21st Amendment Brewery Adds Sparkale to Year-Round Lineup

Posted on by mashingin

21asparkalecan21st Amendment Brewery (San Leandro, California) has officially announced that Sparkale will debut in February as the brewery’s newest Year-Round offering.

Developed to be “a bit of a departure from 21st Amendment’s [lineup] of bold, West Coast-style IPAs”, Sparkale is a light pink Sparkling Rosé Ale brewed “with apples, peach, cranberry & cherry, for a light, fruity, tart flavor and a huge ‘sparkle factor’.” Weighing in at an easy drinking 5.5% ABV, Sparkale is a lower calorie, gluten-reduced option that serves as “a reminder of life’s simple pleasures.”

“We’ve learned a lot about using fruit in our brews—from ‘Hell or High Watermelon,’ to ‘Blood Orange Brew Free! or Die IPA,’ and we love the refreshing quality that fruit can bring to new styles of beer. Sparkale is our latest adventure, and we’re so excited to offer a completely different type of beer that will quench your thirst and delight your taste buds any time of year.”

 

– Nico Freccia, Co-Founder of 21st Amendment Brewery

Sparkale will officially launch in February with availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft.  You can expect to find this new Year-Round offering at craft beer-friendly retailers, bars and restaurants located in Florida, California and throughout the rest of 21st Amendment’s 25 state distribution footprint.  Prost!

Vital Information for Sparkale from 21st Amendment Brewery

Release – Year-Round, launches February 2019
Style – Sparkling Ale/Fruit Beer
ABV – 5.5%
Added Ingredients – Apple, Cranberry, Peach & Cherry
Fun Fact – On the label artwork: “The label featuring a hand holding a sparkler at sunset, evokes the beer’s light pink color and bright pop of flavor. ‘The sparkler is such an American icon, and the perfect symbol for celebrating any occasion,’ adds Dave Wilson, President and Partner.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – http://21st-amendment.com/find-some/

21asparkalepack

Cigar City Brewing Launches its first Mixed 12-Pack

Posted on by mashingin

Final-Logo-3color-Pantone-CMYKCigar City Brewing (Tampa, Florida) has officially announced that it is adding the CCB Mixed 12-Pack, a variety pack that will act as the exclusive packaging format for cans of Space Pope IPA, to its portfolio of Year-Round offerings in January 2019.

Made possible in large part due to the successful launches of Jai Alai IPA 12-packs and the CANarchy Mixed 12-Pack – Vol. 1 (click here to read more about this multi-brewery pack), the CCB Mixed 12-Pack contains the following four incredibly successful offerings from Cigar City Brewing (descriptions sourced directly from the brewery’s press release):

  • Jai Alai IPA – A 7.5% ABV American IPA dry-hopped with Simcoe hops and currently the second-best selling craft six-pack can nationwide.
  • Guayabera Citra Pale Ale – Cigar City Brewing’s second best-selling brand, brings a lower-alcohol yet hop-forward offering to the CCB Mixed 12-pack, clocking in at 5.5% ABV.
  • Florida Cracker – A crisp Belgian-style White Ale of 5.5% ABV brewed with coriander and orange peel, is a refreshing wheat beer addition.
  • Space Pope IPA – A bright, citrusy IPA of 7.3% ABV that’s loaded with Mosaic, Citra, Hallertauer Blanc and (what else?) Galaxy hops to highlight notes of candied orange and tangerine. 

Although kegs of Space Pope IPA will see “sporadic distribution” throughout 2019, 12 oz. cans of this new Year-Round offering will be available exclusively in the CCB Mixed 12-Pack.

The CCB Mixed 12-Pack will begin rolling out in select markets in January and is scheduled to enter full distribution by mid-2019.  Once fully introduced, you can expect to find The CCB Mixed 12-pack available Year-Round at “the finest grocery stores, package stores, liquor stores and independent craft beer shops” located in Florida, Alabama and throughout the rest of Cigar City Brewing’s distribution area.  Prost!

