Calusa Brewing Releases Totemic Table Saison

Posted on by mashingin

CalusaTotemic2Calusa Brewing (Sarasota, Florida) recently took to social media to announce the bottle-only release of Totemic Table Saison.

Arriving just in time to pair with all the holiday meals in your future, Totemic Table Saison is an oak-fermented Saison that “crackles with dry, appetizing character and spirited, friendly funk.”  Clocking in at an extremely light and easy-drinking 4.2% ABV, Totemic Table Saison supplies its drinker with an experience that is “rustic, refreshing and restorative.”

Officially released at the end of last week (November 23), 375ml bottles of Totemic Table Saison are still available for purchase in Calusa Brewing’s Tasting Room for the cost of $6 each.  This is a bottle-only release that will only be available as long as supplies last.  Prost!

Vital Information for Totemic Table Saison from Calusa Brewing

Release – Limited, late November 2018
Style – Saison/Table Beer
ABV – 4.2%
Suggested Food Pairings – “An incredible food beer, Totemic pairs with seafood & shellfish, crushes it with cheese and may be the ultimate brunch beer.”
Availability – 375ml bottles ($6 each)
Distribution – None; brewery-only release

Monday Night Brewing Set to Release Cinnamon Cocoa Coffee Drafty Kilt

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MondayNightCCCDrafty2Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta, Georgia) has officially announced that it will hold a Limited Release for Cinnamon Cocoa Coffee Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale at its West Midtown location on Friday, November 30.

Just as its lengthy name suggests, Cinnamon Cocoa Coffee Drafty Kilt starts with a Scotch Ale base – Monday Night’s “already delicious” Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale to be exact – and takes it to the next level with the additions of cinnamon and locally roasted Batdorf & Bronson coffee and cocoa nibs. These comforting ingredients meld into the base beer to produce “refined notes of spice and dark chocolate . . ., making [Cinnamon Cocoa Coffee Drafty Kilt] perfect for a cold winter (week)night.”

Cinnamon Cocoa Coffee Drafty Kilt will officially release on November 30 at Monday Night Brewing’s West Midtown location.  This Limited Release offering will be available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and you can reserve yours by clicking here.  There is no information available at this time that leads us to believe that this beer will see distribution.  If anything changes, we will be sure to update you with that info here.  Prost!

Vital Information for Cinnamon Cocoa Coffee Drafty Kilt from Monday Night Brewing

Release – Limited/Black Tie Series; November 30, 2018
Style – Scotch Ale
ABV – 7.2%
IBUs – 26
Grains – Cherrywood-Smoked Malt, Chocolate Malt & Roasted Barley
Hops – Columbus & Willamette
Added Ingredients – Cinnamon and Batdorf & Bronson coffee & cocoa nibs
Suggested Food Pairings – “Spice Cake, Cranberry Sauce, Cold Winter Nights”
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans
Distribution – Brewery release. No distribution information available at this time

 

Arrogant Consortia Introduces Arrogant Bastard Black Metallic Stout

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ArrogantConsortiaLogoArrogant Consortia (Escondido, California), the outspoken offshoot of Stone Brewing, has officially launched Arrogant Bastard Black Metallic Stout as its latest Year-Round offering.

Brewed to push the limits of what we have come to expect from a Stout, Arrogant Bastard Black Metallic Stout is a “Rye Stout brewed with wry sensibilities.”  Coming in at a bullish 7.2% ABV, Black Metallic Stout is unapologetically “dark, roasty, hoppy and bitter. Gloriously bitter.”

Arrogant Bastard Black Metallic Stout is rolling out this week with availability in 6-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft.  You can expect to find this new Year-Round at craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Arrogant Consortia’s/Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Arrogant Bastard Black Metallic Stout from Arrogant Consortia 

Release – Year-Round, launching late November 2018
Style – American Stout/Rye Beer
ABV – 7.2%
Availability – 6-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://find.arrogantconsortia.com/ab#ready

arrogantBlackmetallic2

 

Creature Comforts’ Koko Buni Milk Porter Returns for the Winter

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CCBC_KokoBuniglassware_promoCreature Comforts Brewing Co. (Athens, Georgia) has officially announced that Koko Buni, a Milk Porter with toasted coconut, cocoa nibs and coffee, will return in mid-December to serve as the brewery’s winter limited release.

Crafted by the team at Creature Comforts to be a go-to offering that is “perfect for cooler days and evenings”, Koko Buni is a Milk Porter brewed with toasted coconut, an Ethiopian blend of coffee from 1000 Faces Coffee, Ecuadorian cocoa nibs from Athens, Georgia’s bean-to-bar chocolatier, Condor Chocolates, and a Haitian varietal of cocoa nibs from Woodstock, Illinois-based Ethereal Confections.  This carefully curated mix of ingredients produces a 6.5% ABV Koko Buni that has a “rich and velvety . . . balance in flavor” that is not at all “overpowering or fatiguing on the palate.”

