Mashing In

Left Hand Brewing Co. Adds Push Pop Party to Nitro Seasonal Series

Posted on May 14, 2019 by mashingin

Left Hand Brewing Co. (Longmont, Colorado) has officially announced that Push Pop Party Nitro will make its Seasonal debut in May 2019.

Meant to conjure up those childhood memories of “when an ice cream truck would sing through your street and your mouth would instantly start watering for a cool push pop treat”, Push Pop Party Nitro is a Hazy Citrus Ale that has “notes of orange and lime, a hint of sweetness, and a silky smooth finish.” Coming in at 5.4% ABV, Push Pop Party Nitro is a refreshing summertime treat that is sure to “[ignite] childlike joy.”

Push Pop Party Nitro is rolling out now and is scheduled to stick around through June 2019. You can expect to find this Seasonal offering available in 4-packs of 13.65 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Colorado and throughout the rest of Left Hand Brewing Co.’s distribution area. Prost!

Vital Information for Push Pop Party Nitro from Left Hand Brewing Co.

Release – Nitro Seasonal Series, May – June 2019
Style – Undisclosed Ale
ABV – 5.4%
IBUs – 11
Malt – 2-Row & CaraFoam
Hops – CTZ
Added Ingredients – Lactose, Mandarin Oranges & Limes
Availability – 4-packs of 13.65 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – http://lefthandbrewing.com/beer-finder/

Firestone Walker Begins Limited Release of Napa Parabola Russian Imperial Stout

Posted on May 13, 2019 by mashingin

Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, California) has officially announced that Napa Parabola, a wine barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout, will begin hitting shelves throughout its distribution territory in early May 2019.

Arriving as the “first [Parabola] variant to reach all Firestone Walker markets as a limited vintage release”, Napa Parabola is a Russian Imperial Stout that has been “matured in French oak wine barrels from one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious cult wineries.” This beautifully complex union results in “a singular beer that marries the French oak qualities of premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot barrels with Parabola’s own signature notes of dark fruit, tobacco and chewy roasted malts. The oak contributes a satiny texture with notes of spice and toasted coconut, while the residual wine character layers in flavors of cedar, clove, mocha, ripe berry and dried chili pepper.” Meant to be sipped and savored, Napa Parabola weighs in at 11.3% ABV.

“Being an avid wine drinker, I always thought that Parabola would lend itself well to red wine barrels. It was something that was always in the back of my mind, so when these rare wine barrels became available, I jumped at the opportunity. The winery didn’t want to be named—all I can say is that these barrels held some of the finest wines you’ll find in Napa Valley.

While boozy bourbon notes are predominant in our regular Parabola, Napa Parabola offers an entirely different dimension of French oak character, and the wine spices and berry flavors marry perfectly with the beer’s roasted malts and chocolaty aromatics.”

– Eric Ponce, Firestone Walker’s barrel program manager

Napa Parabola is rolling out now and will only be available as long as supplies last. You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 12 oz. bottles at select craft beer-focused establishments located in North Carolina, Texas, California and throughout the rest of Firestone Walker’s expansive distribution territory. Prost!

Vital Information for Napa Parabola (2019) from Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Release – Limited, May 2019
Style – Russian Imperial Stout
ABV – 11.3%
IBUs – 61
Treatment – “Matured in French oak wine barrels from one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious cult wineries”
Fun Fact – On the history of Parabola: “Parabola is Firestone Walker’s most notorious bourbon barrel-aged beer, with a lineage that dates back to 2006. With a rich, roasty intensity that can stand up to a variety of complementary flavors, Parabola lends itself to variant iterations. Earlier small-batch variants have included Coconut Rye Parabola and Parabajava—but Napa Parabola is the first variant to reach all Firestone Walker markets as a limited vintage release.”
Availability – 12 oz. bottles
Beer Finder – https://www.firestonebeer.com/find/

Goodwood Brewing Introduces Margarita-Inspired El Gozador Gose

Posted on May 13, 2019 by mashingin

Goodwood Brewing Co. (Louisville, Kentucky) has officially announced that El Gozador, a Tequila Barrel-aged Gose, will join its lineup of wood-influenced offerings in May 2019.

Built for ultimate warm weather refreshment, El Gozador is a Sour Ale that combines the light, tart and slightly salty character of the Gose-style Ale with “just the right amount of tequila bite.” To pull everything together, the recipe for El Gozador (5.2% ABV) is rounded off with “mandarin oranges and freshly squeezed lime juice to give it the sweet-tart taste of a classic margarita.”

El Gozador is rolling out now with availability in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft. You can expect to find this new brew at select craft beer-friendly retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and throughout the rest of Goodwood’s 14-state distribution footprint. Prost!