 

 

 

TBBW 2019 Event: Angry Chair Brewing Super Rad Rare Beer Event & Bottle Release

Posted on by mashingin
angrychairlogo**This is an archived post covering Angry Chair’s 2019 Super Rad Rare Beer Event. If you are looking for information concerning the 2020 Super Rad Rare Beer Night and Bottle Release, click here.**  

Angry Chair Brewing (Tampa, Florida) has officially announced that it will recognize Tampa Bay Beer Week 2019 by celebrating its annual Super Rad Rare Beer Event and Bottle Release off-site at The Orpheum on Thursday, March 7.

During last year’s Tampa Bay Beer Week, one thing was made incredibly clear: just about everyone who was in town for the event was motivated to get a hold of some Angry Chair Brewing at one point or another.  Day after day, hordes of beer fans descended upon the brewery at all hours for their week of bottle releases.  Although the folks at Angry Chair were pleasantly surprised by the turnout and stoked to receive such support, their neighbors were not so happy with the situation.  Since the brewery is pretty small, lacks parking and is located at the edge of a neighborhood, this influx of humanity led to numerous logistical issues that made life difficult for the people who call that area home.

In order to keep that from happening again during Tampa Bay Beer Week 2019, Angry Chair Brewing has decided to make this year’s bottle releases a part of its annual Super Rad Rare Beer Event and move the whole thing off-site to The Orpheum in Ybor City.  This decision was made to not only respect the wishes of their neighbors, but to also provide their patrons with a better experience.  Obviously, this means that there WILL NOT be any bottle releases at Angry Chair Brewing at ANY POINT during Tampa Bay Beer Week 2019.  

Since this information will prove valuable to many, we are just going to breakdown all the details for the 2019 Super Rad Rare Beer Event and Bottle Release in effort to avoid any confusion.  Let’s get to it:

The Basics

What – Angry Chair Brewing’s Super Rad Rare Beer Event & Bottle Release
When – Thursday, March 7 – 1st Session: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. | 2nd Session: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where – The Orpheum | 1915 East 7th Ave | Ybor City, Florida

Ticket Information

General Admission tickets for the Super Rad Rare Beer Event are $300 each (+ tax).  Ticket cost gets you unlimited pours of rare beers during the event, a commemorative beer glass, a bottle bag and one of each of the following bottles:

  • Rye Whiskey Barrel-aged Popinski with Vanilla Beans | Rye Whiskey Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout with Vanilla Beans
  • Cognac Barrel-aged Unrepentant Transgression | Cognac Barrel-aged Imperial Sweet Stout with Cacao, Cinnamon, Toasted Walnuts & Vanilla Beans
  • Barrel-aged Russian Interference | Bourbon Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout with Toasted Pecans, Vanilla Beans & Cinnamon brewed in collaboration with Westbrook Brewing Co.
  • Barrel-aged Adjunct Trail | Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Sweet Stout with Hazelnut, Coffee & Coconut brewed in collaboration with Prairie Artisan Ales
  • Barrel-aged Imperial German Chocolate Cupcake Stout | Bourbon Barrel-aged Sweet Stout with Cacao, Vanilla Beans & Coconut
  • Guava & Vanilla Bean Sour Ale | Collaboration with The Orpheum

**Bottles are subject to change if any issues arise**

VIP Tickets will be available via raffle for the cost $500 each (+ tax).  VIP ticket cost gets you everything included with General Admission plus admittance into the event 20 minutes early and a second set of bottles.  This is how the raffle will work:

To enter the VIP RAFFLE – While purchasing your ticket you will provide your name, email, and phone number. At the time of purchase, inform the Angry Chair staff member that you want to be a part of the VIP raffle and you will be added to the raffle list.  Names will be drawn randomly, 30 per session, and winners will be contacted. If you are contacted, you will have 24 hours to pay the additional $200 to bump your ticket up. Once 24 hours pass, anyone who has not paid will forfeit their VIP selection and additional names will be drawn. (You will have already purchased the GA ticket, so you will not lose your chance to attend, just the additional perks).

In-person ticket sales will take place at Angry Chair Brewing beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, January 26.  There will be 200 General Admission tickets per session and 30 VIP tickets per session available for in-person purchase.  **UPDATE 1.26.19** In-person ticket sales are officially SOLD OUT. **UPDATE 1.26.19**

Online ticket sales will take place at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, January 28.  70 General Admission tickets per session will be available for online purchase.  We will post the link for online sales here just as soon the brewery makes it available. **UPDATE 1.26.19** The ticket link is now live. You can click here to go to the ticket page. **UPDATE 1.26.19****UPDATE 1.29.19** Online ticket sales are officially SOLD OUT. **UPDATE 1.29.19**

Tickets are limited to ONE per person and you can only attend one session.  Plus ones WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE.

Your ID will be required at the time of purchase.  You will be issued a physical ticket.  The name on the ID will be added to the list and your ticket will match the name on that list.  This means that YOU must show up with YOUR ticket.  Tickets are NON-TRANSFERABLE.

The Draft List

Attendees of The Super Rad Rare Beer Event will have access to unlimited pours of the following . . . you know . . . rare beers:

  • Barrel-aged Imperial German Chocolate Cupcake Stout | Bourbon Barrel-aged Sweet Stout with Cacao, Vanilla Beans & Coconut
  • Rye Whiskey Barrel-aged Popinski with Vanilla Beans | Rye Whiskey Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout with Vanilla Beans 
  • Barrel-aged Russian Interference | Bourbon Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout with Toasted Pecans, Vanilla Beans & Cinnamon brewed in collaboration with Westbrook Brewing Co.
  • Barrel-aged Adjunct Trail | Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Sweet Stout with Hazelnut, Coffee & Coconut brewed in collaboration with Prairie Artisan Ales
  • Cognac Barrel-aged Unrepentant Transgression | Cognac Barrel-aged Imperial Sweet Stout with Cacao, Cinnamon, Toasted Walnuts & Vanilla Beans
  • Wilfred | Sweet Stout with Cacao, Vanilla Beans, Coconut & Maple
  • Imperial German Chocolate Cupcake Stout | Sweet Stout with Cacao, Vanilla Beans & Coconut
  • Barrel-aged Rocky Road | Barrel-aged Imperial Sweet Stout with Lactose, Cacao, Vanilla Beans & Walnuts
  • Rainbow Sherbet Berliner Weisse | Berliner with Lactose & Rainbows
  • Barrel-aged French Toast | Barrel-aged Imperial Porter with Lactose, Cinnamon, Vanilla Beans & Maple
  • Vodnik Czech-style Pilsner
  • Spacegrass IPA | India Pale Ale with Simcoe, Azacca & El Dorado hops
  • Imperial Moon Butter Sweet Stout | Imperial Sweet Stout with Cacao & Peanut Butter
  • Guava & Vanilla Bean Sour Ale | Collaboration with The Orpheum
  • Barrel-aged Ultra Violence | Bourbon Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout with Copious Amounts of Vanilla Beans

**The list above is subject to change and will definitely grow as the date of the event draws closer. Stay tuned for updates!**

Other Useful Information

  • Make sure that you have your ID with you when you attend the Super Rad Rare Beer Event.  If you do not bring your ID, your name cannot be verified against the list.  If you cannot be verified, you cannot attend.
  • Things that will not be permitted at the event: bottles, coolers, chairs, children & pets
  • You will receive a wristband upon entry.  DO NOT remove this wristband.  Not only will it prove that you belong at the event and grant you access to the beer being poured, it is also your only link to your bottles and schwag. When you leave, the Angry Chair crew will cut your band and then hand over your bottles, bottle bag and glass.  No wristband = NO BEER, NO BOTTLES, NO NOTHIN’.
  • Once you leave the event, please leave the area and do not linger outside of The Orpheum.
  • Unfortunately, there will be no food available at the venue during the event.  Angry Chair suggests that you check out one (or more) of Ybor’s amazing restaurants, bars or breweries before and/or after the event to handle all your grubbin’ needs.
  • The beers at this event will be massive, so please plan accordingly.  Arrange for a designated driver to pick you up or secure an Uber/Lyft/taxi to get you home safely.
  • Once again . . . There WILL NOT be any bottle releases at Angry Chair Brewing at ANY POINT during Tampa Bay Beer Week 2019.  

Alright, that should just about cover all the details currently available for the Super Rad Rare Beer Event and Bottle Release.  If any new information surfaces or anything changes, we will be sure to update this post with that information just as soon as we have it.

After what happened last year, it kind of goes without saying that this event will sell out quickly.  If you wish to attend Angry Chair’s Super Rad Rare Beer Event, make sure that plan you accordingly and do whatever you can to hit those ticket sale options as early as possible.  Best of luck to all of you.  Prost!

 

 

Wild Leap Brew Co. Releases Alpha Abstraction Double IPA – Vol. 5

Posted on by mashingin

wildleaplogoWild Leap Brew Co. (LaGrange, Georgia) has officially announced that it will release the fifth installment in its incredibly popular Alpha Abstraction Double IPA series during the last week of January 2019.

Arriving as the latest release in Wild Leap’s “artistic and experimental” series of Double India Pale Ales, Alpha Abstraction – Vol. 5 is the first of the series – and first Wild Leap beer ever – to be brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops.  Directly sourced out of New Zealand, these gorgeous hops “give the beer a subtle bitterness with a fresh fruit aroma that can resemble white wine, fresh gooseberry, and tropical flavors.”  Alpha Abstraction – Vol. 5 clocks in at 8% ABV.

As far as the artwork goes, the “ever-changing buffalo” design on the can for this Alpha Abstraction release features a photograph of the street art displayed in the Krog Street Tunnel in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta.  Since both of Wild Leap’s founders began their careers in Atlanta, this design acts as their nod to “the creative, ever changing” nature that the city shares with the Alpha Abstraction series.

“First and foremost, we want to always make great beer,” shares Chris Elliott, Head Brewer at Wild Leap Brew Co. “But beer is supposed to be fun, fresh, something that is ever changing. That is what the Alpha series has been for us – a way to mix things up, and try new hops.”

Alpha Abstraction – Vol. 5 will officially launch during the last week of January and will hang around as long as supplies last.  You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located within Wild Leap’s distribution area in Georgia. Prost!

Vital Information for Alpha Abstraction – Vol. 5 from Wild Leap Brew Co.

Release – Limited; final week of January 2019
Style – Double India Pale Ale 
ABV – 8%
Featured Hops – Nelson Sauvin
Fun Fact – On the name of this beer series: “The ‘alpha’ in the Alpha Abstraction name refers to the alpha acids in hops. Playing with the alpha acid content is what gives a beer it’s wonderful aromas and level of bitterness. And double dry hopping is an art form, if somewhat of an abstract one.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Distribution – This offering will be available in following areas of Georgia: Atlanta, LaGrange, Newnan, Peachtree City, Columbus, Athens, Gainesville & Augusta 
Beer Finder – http://www.wildleap.com/beer-finder/

 

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. & Run the Jewels Re-Release Stay G-O-L-D IPA

Posted on by mashingin

ccbc_staygold_2019Creature Comforts Brewing Co. (Athens, Georgia) has officially announced that it is getting ready for “the big game” by once again partnering with hip-hop super duo Run the Jewels to release a new batch of Stay G-O-L-D IPA on Tuesday, January 29. 

Originally released in October 2017 as one of several IPA collaborations that Run the Jewels created with a handful of breweries across the country, the Creature Comforts’ version of Stay G-O-L- D has been revived to hit fans with that “hazy, juicy, and dank” India Pale Ale experience one more time.  Brewed with Citra, Mosaic, Strata, and Chinook hops, Stay G-O-L-D (6% ABV) “offers a great marriage of dank, pine, and resin flavors paired with a punch of peach, melon, and orange tropical notes.”

“Stay G-O-L-D is a high impact, yet very drinkable IPA,” said David Stein, Creature Comforts Brewing Co. Co-Founder and Head Brewer. “We’re all big fans of Run the Jewels here at Creature Comforts so we were thrilled to have another opportunity to collaborate with them.”

With availability in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft, Stay G-O-L-D will officially release on January 29 in the Tasting Room at Creature Comforts Brewing Co.  After the on-site release, a limited amount of Stay G-O-L-D will be available on draft only at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Creature Comforts’ distribution footprint in Athens and Atlanta, Georgia.  Prost!