The 2018 batch of Koko Buni will make its debut at Creature Comforts Brewing Co. in mid-December and is scheduled to hit distribution “shortly following the onsite release.”  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 within the brewery’s distribution footprint in Athens and Atlanta, Georgia. Prost!

Vital Information for Koko Buni Milk Porter from Creature Comforts Brewing Co.

Release – Limited/Seasonal, mid-December 2018
Style – American Porter
ABV – 6.5%
Featured Ingredients – Toasted coconut, Ethiopian coffee from 1000 Faces Coffee, Ecuadorian cocoa nibs from Condor Chocolates & Haitian cocoa nibs from Ethereal Confections
Fun Fact #1 – On the beer’s name: “The coconut and Ethiopian coffee used in making the beer inspired its name. ‘Koko’ translates to coconut in Papiamento, a language commonly used in the Caribbean. ‘Buni’ is derived from the word for coffee in Amharic, the primary language found in Ethiopia.”
Fun Fact #2 – On the label artwork: “Continuing in [their] effort to frequently work with local partners, [Creature Comforts] worked with Athens artist David Hale on the can design. The design won CNBC’s Battle of the Beer Labels competition in April 2016.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Athens & Atlanta, Georgia

CCBC_KokoStillWeb1

 

 

Saint Arnold Brewing Company Releases Bishop’s Barrel No. 22

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SaintArnoldBishops22Saint Arnold Brewing Company (Houston, Texas) has officially announced the Limited Release of Bishop’s Barrel No. 22, a Texas honey Saison aged in chardonnay barrels for a year with peaches, apricots and the wild yeast brettanomyces.

What is now known as Bishop Barrel No. 22 was first created in 2017 when Wood Cellar and Specialty Brewer Colin Klingemann enhanced the recipe for the previously released Icon Gold – Texas Honey Saison with the addition of “peaches and brettanomyces bruxellensis as a holiday gift for [Saint Arnold employees].”  The result was an instant hit with the staff and the decision was ultimately made to make it a part of the Bishop’s Barrel Program by adding “900 pounds of apricot purée” to the holiday recipe and then aging it “for a year in three different types of chardonnay barrels, including some that housed Bishop’s Barrel No. 19.” This treatment turned Bishop’s Barrel No. 22 (8% ABV) into “a tart, yet balanced Saison with up front notes of baked bread, stone fruit, oak, white wine, and funk.”

“This is one of the most wine-like beers we’ve ever brewed,” said Colin Klingemann, Wood Cellar and Specialty Brewer at Saint Arnold. “It’s really light and balanced on the palate while still offering a variety of flavors.”

 

“I always look forward to seeing how our beers interact with the extra wine or spirit in the variety of barrels we’ve used for this series,” said Founder/Brewer Brock Wagner. “This beer demonstrates the artistry of blending wood, fruit, and wild yeast to achieve the balanced flavor we were seeking.”

Bishop’s Barrel No. 22 is officially hitting distribution today – Monday, November 26 – with availability in 12 oz. bottles and on draft.  You can expect to find this Limited Release offering at select craft beer-focused retailers, bars and restaurants located within Saint Arnold’s distribution footprint in Texas and Louisiana.  Prost!

Vital Information for Bishop’s Barrel No. 22 from Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Release – Limited/Bishop’s Barrel Series; late-November 2018
Style – Saison
ABV – 8%
IBUs – 20
Treatment – Aged for a year in three different types of chardonnay barrels with the addition of peaches, apricots & brettanomyces
Availability – 12 oz. bottles & draft
Distribution – Texas & Louisiana 

 

LOKO Cuisine to Host Pinoy Eggs & Kegs Brunch at Southern Brewing & Winery

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lokopinoy3On Sunday, December 16 at 11 a.m., LOKO Cuisine will team up with Chismis & Co. to host Pinoy Eggs & Kegs, a Filipino-style brunch, at Southern Brewing & Winery (Tampa, Florida).

No longer bound to just one location for its monthly Eggs & Kegs events, LOKO Cuisine is now taking its brunch pop-up on the road to treat their fans to a constantly changing venue, vibe and atmosphere that will match their always inventive and creative menus.

For their December stop, LOKO Cuisine and their friends from Chismis & Co. – a Filipino eatery located in the Heights Public Market at Armature Works – will take over Southern Brewing & Winery to dish out the following buffet-style feast comprised of four courses “that combine Pinoy home-style classics with a few creative twists”:

LOKOPinoy2

To cover the “kegs” portion of the brunch, Southern Brewing & Winery will be serving up its award-winning Koenig Hans Pilsner and a Filipino-inspired beer treatment that has yet to be announced.  If beer does not happen to be your thing, cider and wine will be available as well.  Ginger Beard Coffee will also be on-site to pour nitro-infused coffee and tea (available for an additional cost).

