy for us over the years,” said Bryant Goulding, co-founder of Rhinegeist. “We’re thankful to be able to work together on this high-powered collaboration alongside three other brewers for whom we also have much respect, and we’re excited to help celebrate this special decade milestone. Happy birthday Sun King! Mad respect!”

  • Maximum Overdrive | 3 Floyds Brewing Co. – A Baltic Porter brewed with Indiana malt from Sugar Creek Malt, two different yeast strains, and American and Slovenian hops.

    “It’s great to brew with Sun King on their 10th anniversary” said Nick Floyd, owner of 3 Floyds Brewing. “Being a part of a one-time 4-pack was cool, as was hanging out with Clay and Dave. Congratulations to Sun King and the other brewers that participated. Looking forward to trying some at Dark Lord Day.”

“Sun King Brewery began as a collaboration between two professional brewers and friends sharing ideas over a few pints about what they would want their own brewery to be like, and grew with the insights of our business partners, and the input and hard work of our team,” said Clay Robinson, co-founder of Sun King Brewery. “We have continued to share and create beers with so many of our respected peers along the way, and we wanted to create something unique and special for our 10th Anniversary. 10-4 Good Buddy represents the creativity and camaraderie that is the heart of, not just Sun King, but the independent craft beer industry.”

The 10-4 Good Buddy 4-pack of 16 oz. cans will debut at all Sun King locations on May 23 and is scheduled to hit “liquor stores and restaurants across Indiana the following week.” This exclusive 4-pack will also be available at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; and Louisville, Kentucky beginning in June. Prost!

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Breakside Brewery Brings Rainbows & Unicorns IPA Back for the Summer

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BreaksideRainbowsBottleBreakside Brewery (Portland, Oregon) has officially announced that its fan-favorite, annually released Rainbows & Unicorns IPA will return in May 2019.

Back once again to claim its place in Breakside Brewery’s Rotating IPA Series, Rainbows & Unicorns is a Session IPA that “showcases El Dorado, Galaxy and Comet hops, providing juicy notes of peach, apricot, pineapple, and even stone fruit.” Coming in at a highly drinkable 5.1% ABV and 32 IBUs, Rainbows & Unicorns “toes the line between the ‘juicier’ and ‘sweeter’ style of hazy IPAs, and more classic West Coast hoppy pales.”

Rainbows & Unicorns is rolling out now and scheduled to hang around through July 2019. You can expect to find this Seasonal Release available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-friendly retailers located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Oregon and throughout the rest of Breakside’s distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Rainbows & Unicorns from Breakside Brewery

Release – Rotating/Seasonal; May – July 2019
Style – Session India Pale Ale
ABV – 5.1%
IBUs – 32
Featured Hops – El Dorado, Galaxy & Comet
Availability – 22 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://breakside.com/find-beer/

 

Against the Grain Brewery Introduces ‘A Beer’ Lager

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ATGABeerCanAgainst the Grain Brewery (Louisville, Kentucky) has officially announced that A Beer, a “new Super American Premium Lager”, will be joining its lineup of Session offerings in May 2019.

Developed to be just as “American [as] summer, beer and hot dogs”, A Beer is a “crisp, dry and refreshing” American Lager brewed with four kinds of malts and six hop varieties.  Coming in at just 4.5% ABV, A Beer promises to be an “easy summer sipper . . . with gentle citrus aromatics.”

“This is a beer for the people, by the people, to enjoy with the people you want to hang out with,” said co-founder Sam Cruz. “We wanted to brew a beer for everyone to enjoy and to show big beer what an American lager can be — what it should be.” Against the Grain continues to grow even as craft beer sales slow nationally. A Beer is a response to consumer demands. “If we want to succeed, we have to adapt,” Cruz said, “but we can’t not be who we are.”

A Beer is rolling out now and will be available exclusively in Kentucky.  You can expect to find this new brew available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans (suggested retail price of $10) and on draft at “restaurants, brew pubs, bars and liquor stores in many Kentucky cities including Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green and more.”  Prost!

Vital Information for A Beer from Against the Grain Brewery

Release – Session Series, launching May 2019
Style – American Lager
ABV – 4.5%
Malts – Pilsner, Caramel Pilsner & Munich
Hops – Calypso, Hallertau Blanc, Mandarina Bavaria & Centennial
Fun Fact – On the label artwork: “Known for their irreverent humor and bold packaging, A Beer cans feature one of Against the Grain’s signature cartoon personas — a stylized American version of their Session character, with artwork by Robby Davis. Against the Grain groups beers into six categories: Session, Hop, Whim, Malt, Dark, and Smoke. Session represents light-bodied, delicious, balanced, easy-drinking brews.”
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Kentucky only

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Monday Night Brewing Reformulates Blind Pirate Blood Orange IPA

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bobpMonday Night Brewing (Atlanta, Georgia) has officially announced that it is actively rolling out a revamped version of one of their flagship beers, Blind Pirate Blood Orange IPA.

After regularly revisiting Blind Pirate Blood Orange IPA during weekly quality control and sensory evaluations, the brewing team at Monday Night decided it was time to give this flagship brew a bit of an update.  To give the beer a more modern feel, the “brewers adjusted a hop addition to highlight the blood orange juice and fine-tuned [the] mash process to soften the body and round out the flavor.” These careful tweaks have resulted in a refreshed Blind Pirate Blood Orange IPA that has “a bit more residual sweetness, more citrus notes, and a more balanced hop profile.”

“At Monday Night Brewing, one of our core values is ‘Fight For Excellence.’ That means we never want to rest on our laurels. If we can improve our beers, we owe it to our fans to make it happen,” said co-founder Jonathan Baker. “We’ve had the blood orange version of Blind Pirate in our lineup for several years now, but our brewing team believed they could make it better.”

The new and improved Blind Pirate Blood Orange IPA is rolling out now and should be “in most areas by mid-May.”  You can expect to find this reformulated Year-Round available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer-friendly retailers, bars and restaurants located within Monday Night’s distribution footprint in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.  Prost!

Vital Information for Blind Pirate Blood Orange IPA from Monday Night Brewing

Release – Year-Round; reformulated version arrives mid-May 2019
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 7.4%
IBUs – 55
Hops – Citra, Comet, Simcoe & Columbus
Malts – 2-Row, Wheat, Munich & Caramel
Added Ingredients – Blood orange juice
Suggested Food Pairings – “Strong cheeses, Spicy foods, Your mom, Citrus”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Georgia, Alabama & Tennessee

Tasting Notes: Secret Agenda from Lagunitas Brewing Company & Moonlight Brewing

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LagunitasSecretAgendaPourX600For this installment of Tasting Notes, we covertly slip into the weekend with a little help from Secret Agenda from Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, California) and Moonlight Brewing (Santa Rosa, California).

Carefully crafted in Joint Session by the folks at Lagunitas and Moonlight to satisfy “the unique thirsts of Springtime”, Secret Agenda is a Pale Bock Beer that brings “each [brewery’s] time-tested secrets to the table.” Weighing in at 7.1% ABV and 46 IBUs, Secret Agenda comes together to offer its drinker “something neither [brewery] could do alone.”

Secret Agenda officially released back in late March, but a good amount of this Limited Release can still be found floating around at some of your favorite beer retailers and bars.  You can expect to find this One Hitter available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Illinois, Washington and throughout the rest of Lagunitas Brewing Company’s distribution network.

With that unclassified background information now out of the way, it is finally time to dig deep and get to the bottom of Lagunitas and Moonlight Brewing’s Secret Agenda with some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Secret Agenda from Lagunitas Brewing Company & Moonlight Brewing

Appearance:  A careful pour produces a Bock that is a deep gold in color and capped with over two fingers of ridiculously creamy foam.  When held to direct light, the golden hue brightens a smidge as it takes on a bit of a lemony yellow hue.  The beer is perfectly clear and displays a swirling mass of tiny carbonation bubbles.  Head retention is absolutely fantastic, slowly falling to a lasting 1/4 finger of rocky foam that leaves sprawling patterns of lace behind on the glass.  This is easily the most gorgeous bottled lager we have encountered this year.

Aroma:  Lightly sweet bready malts greet the nose and are supported by the lightest amount of caramel and nuttiness.  The hops then take over with a dynamic presence that is spicy, herbal and floral.  The hop aromatics bloom further to offer notes of citrus, unripened strawberries, and tropical fruit.

Taste:  An herbal tea-like quality (distinct notes of mint and lemon balm) opens the flavor profile alongside a bit of peppery spice and rose water.  The herbal tones then back off a bit to allow the hops’ fruitier qualities to come through with soft notes of grapefruit, papaya and peach. All of this hop complexity rests upon a solid foundation of malt that is bready, biscuity and kissed with just a touch of caramel.

Mouthfeel:  On the lighter side of medium in body with a medium carbonation level, this Bock is slightly creamy on the palate and incredibly clean on the finish.  The balance is impeccable, but it does teeter a bit to the hoppy side at times (this is a Lagunitas influenced beer after all).  It drinks much lighter than 7.1% ABV, but it does offer a bit of warmth in the throat near the end of the experience.  Aftertaste is a lovely lingering flourish of floral and herbal hop notes.

Final Thoughts: Built with springtime drinking in mind, Secret Agenda hits that mark squarely by achieving maximum drinkability thanks to its phenomenal level of balance. It is malty, but not at all overly sweet.  It is hoppy, but the bitterness is intentionally dialed way down.  It is beautifully complex but somehow still an all-around easy-drinker.  If that were not enough, this beer’s herbal and floral qualities seem to mimic the changing of the seasons and capture the resplendent rebirth of spring.  Secret Agenda can only be described as an experience that actually tells a story.  It is literally a taste of spring, and you need to check it out while you still have the chance.  Make it happen.  Prost!

Full Sail Brewing Co. Launches Atomizer Jetpack of Hop-Infused Brews

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Jetpack_03Full Sail Brewing Co. (Hood River, Oregon) has officially announced that the Atomizer Jetpack, a Variety 12-pack containing four new hop-infused offerings, will begin hitting craft beer shelves in May 2019.

Assembled as a means of showcasing Full Sail’s new “high-tech, top-secret, hop-infusion method” that has the ability to enhance a beer’s overall hop aroma and flavor, the Atomizer Jetpack is a mixed 12-pack that contains all four current releases in the brewery’s newly-established Atomizer brand of craft beer.  The featured Atomizer offerings and their descriptions are as follows (descriptions sourced directly from the brewery’s press release):

  • Atomizer IPA | Sci-fi Suds for a Wi-Fi World | Since earth has become overrun with IPAs, Full Sail Brewing developed a high-tech, top-secret, hop-infusion method for this unfiltered, hoppy brew. A blend of pale and wheat malts, along with a healthy addition of oats, create a light golden base allowing Cryo Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe and Ekuanot hops to shine. Juicy aromas of tropical fruit, citrus, and melon pop in this ultra-balanced beer.  **Also available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & on draft**  ABV – 7%  IBUs – 70
  • Atomizer Pale | Talk Nerdy to Me | Pale and light crystal malts, along with a small addition of toasted oats, add subtle complexity to this refreshing hop bomb. Bright notes of guava, papaya and citrus from Mosaic and Simcoe hops are enhanced by Full Sail’s high-tech, top-secret, hop-infusion method. This well-balanced Atomizer Pale Ale is ingeniously flavorful and super-drinkable.  **Also available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & on draft**  ABV – 6.6%  IBUs – 32
  • Atomizer Amber | Take Me to Your Leader | Brewmaster Greg Doss has always wanted to make this beer – a hoppy version of Full Sail’s flagship Amber Ale. The proprietary Atomizer technology made it achievable by delivering a pure hop note to pair with the classic malt backdrop. The combination of subtle chocolate and caramel character with citrus-forward hops makes a compelling beer. This go-to, anytime beer is the best of all worlds – complex and interesting, not bitter, not sweet, and flat-out drinkable. ABV – 6%  IBUs – 31
  • Atomizer Lager | To Infinity and Beer On | Atomizer Lager is an interesting concept – add tropical hop character to a light international lager. Using proprietary Atomizer technology, we did just that. Simcoe hops lend delicate citrus, tropical, and melon to this ultra-clean, super-drinkable lager delivering an increased aroma that makes Atomizer Lager stand out in a crowd. ABV – 4.9%  IBUs – 17

“Innovation is key in craft brewing,” says Full Sail Brewmaster Greg Doss. “And developing the proprietary Atomizer method for infusing hops is as innovative as it gets. It’s been a blast from the future to brew these four new beers.”

The Atomizer Jetpack is officially rolling out now and will have Year-Round availability moving forward.  You can expect to find this new Variety 12-pack of 12 oz. bottles at select craft beer-friendly retailers located in Florida, Oregon and throughout the rest of Full Sail Brewing Co.’s distribution area.  Prost!

 

 

 

Proof Brewing Co. & Finback Brewery Collaborate on Quantum Foam DIPA

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ProofFinbackProof Brewing Co. (Tallahassee, Florida) has officially announced that it will release Quantum Foam, a Double New England-style IPA brewed in collaboration with Finback Brewery (Queens, New York), on Friday, May 24.

Formulated by representatives of Proof Brewing Co. and Finback Brewery to boldly “[defy] the space/time continuum”, Quantum Foam is a “bright and floral” New England-style Double India Pale Ale brewed with “experimental hop Bru-1, cryo Azacca, and Mosaic hops.”  This reality altering hop bill lends Quantum Foam “vivid aromas of citrus [that] encompass . . . bold flavors of tropical fruit and pineapple.”

“After brewing a collab with Finback in NYC, we had to bring it home to Tallahassee,” said Byron Burroughs, Proof Brewing Company’s founder. “We really wanted to make an IPA symbolic of the tropical flavors and aromas of bold East-coast styles. These new hops add many layers of complexity throughout the beer.”

Quantum Foam will officially release in Proof Brewing Company’s Tasting Room at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 24.  This Limited Release offering will be available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans – making Quantum Foam Proof Brewing Co.’s first ever 16 oz. can release.  Supplies are limited and per person limits will be established at the time of the release.  Quantum Foam is not expected to see distribution.  Prost!

Vital Information for Quantum Foam from Proof Brewing Co. & Finback Brewery

Release – Limited; May 24, 2019
Style – New England-style DIPA
ABV – ???
Featured Hops – Experimental Hop Bru-1, Cryo Azacca & Mosaic
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans
Distribution – None. Taproom-only release

 

Boulevard Brewing Launches First Fridays Collection with Release of Hold the Pancakes

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BoulevardHoldthePancakesBoulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City, Missouri) has officially announced that it will be kicking off its newly-established First Fridays Collection in May with the Limited Release of Hold the Pancakes, a Blend of Whiskey Barrel-aged Ales with Maple Syrup.

Created to be a “series of exceptional beers at the intersection of experimental art and established science”, the First Fridays Collection is Boulevard’s exciting new “curation of cutting edge, artisanal, barrel-fermented and wood-aged ales.”  The inaugural release in the First Fridays Collection will be Hold the Pancakes, a blend of “multiple vintages of imperial brown ales and imperial stouts aged from 15 to 24 months in bourbon, rye and maple syrup-filled whiskey casks.”  Weighing in at a massive 13.9% ABV, Hold the Pancakes comes together to be a “complex, sticky, boozy behemoth of a beer, showcasing the barrel shepherding and blending skills of [Boulevard Brewing Co.’s] brilliant brewers.”

Hold the Pancakes debuted in the Greater Kansas City Area on May 13 and is scheduled to enter full distribution shortly after that date.  You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 750ml bottles and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Missouri and throughout the rest of Boulevard’s 41-state distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Hold the Pancakes from Boulevard Brewing Co.

Release – Limited/First Fridays Collection; mid-May 2019
Style – Blend of Imperial Brown Ales & Imperial Stouts
ABV – 13.9%
IBUs -13
Treatment – A blend of ales aged in “Templeton Rye barrels, Canadian Rye whisky barrels, maple syrup/whiskey casks”
Fun Fact #1 – On the name of the series: “Almost 30 years ago, Boulevard Brewing Company Founder John McDonald began sharing kegs of beer with the local arts community at Friday gallery openings, drawing people into the urban core in the spirit of exploration. These celebrations of creativity sprouted spontaneously throughout the country to become First Fridays, a convergence of arts, culture and activism that continues to excite and inspire.”
Fun Fact #2 – On the label artwork: “Boulevard is taking a new and different approach to labels for the limited-edition beers, creating a vehicle for artistic expression. ‘This collection is a tribute to the resourceful culture within the brewery and the arts community,’ said Frank Norton, graphic designer. ‘This first release is pretty fun and eccentric, so we wanted to create a label that’s equally vibrant and off-beat. We plan to enlist local and regional artists to collaborate on future offerings.'”
Suggested Food Pairings – “Breakfast for dinner, maple-braised pork belly, crème brûlée, bold cigars”
Availability – 750ml bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.boulevard.com/beer/beer-finder/

 

 

Mother’s/Father’s Day Gift Guide: BĒT Vodka

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BETVodkaDrinkIt is once again that time to celebrate our parents during the five week stretch that contains their given holidays: Mother’s Day on May 12 and Father’s Day on June 16. The crew here at Mashing In is well aware that finding a decent gift gets more and more difficult as we get older, so we have decided to compile a gift guide for those moms and dads that enjoy a fine adult beverage from time to time. This installment of the guide is a suggestion for the parent that fancies herself/himself as a vodka aficionado: BĒT Vodka (Minneapolis, Minnesota).

Carefully crafted by “two millennials” – Ben Brueschoff and Jared Poling – after working with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, BĒT Vodka stands out from “the typical potato, wheat and corn [Vodka] varieties” by being a “unique luxury” Vodka made with sugar beets that are “harvested and processed into granulated beet sugar, then dissolved into water with nutrients, fermented for up to two weeks, distilled no less than three times, blended with filtered water, and passed through active carbon to create a premium-pour.”  This process results in a taste that is “smooth on the front, with peppered spice on the back, and a hint of vanilla essence.”  Clocking in at 40% ABV/80 proof, BĒT Vodka is “full of heart and made for sharing.”

BĒT Vodka is currently available in 750ml bottles at select restaurants, bars and liquor establishments in the Twin Cities – Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.  You can look for this premium spirit at “Booze Mart, Central Spirits, Lowry Hill Liquor, MGM Liquor, Rum River and more” or you can purchase BĒT Vodka online by clicking here.  Prost!

 

Avery Brewing Co. Staves Off the Warm Weather with Release of Grapefruit Shandy

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AveryGrapefruitPourAvery Brewing Co. (Boulder, Colorado) has officially announced that it will launch Grapefruit Shandy as a new Limited Release in mid-May 2019.

Developed to serve as Avery Brewing’s “quintessential quencher” during this time of rising temperatures, Grapefruit Shandy is a “crisp, lively lager . . . blended . . . with organic grapefruit juice.”  Clocking in at an easy-drinking 4.7% ABV, this Grapefruit Shandy is guaranteed to help you “kick back and beat the heat.”

Grapefruit Shandy officially debuted in Avery Brewing Co.’s Tap Room on May 10 and is scheduled to enter distribution any day now.  You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Colorado and throughout the rest of Avery Brewing’s distribution network.  Prost!

Vital Information for Grapefruit Shandy from Avery Brewing Co.

Release – Limited; launching mid-May 2019
Style – Shandy/Radler
ABV – 4.7%
Malts – Pilsner & 2-Row
Added Ingredients – Organic grapefruit juice
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.averybrewing.com/brew-finder