Vital Information for Stay G-O-L-D from Creature Comforts Brewing Co. & Run the Jewels

Release – Limited; January 29, 2019
Style – Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale
ABV – 6%
Featured Hops – Citra, Mosaic, Strata & Chinook
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Athens & Atlanta, Georgia (draft only)

Wild Heaven Launches Emergency Drinking Beer Seasonal Series

Posted on by mashingin

wildheavenlogoWild Heaven Beer (Atlanta, Georgia) has officially announced that it will introduce a new series of fruited variants of its wildly-popular Emergency Drinking Beer with the late January release of Emergency Drinking Beer – Citrus Blend.

Recognizing the success and popularity of Wild Heaven’s long-standing Emergency Drinking Beer – “a 4.4% ABV pilsner-style beer with sea salt and lemongrass” – and the 2018 release of Emergency Drinking Beer – Watermelon Blend in cans, retailers and partners have steadily reached out to the brewery over time to request additional variants of Emergency Drinking Beer.  Happy to oblige such requests, Wild Heaven has answered those calls with the establishment of an expanded Emergency Drinking Beer Seasonal Series in 2019. This year’s variants are as follows (descriptions sourced directly from Wild Heaven’s press release):

  • Emergency Drinking Beer – Citrus Blend | Winter 2019 – Adds fresh lime juice along with both white grapefruit (for complexity) and Ruby Red grapefruit (for sweetness) juice
  • Emergency Drinking Beer – Tropical Blend | Spring 2019 – Incorporates passionfruit, mango and pineapple juices
  • Emergency Drinking Beer – Watermelon Blend | Summer 2019 – Famously made by hand in our brewery as we hand cut and juice thousands of watermelons all summer
  • Emergency Drinking Beer – Berry Blend | Fall 2019 – Features acai, cranberry and other seasonal berries for autumn-time refreshment

Emergency Drinking Beer – Citrus Blend will begin rolling out in late January and is scheduled to hang around throughout the winter months.  You can expect to find this Seasonal brew available in 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Georgia.  The original version of Emergency Drinking Beer will continue to be available Year-Round throughout Wild Heaven’s distribution footprint.  Prost!

 

 

Rogue Ales Releases 2019 Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout, Introduces First-of-its-Kind Stouted Whiskey

Posted on by mashingin
rolling thunder stout & whiskey 2019_full-18
All photos used in this post are the property of Rogue Ales.

Rogue Ales (Newport, Oregon) has officially announced that the 2019 edition of Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout will have a special companion when it releases in February: the inaugural release of Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey.

In what is basically a circle of life, “can’t have one without the other” kind of situation,  Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout is aged in barrels – handcrafted at Rogue’s Rolling Thunder Barrel Works facility – that were soaked with whiskey that would eventually go on to become Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey.  The process that Rogue employs to create these two incredibly special offerings is quite lengthy, goes hand-in-hand, and spans the breadth of the company from Rogue Farms to the brewery to the distillery and cooperage.  It basically breaks down like this:

  1. Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey starts with barley grown and harvested at Rogue Farms
  2. That barley is brewed into wash and distilled into whiskey
  3. While Master Distiller Brian Pribyl is distilling the whiskey, Rogue cooper (barrel-maker) Nate Linquist makes a barrel out of Oregon Oak (Quercus garryana)
  4. The whiskey is aged one year in these Rolling Thunder Barrel Works barrels.
    Towards the end of that aging period, Brewmaster John Maier brews his imperial stout.
  5. Brian’s whiskey is then transferred to new barrels and John’s imperial stout is transferred to the whiskey-soaked barrels. After nine months, the beer is pulled and released as Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout.
  6. The original whiskey is put back into the whiskey- and stout-soaked barrels for an additional two years of aging.
  7. Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey, the final product of all this hard work and time is hand-bottled in hand-numbered bottles and topped with a hand-branded topper.

**This information was sourced directly from Rogue’s press release**

This laborious project ultimately yields a Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey that offers “subtle aromas of smoke and sea air” alongside a flavor profile boasting “notes of dark cocoa, toffee and dried fruit and a coffee and grain finish.”  Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey (48.5% ABV/97 PROOF) is available in limited quantities nationally in hand-numbered 750ml bottles.