Tickets for the Pinoy Eggs & Kegs are available now for $32.10 each, and you can purchase yours by clicking here. Ticket cost includes the four-course brunch and one pour of beer, cider or wine. Physical tickets will not be issued, but your name will be added to a paid list once the purchase process is completed. FYI: Everyone in your party will have to check in under the purchaser’s name at the door.

Seating at LOKO Cuisine events is always limited, and the growing popularity of Chismis & Co. will most assuredly make Pinoy Eggs & Kegs a quick sell out.  With that in mind, go ahead and get your brunch squad organized, lock down some tickets, and get amped for what is guaranteed to be an amazing brunch experience at Southern Brewing & Winery on December 16.  Prost!

Tasting Notes: Sparkling Swan Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company

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LagunitasSparklingPourFor this installment of Tasting Notes, we settle in for Thanksgiving by raising a glass of Sparkling Swan Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, California).

Introduced earlier this month as the little sister to Lagunitas’ infrequently released Dark Swan Sour Ale, Sparkling Swan is a highly-carbonated beer-wine hybrid “brewed with red wine grapes” that offers a “super bubbly” champagne-like experience, “but with a gentle kiss of hops and a light malt backbone like a beer.”  Coming in at an easy-drinking 6.5% ABV and 28 IBUs, the purple-hued Sparkling Swan is “perfect for any celebration” headed your way this holiday season.

Sparkling Swan is available now and will be hanging around through February 2019.  You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles at select craft beer retailers located in Alabama, Florida, California, Illinois, Washington and throughout the rest of Lagunitas Brewing Company’s distribution area.

Now that we are all caught up on the technical data, let’s get into these Tasting Notes so that we can experience the true majesty of a Sparkling Swan!

Tasting Notes for Sparkling Swan Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company

Appearance: A cautious pour produces a beer that is a shimmering purple in color (similar to that of grape juice) and wearing over two fingers of pink to soft purple hued foam.  When held to direct light, the purple tones intensify and take on a ruby red radiance. Despite its dark appearance, the beer is clear and pulses with a highly active carbonation presence.  The brightly colored head quickly collapses down to a thin ring that occasionally notches the glass with a wisp of lace.

Aroma:  First Impression – Sparkling Swan basically smells like someone filled this glass halfway with a fine Cabernet Sauvignon and then topped it off with some Welch’s . . . and that’s pretty friggin’ awesome.  Red wine grapes and concord grape juice combine to produce a sweet, fruity character that offers added notes of raspberry, cherry and plum. Light, floral and fruity, the hops surface near the end of the profile in an attempt to balance that sweet fruitiness and also act as a pleasant fragrance that rounds off any trace of lactobacillus.

Taste: Very similar to the nose, the flavor profile opens with grape notes that range for red wine complexity to the incredibly approachable and sweet presence of concord grape juice.  The fruitiness open further to present distinct tones of tart cherry and black currant. The beer is nice and tart, but it has a very clean lactobacillus tartness that is completely devoid of funk or added earthiness.  Crackery malt and a touch of floral hops finally turn up near the finish to temper that sour/tart character a bit.

Mouthfeel:  Light side of medium in body with a bright carbonation, this beer is super easy-drinking and has a refreshing effervescence to it.  The tart and sweet characteristics do a good job balancing themselves out and result in a pretty dry experience overall.  The ABV is well hidden but does supply a slight warmth in the throat.  Concord grape juice and floral hops linger a bit in the aftertaste.

Final Thoughts:  In a nutshell, Sparkling Swan Ale is red wine and champagne sophistication meets childhood memories of grape juice boxes.  It has a certain level of complexity while still remaining playful, familiar and approachable.

Full of personality, this beer makes the following claims as to why it is a solid choice for holiday gatherings:

  • Beautiful to look at, it has that wow factor that will definitely grab the attention of everyone in the room.
  • Hand it off to either the wine faithful or the traditional beer lovers at the table and it will most assuredly get a fair share of perplexed but intrigued “That’s a beer?” inquiries.
  • As far as the meal goes, it has the tartness to work alongside any plate that has cranberry sauce on it, the effervescence necessary to cut through fatty meats and rich gravy, and has the staying power to hang out for a cheese course or any desserts that are chocolate or fruit-focused.

That is certainly one hell of a case, but the best attribute of this beer just might be that it does not have to be limited to special occasions and holiday feasts.  Full of daily drinker potential, Sparkling Swan is just a fun, easy-drinking and tasty brew that is absolutely worthy of your attention at any point or time this holiday season.  Be sure to check out this Limited Release while you can.  Prost!