Vital Information for El Gozador from Goodwood Brewing Co.

Release – ???, launching May 2019
Style – Gose
ABV – 5.2%
IBUs – 11
Added Ingredients – Mandarin oranges & lime juice
Treatment – Aged in Tequila barrels
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft

New Belgium Brewing Celebrates Summer with Limited Release of Juicifer IPA

Posted on May 10, 2019 by mashingin

New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, Colorado) has officially announced that the next installment in its Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA Series will be the summer release of Juicifer IPA.

Developed to be a slightly more bitter take on the Hazy IPA style, Juicifer (7.7% ABV, 50 IBUs) is a hybrid-ish India Pale Ale that “pours a hazy golden pale, with a sweet, slightly citrus-y start giving way to subtle sourness before finishing with a potent hop punch” sourced from Citra INCOGNITO™, Galaxy and Chinook hops. Hopheads can expect “aromas of guava and pineapple [to dominate] this medium-bodied beer.”

“Innovation and experimentation is the name of the game when it comes to our rotating IPA series,” said Ross Koenigs, Research and Development Brewer at New Belgium. “For Juicifer, we took our cues from hazy IPAs, but turned up the volume on the hop bitterness. It’s big hop flavor that is easy drinking.”

Juicifer IPA is rolling out now but will only be sticking around for a limited time. 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, North Carolina and throughout the rest of New Belgium’s nationwide distribution area. Prost!

Vital Information for Juicifer IPA from New Belgium Brewing

Release – Limited/Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA Series; launching May 2019
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 7.7%
IBUs – 50
Malts – Pale, Oats & Munich
Hops – Citra INCOGNITO™, Galaxy & Chinook
Fun Fact – On the Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA Series: “This series was born out of New Belgium’s desire to further experiment with hop-forward flavors while highlighting the brewery’s ground-floor collaborations with hop producers to cultivate cutting-edge, experimental varieties.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.newbelgium.com/beer/finder/

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Sends Rugged Lands IPA Out for a Limited Release

Posted on May 10, 2019May 10, 2019 by mashingin

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales (Dexter, Michigan) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of Rugged Lands India Pale Ale, a non-sour IPA, on May 11.

Arriving as the latest release in Jolly Pumpkin’s Non-Sour Collective and the brewery’s “first non-sour . . . beer to be sold outside the brewery’s pubs”, Rugged Lands is a “lush, hop forward” India Pale Ale “brewed with a variety of both Northwest and local Michigan grown hops.” Coming in at 7.3% ABV and 65 IBUs, Rugged Lands IPA promises to offer an experience filled with “tropical notes of tangerines, oranges, guavas, peaches and nectarines.”

Jolly Pumpkin founder and brew master, Ron Jeffries shares why he chose to brew a non-sour IPA. “IPAs are great, one of my favorite styles. Hop and yeast varieties create an infinite palate for delicious drinkable flavor explorations. Darker malts are just too heavy to allow these other beautiful flavors to shine through.” ‘That’s weird’ has always been a mantra of Jolly Pumpkin and they continue to brew unexpected beers even when they don’t adhere to the brewery’s ‘Stay Sour’ catchphrase.

Rugged Lands IPA will officially debut at Jolly Pumpkin’s pubs on Saturday, May 11 and will hit distribution at or around that date as well. You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Jolly Pumpkin’s distribution footprint in Michigan, Ohio and Canada. Prost!

Vital Information for Rugged Lands IPA from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Release – Limited/Non-Sour Collective; May 11, 2019
Style – India Pale Ale
ABV – 7.3%
IBUs – 65
Grains – 2Row, Oat Malt, Flaked Oats, Vienna & LME – Golden Liquid Malt Extract
Hops – Northwest Chinook, Michigan Chinook, Falconer’s Flight & Mosaic
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Michigan, Ohio & Canada

Mother’s/Father’s Day Gift Guide: Speyburn 10 Year Old Source Water Gift Pack

Posted on May 9, 2019 by mashingin

It 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 Scotch Whisky-lovin’ mom or dad: the Speyburn 10 Year Old Source Water Gift Pack – containing a 750ml bottle of Speyburn 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky alongside a 100ml bottle of Uisge Source Water – Speyside – from Speyburn Distillery (Rothes, Scotland).

As far as the whisky goes, Speyburn 10 Year Old is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky made with the “crystal-clear water of the Granty Burn . . ., an integral ingredient used to produce the bold, bright, distinctive single malt whiskies of Speyburn.” This “soft spirit” is then “matured in a combination of American oak, ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks” until it “marries with the gentle oak influence to create a balanced and approachable dram with hints of toffee, butterscotch and a long, sweet finish.” Weighing in at 80 proof/40% ABV, Speyburn 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a standard that “exhibits the distillery character and house style of Speyburn.”

If you personally prefer to enjoy your Scotch with a little added water, there is nothing “more fitting than using water sourced from the same region where the whisky was crafted.” That is where the included bottle of Uisge Source Water – Speyside comes in . . . you know . . . since it is “sourced from a well high up in the Cairngorms mountain range, located close to some of the popular Speyside Distilleries.” This incredibly special bottle of water contains “a soft spring water with low mineral content” that was “naturally filtered through granite.”

“Water changes the molecular structure of the whisky, allowing some of the dominant flavor components to shine through. By adding a drop of water to your whisky, you get to experience something that is often totally different than what you get with a neat whisky.

There’s an old saying that states bad whisky needs water and good whisky deserves it. When you’ve found a whisky that you consider to be good, go ahead and give it what it deserves.”

– Steph Ridgway, Speyburn Brand Education Manager

The Speyburn 10 Year Old Source Water Gift Pack is available now for the suggested retail price of $30. You can expect to find this gift pack at fine liquor retailers located throughout the United States. Prost!

Florida Avenue Brewing Co. Releases Latest Batch of Cucumber Berliner Weisse

Posted on May 9, 2019 by mashingin

Florida Avenue Brewing Co. (Tampa, Florida) has officially announced that it will begin the Seasonal Release of its fan-favorite Cucumber Berliner Weisse in early May 2019.

Serving as Florida Avenue Brewing Co.’s “interpretation of a centuries old beer style”, Cucumber Berliner Weisse is a kettle-soured Berliner Weisse “brewed with 50% German Pilsner malt, 50% malted wheat and made with fresh English cucumbers.” To harness all the cucumbery goodness possible, this year’s version of Cucumber Berliner Weisse (4% ABV) uses over 200 lbs. of cucumbers per batch.

Cucumber Berliner Weisse officially hit the Florida Avenue Brewing Co./Brew Bus Brewing Tasting Room on May 8 and is scheduled to hang around through August 2019. You can expect to find this Seasonal offering available in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer friendly-establishments located within Florida Avenue’s distribution footprint in Florida. Prost!

Vital Information for Cucumber Berliner Weisse from Florida Avenue Brewing Co.

Release – Seasonal/Berliner Series; May – August 2019
Style – Berliner Weisse
ABV – 4%
IBUs – 1
Malts – German Pilsner & Malted Wheat
Added Ingredients – 200 lbs. of English cucumbers per batch
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.floridaavebrewing.com/where-to-find-us

Sierra Nevada Collaborates with Germany’s Bitburger Brewery on 2019 Oktoberfest Beer

Posted on May 8, 2019 by mashingin

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, California) has officially announced that it has partnered with Bitburger Brewery (Bitburg, Germany) to brew the 2019 edition of its Oktoberfest, an annually released German-American collaboration beer.

Continuing Sierra Nevada’s mission to better understand, appreciate and celebrate Germany’s many different takes on the Oktoberfest Bier style, the 2019 release of Oktoberfest is an incredibly special Festbier “brewed with Bitburger’s famed Siegelhopfen (meaning “sealed hops”)—a classified hop blend that has never been shared outside the German brewery walls. The beer will also feature Bitburger’s custom yeast, another house ingredient gifted for the first time ever.” Coming in at 6% ABV and 20 IBUs, the 2019 Oktoberfest “will feature a rich amber color, smooth malty flavor and balanced hop character sure to turn backyards into beer gardens.”

“Our breweries’ shared commitment to quality and family ownership made this an obvious fit,” said Sierra Nevada founder and owner Ken Grossman. “Together, our families have shared great times telling stories, enjoying food and drinking beer—the perfect conditions for a great Oktoberfest.”

“We are thrilled to be brewing together with our friends from the iconic Sierra Nevada Brewery,” said Jan Niewodniczanski, Managing Director of Bitburger representing the seventh Generation of the family business. “Not only are we united by our passion for exceptional beer and truly unique hop flavors, we also share a long history of transatlantic exchange, leading to this exciting collaboration.”

2019 Oktoberfest will officially release in late July and is scheduled to hang around throughout the Oktoberfest season. You can expect to find this Seasonal Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, North Carolina and throughout the rest of Sierra Nevada’s nationwide distribution footprint. Prost!

Vital Information for 2019 Oktoberfest from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. & Bitburger Brewery

Release – Seasonal; launching late July 2019
Style – Oktoberfest/Festbier
ABV – 6%
IBUs – 20
Malts – Caramelized malts, Munich & Pilsner
Hops – Bitburger Siegelhopfen, German Magnum & Loral
Yeast – Bitburger’s Custom Lager Yeast
Fun Fact – On Bitburger Brewery: “Founded in 1817, Bitburger has been family-owned for seven generations. The brewery is famous for its ‘perfect pilsner’ and its commitment to quality in brewing.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://sierranevada.com/beer-locator/

Heavy Seas Beer Adds Red Flag Barrel Aged Sour to Uncharted Waters Series

Posted on May 8, 2019 by mashingin

Heavy Seas Beer (Baltimore, Maryland) has officially announced that Red Flag Barrel Aged Sour Ale will debut in June 2019 as newest offering to come out of the brewery’s Uncharted Waters Series.

Surfacing as the “first sour offering in the Uncharted Waters series”, Red Flag is an American Sour Ale that was “brewed in the classic Flemish Red style” and “aged in stainless and then moved to bourbon and red wine barrels for further maturing.” When the beer was deemed properly aged and rested, the barrels were then “hand selected and blended to create the most complex and seductive sour ale possible.” Coming in at a smooth-sipping 8% ABV, Red Flag ” delights with sweet malt tones, complex fruit undertones, and a deliciously tart finish.”

“We are very excited about Red Flag, as it is the first barrel aged beer we’ve produced with wild yeast and bacteria,” says Heavy Seas Brewmaster, Christopher Leonard. “Red Flag is inspired by the tart, dry, Sour Red and Brown ales of Flanders. Ultimately, it will be a blend of six different batches of ‘sour’ beer aged in 4 different ‘styles’ of barrels. It’s been quite a complicated, but exciting process. Blending all of these similar but different barrels and ‘fresh beer’ to create one dynamic, complex, mysterious, funky, tart offering has been an amazing journey for us. And, as a bonus, we will be holding on to some of the beer in barrels to allow for some fun, interesting blending down the road. We don’t yet know when or how, but I have no doubt we’ll find a way to use these in more fascinating projects in the future!”

Red Flag is scheduled to roll out in June and will hang around as long as supplies last. You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-friendly retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida, Maryland and throughout the rest of Heavy Seas Beer’s distribution footprint. Prost!

Vital Information for Red Flag Barrel Aged Sour Ale from Heavy Seas Beer

Release – Limited/Uncharted Waters Series, June 2019
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 8%
IBUs – 5
Malts – 2-Row, CaraMedium, CaraDark & CaraExtraDark
Hops – Strisselspalt
Treatment – “Aged in stainless and then moved to bourbon and red wine barrels for further maturing”
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://hsbeer.com/beerfinder

Bell’s Brewery Introduces ‘Leaves of Grass’ Series Inspired by the Work of Walt Whitman

Posted on May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 by mashingin

“I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”

– from “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman

Bell’s Brewery (Comstock, Michigan) has officially announced that its Leaves of Grass Series, a seven-part series inspired by Walt Whitman’s literary classic of the same name, will launch in May 2019 with the release of Song of Myself – German-Inspired American IPA.

Timed so that its first release will coincide with Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday, Bell’s Leaves of Grass Series is both a celebration of Walt Whitman and the literary classic that is Leaves of Grass, an inspiring book of poetry that has established itself as “a hallmark of American literature . . . and one of Larry Bell’s favorites.” Launching in late May 2019 and concluding in May 2020, the Leaves of Grass Series will consist of seven Limited Release offerings that “will be named after and inspired by one of Whitman’s poems, while each recipe will complement the seasonality of when each beer is released.”

LEAVES OF GRASS SERIES AT A GLANCE

May 2019: Song of Myself – German-Inspired American IPA (6.5% ABV)
July 2019: The Prairie-Grass Dividing – Gose-Style Ale Brewed with Plum, Salt & Coriander (4.5% ABV)
September 2019: Oh Captain! My Captain! – TBA
November 2019: To a Locomotive in Winter – TBA
January 2020: Song of the Open Road – TBA
March 2020: Salut Au Monde! – TBA
May 2020: Spontaneous Me – TBA

“Over the years, we’ve drawn inspiration from a variety of different sources from music to literature to the Great Lakes,” said Larry Bell, President and Founder of Bell’s Brewery. “This series is just the latest example of how the arts have inspired us to create new and innovative recipes.”

Song of Myself – German-Inspired American IPA will roll out in late May 2019 and will be available as long as supplies last. Song of Myself – as well as all future Limited Release offerings in the Leaves of Grass Series – will have availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Michigan and throughout the rest of Bell’s Brewery’s distribution area. A new offering from the Leaves of Grass Series will release every two months until May 2020. Prost!