Rogue President Dharma Tamm explains how the Rolling Thunder family of products sets Rogue apart from other craft breweries and distilleries:

 

““As the only farmer-brewer-distiller-cooper in the world, we are the only company who can create Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey completely in house.  We grow ingredients we use to brew and distill and make the barrels we age those products in. As Rogues, we are excited by the possibility of creating things by hand that no one has the patience to do.”

The 2019 release of Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout (14.4% ABV) has also emerged from a rest in whiskey-soaked barrels to feature “prominent notes of chocolate and coffee that complement the flavors of whiskey-soaked Oregon Oak.”  Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout (2019) will officially release in February and will be available as long as supplies last.  You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in hand-numbered 500ml bottles at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Florida, Oregon and throughout the rest of Rogue’s nationwide distribution area.  Prost!

 

rolling thunder stout & whiskey 2019_full-6
All photos used in this post are the property of Rogue Ales

Breakside Brewery Presents 2019 Beer Release Calendar

Posted on by mashingin

breaksidelogoAfter riding a steady stream of beer calendars through the week, we are closing things out with a look at the 2019 Beer Release Calendar from Breakside Brewery (Portland, Oregon).

Our approach to beer calendars remains the same as we have published Breakside Brewery’s full 2019 Beer Release Calendar below for you to look through at your convenience.  There are few details that we feel need some special attention, so let’s quickly knock those out:

  • What Rough Beast – a “contemporary India Pale Ale brewed with feet firmly planted in the Northwest and a nod to New England” – will transition from a Seasonal offering to Year-Round in 2019.
  • The brewery’s Year-Round portfolio will also see the addition of True Gold.  Available in 6-packs, this easy-drinking “‘golden pilsner’ . . . has a bite and crispness that hearkens back to a pilsner or lager, with a distinctive Breakside-style twist.”
  • Breakside’s lineup of Core Seasonals will trim down to focus on two main beers: Tall Guy IPA (January – May) and Passionfruit Sour Ale (June – October).  Salted Caramel Stout (November – December) will make a brief appearance during the holiday season.
  • The Rotating IPA Series will return with four offerings that will be released quarterly: Kids These Haze (Q1), Rainbows & Unicorns (Q2), Thirst Trap (Q3), and Coming Out Party (Q4).
  • 2019 will see the rise of The Oligarch – “A study in barrel-aged experimentation, this new brew is far more than ‘just’ an Imperial Stout. The Oligarch project encompasses 84 casks, 122 bbls of finished beer and no less than eight resulting variants. Aged in bourbon barrels (including some that previously contained maple syrup) the different beers resulting from this creative undertaking feature ingredients ranging from chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon all the way to mushrooms, almonds and raspberries.”
  • Breakside will also roll out an All Draft Lager Series in 2019.  This “smaller volume project” will consist of a vast array of “refreshing, smooth, drinkable, clean, and complex” Lagers that will be available “to a wider audience for the first time.”

“Our 2019 calendar is exciting. The rotating IPA series returns, featuring four favorite hoppy beers that we have refined over the past few years. Our barrel program continues to grow – both in wood-aged strong ales and mixed culture sour beers. The first releases from that wing of our brewery include some exciting new beers like The Oligarch and Fruits That Begin With The Letter Yuzu.”

 

– Ben Edmunds, Brewmaster for Breakside Brewery

That should just about cover everything that we wanted to go over, but there is still a massive amount of good information left for you to discover on the calendar below.  Check it out and start getting stoked for another fantastic year of brews with Breakside Brewery.  Prost!

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New Belgium Launches Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA Series with Release of Liquid Paradise IPA

Posted on by mashingin

nbliquidpromoNew Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, Colorado) has officially announced that it is kicking off its newly-established Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA Series with the Limited Release of Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA.

Arriving as the first of three Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA Series releases headed your way in 2019, Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise is a tropical India Pale Ale that combines “Mosaic Incognito with small amounts of Nugget, Azacca and [Cascade] hops.”  These carefully selected hops infuse this medium-bodied IPA with “a mild sweetness that propels bursts of guava, mango, grapefruit and white grape.”  Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA clocks in 7.8% ABV and 44 IBUs.

“The wonderful aromas and great tropical flavors of Liquid Paradise can be largely credited to the use of Mosaic Incognito hops,” said Ross Koenigs, research and development brewer at New Belgium. “While Mosaic hops are nothing new, the Incognito process efficiently extracts the aromatic lupulin from the plant material to offer new layers of flavor and aroma for us to play with.”

As far as the series itself goes, the Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA 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.”  Liquid Paradise IPA will be followed in 2019 with the release of Juicifer, “a devilishly juicy IPA”, and a “special crowd-sourced release” that will be named at a later date.

“The Voodoo Ranger Rotator series allows our brewers to engage in playful exploration that can bring entirely new flavor profiles to the world of IPA’s,” said Koenigs. “We’re just getting started with this exciting new series. Beer drinkers should keep an eye out for each ground-breaking offering throughout the year.”

Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA is rolling out now and will stick around for a limited time.  You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer-friendly retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida, Colorado, North Carolina and throughout the rest of New Belgium’s expansive distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA from New Belgium Brewing

Release – Limited/Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA Series, launching January 2019
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 7.8%
IBUs – 44
Hops – Nugget, Mosaic Incognito, Azacca & Cascade
Malts – Pale, Caramel 20, Oats & Munich
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.newbelgium.com/beer/finder/

Heavy Seas Beer to Release Blackbeard’s Breakfast and Salted Caramel Variant

Posted on by mashingin

UWS_Blackbeards Breakfast TapmarkerHeavy Seas Beer (Baltimore, Maryland) has officially announced that its long-standing Blackbeard’s Breakfast, a Bourbon Barrel-aged Porter brewed with Coffee, will return in February alongside a new draft-only variant, Salted Caramel Blackbeard’s Breakfast.

Arriving as the first Uncharted Waters Series release of 2019, Blackbeard’s Breakfast is a Robust Porter that has been brewed with Dark Sumatra coffee sourced from Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company and aged in Bourbon barrels.  The beer’s English malts provide “strong notes of caramel and a slight nut character” that pair beautifully with the “bourbon notes and the sumptuous Sumatran Coffee.”  Extremely “flavorful and complex”, Blackbeard’s Breakfast (10% ABV) is guaranteed to “please coffee and beer connoisseurs alike.”

To add a bit of a twist to the Uncharted Waters Series this year, the folks at Heavy Seas have decided to treat their fans to a companion series of draft-only variants that will launch with the appearance of Salted Caramel Blackbeard’s Breakfast.  Just as its name would lead you to believe, this variant infuses the original Blackbeard’s Breakfast with sea salt and house-made caramel.

“We decided for 2019 that we wanted to produce some draft-only ‘twists’ on some of our Uncharted Waters beers,” says Heavy Seas Brewmaster, Christopher Leonard. “The first one is a Salted Caramel version of Blackbeard’s Breakfast, our Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Coffee Porter. We add cold brewed coffee after barrel aging when we produce this beer. So, we put some of the barrel-aged, non-coffee Blackbeard’s Breakfast into a tank with house-made caramel and imported sea salt. The non-coffee, variant of Blackbeard’s Breakfast has a more pronounced vanilla flavor and aroma, along with a rich toffee, caramel flavor that is balanced nicely with the hint of salt. There are still some coffee-like roasted notes, but they provide a much subtler layer to the flavor profile.”

Both versions of Blackbeard’s Breakfast release in February and will hang around as long as supplies last.  The original Blackbeard’s Breakfast will be available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Maryland and throughout the rest of Heavy Seas’ distribution territory.  The draft only Salted Caramel Blackbeard’s Breakfast will see limited distribution to the following states: Maryland, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Ohio. Prost!

Vital Information for Blackbeard’s Breakfast from Heavy Seas Beer

Release – Limited/Uncharted Waters Series, February 2019
Style – Imperial Porter
ABV – 10%
IBUs – 40
Malts – UK Pale, UK Amber, Vienna, Light Crystal, Dark Crystal, Chocolate Malt & Black Malt
Hops – Target & UK Goldings
Added Ingredients – Dark Sumatra coffee from Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company
Treatment – Aged in Bourbon barrels
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://hsbeer.com/beerfinder