Lonerider Brewing Set for Black Friday Release of Pistols at Dawn

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LoneriderPistolsPourLonerider Brewing Company (Raleigh, North Carolina) has officially announced that it will open the Hideout two hours early – at noon – on Black Friday, November 23 to hold a taproom exclusive release of Pistols at Dawn Brunch Stout.

Turning up just in time to give you a reprieve from the madness that is Black Friday, Pistols at Dawn is a brunch-themed American Stout “made with local cold brew coffee, cocoa nibs, and lactose.”  Strong, imposing and confident, Pistols at Dawn (9% ABV) will help you survive the morning and can also be convinced to “keep you warm on the coldest of nights.”

Pistols at Dawn will release exclusively in the Hideout – Lonerider’s taproom – at noon on Black Friday.  This Limited Release will be available as long as supplies last in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans. Pistols at Dawn is not expected to see distribution.  Prost!

Vital Information for Pistols at Dawn Brunch Stout from Lonerider Brewing Company

Release – Limited/Brewery Exclusive; November 23, 2018
Style – American Stout
ABV – 9%
IBUs – 70
Hops – Magnum
Added Ingredients – Cocoa Nibs, Local Cold Brew Coffee, Flaked Oats & Lactose
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans
Distribution – None, taproom only

 

Avery Brewing Co. Turns Sandy Claws Loose for the Holidays

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“Kidnap the Sandy Claws
Lock him up real tight
Throw away the key and then
Turn off all the lights”

– “Kidnap the Sandy Claws”, The Nightmare Before Christmas

AverySandyClawslabelAvery Brewing Co. (Boulder, Colorado) has officially announced that an incredibly limited supply of Sandy Claws, a holiday-themed Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout, will be available nationwide this holiday season.

Arriving as No. 51 in Avery Brewing Co.’s Barrel-Aged Series, Sandy Claws is a festive Imperial Stout brewed with peppermint and chocolate that the brewery’s elves later kidnapped and locked away “in a Bourbon barrel for months.”  Weighing in at a monstrous 14.5% ABV, Sandy Claws has emerged from captivity to bring “you holiday cheer and a bit of fear.”

With only 500 cases available nationwide, Sandy Claws started rolling out this week and will be available as long as supplies last.  You can expect to find this incredibly limited release offering available in 12 oz. bottles at select craft beer establishments located in Florida, Colorado and throughout the rest of Avery Brewing Co.’s distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Sandy Claws from Avery Brewing Co.

Release – Limited/Barrel-Aged Series, late-November 2018
Style – Imperial Stout
ABV – 14.5%
Added Ingredients – Peppermint & Chocolate
Treatment – Aged in Bourbon barrels “for months”
Availability – 12 oz. bottles
Beer Finder – https://www.averybrewing.com/brew-finder

Red Hare Brewing Braces for Winter with Release of SPF 50/50 Wintery Mix India Pale Radler

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WinteryMix-Front-100x100Red Hare Brewing Company (Marietta, Georgia) has officially announced that the Seasonal Release of SPF 50/50 Wintery Mix, a Cranberry India Pale Radler, will begin on Saturday, November 24.

Arriving as the latest installment in Red Hare Brewing’s “wildly popular original SPF 50/50 line of Tangerine and Grapefruit India Pale Ale Radlers“, SPF 50/50 Wintery Mix is a holiday-inspired Radler that blends the brewery’s Gangway India Pale Ale with house-made cranberry and pineapple sodas.  Clocking in at a refreshing 4.2% ABV and 26 IBUs, SPF 50/50 Wintery Mix promises to be “the beer that brings a ray of sunshine in the winter.”

“We wanted to create a beer that tasted like the holidays- it’s a little sweet, a little bitter, and all joy. It’s like when the power goes out because of three snowflakes and all you have is the kids nestled around the fire and your one last tasty beverage- hence the name, Wintery Mix.”

 

– Bobby Thomas, Brewmaster at Red Hare Brewing

Official launch parties for SPF 50/50 Wintery Mix will be held at both Red Hare Brewing Company locations – Marietta, Georgia and Shallotte, North Carolina – on Saturday, November 24. Distribution is also scheduled to begin at or around that date.  You can expect to find this Seasonal Release available for a limited time in 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Red Hare’s distribution footprint in Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina.  Prost!

Vital Information for SPF 50/50 Wintery Mix from Red Hare Brewing Company

Release – Seasonal (Winter), launching late November 2018
Style – Radler
ABV – 4.2%
IBUs – 26
Blend – A mix of Gangway India Pale Ale and house-made cranberry & pineapple sodas
Availability – 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina