Innis & Gunn Launches Non-Alcoholic Innis & None Pale Ale

Posted on by mashingin

innis-none-badge__largeInnis & Gunn (Edinburgh, Scotland) announced this week that they are entering “Dry January” with the release of their first alcohol free beer, Innis & None Pale Ale.

Designed to be a detox beer for those “taking part in Dry January, or just cutting down after the festive season, for the tee-totaller or the fitness fanatic,” Innis & Gunn has developed Innis & None Alcohol Free Pale Ale as a perfect alternative for “the increasing number of adults who just opts to give their bodies a break.”  Innis & None more than makes up for its lack of alcohol with an impressive hop bill comprised of Columbus, Zeus, Tomahawk, Magnum, Hercules, and Apollo hops.  With the additions of ginseng and vitamin C, this 0.0% ABV brew ultimately comes together as “a delicious citrus pale ale with big hop bitterness, balanced with a touch of sweetness.”

With packaging in 4-packs and 12-packs of 330ml cans, Innis & None Alcohol Free Pale Ale is available for purchase exclusively in Innis & Gunn’s online store (click here) and at the brewery’s Beer Kitchen locations in Edinburgh, Dundee and St Andrews.  Shipping costs aside, Innis & None might just be the perfect way to satisfy a hop craving no matter the time of day or circumstance.  Prost!

Vital Information for Innis & None Alcohol Free Pale Ale from Innis & Gunn

Release – Limited, January 2017
Style – Pale Ale
ABV – 0%
Hops – Columbus, Zeus, Tomahawk, Magnum, Hercules & Apollo
Malt – Pale Ale 
Added Ingredients – Ginseng & Vitamin C
Availability – The Innis & Gunn Beer Kitchen locations in Edinburgh, Dundee and St Andrews, and at the brewery’s online shop
Online Shop – http://shop.innisandgunn.com/products/innis-none

Jester King Brewery to Release Bière de Blanc du Bois

Posted on by mashingin

jkblanc_editedOn Friday, January 6 at 4 p.m., Jester King Brewery (Austin, Texas) will release their 2016 vintage of Bière de Blanc du Bois- Barrel-Aged Beer Refermented with Blanc du Bois Grapes.

Officially returning for its third batch, Bière de Blanc du Bois is a true embodiment of Jester King Brewery’s unwavering commitment to create Farmhouse-style Ales with mixed fermentation techniques and local agriculture.  This brew begins as a blend of barrel-aged sour beer that has been fermented with a “mixed culture of native yeast and bacteria.”  Once the proper blend has been achieved, the beer is then refermented with Texas-grown Blanc du Bois grapes.  This lengthy process results in a unique offering that is a study in both Farmhouse brewing and ancient Georgian winemaking.

Due to the limited number of bottles (about 1,800 total), Bière de Blanc du Bois will only be available for purchase in Jester King’s Tasting Room beginning on January 6.  These 500ml bottles will be $20 each and there will be a bottle limit of two bottles per person per day.  There is an outside chance that Bière de Blanc du Bois may turn up at a handful of special events, but your only confirmed shot at this brew is at the brewery itself.  If Sour/Wild Ales are your thing and this beer is speaking to you, you need to either hit up your favorite travel website now for a last-minute deal – Austin is awesome any time of year – or make some good friends in Texas.  Prost!

Vital Information for Bière de Blanc du Bois from Jester King Brewery

Release – Limited/Brewery only, January 6, 2017
Style – American Wild Ale
ABV – 6.0%
Malts – Pilsner Malt, Wheat Malt
Hops – Golding
Fermentation – Farmhouse Yeast, Native Yeast and Souring Bacteria from the Texas Hill Country
Added Ingredients – Blanc du Bois Grapes
Treatment – Refermented in oak barrels
Availability – Brewery only, 500ml bottles for $20 each (limit of 2 per person per day) or by the glass

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J. Wakefield Brewing Expands Distribution to Orlando and Tampa

Posted on by mashingin

jwakfield-launch-01-700x1082J. Wakefield Brewing (Miami, Florida) announced this week that they have partnered with Cavalier Distributing (Lakeland, Florida) to officially extend their reach to the areas of Orlando and Tampa.

The New Year has certainly gotten off to a good start for craft beer fans in Orlando and Tampa now that J. Wakefield Brewing has decided to expand distribution of their draught beer portfolio into those areas effective immediately.  The brewery will enter these areas with “flagship beers including El Jefe Hefeweizen, Hops 4 Teacher IPA, Amber Waves, 24th Street Brown Ale, and UJP Porter, as well as seasonal and limited releases as they are available.”

“We are excited to partner with Cavalier to bring our beers to our fans and friends in Orlando and Tampa,” said Johnathan Wakefield, Owner/Brewmaster of J. Wakefield Brewing. “Cavalier has been entirely focused on distributing great beer for nearly 25 years, and has contributed greatly to the growth of craft beer in Florida, since starting their business here in 2012.”

Cavalier Distributing will handle all distribution responsibilities in these areas for J. Wakefield Brewing.  Although the brewery’s offerings are starting to hit taps in these areas now, J. Wakefield Brewing and Cavalier Distributing have planned official Launch Parties to begin on January 5 in Orlando and on January 12 in Tampa.  The confirmed list of launch events and locations are as follows:

Orlando Area

Tampa Area

  • Thursday, January 12 at 6 p.m. – The Stein & Vine (827 West Bloomingdale Ave., Brandon)
  • Friday, January 13 at 6 p.m. – The Ale and the Witch (111 2nd Ave NE, Saint Petersburg)
  • Saturday, January 14 at 6 p.m. – Mermaid Tavern (6719 N. Nebraska Ave. Tampa)

If you are a beer lover in the Orlando or Tampa areas, be sure to start the New Year with some new beer and give J. Wakefield Brewing a proper welcome to your favorite craft beer spots this month.  Prost!

 

Southern Sixer IPA to Make Seasonal Debut for Highland Brewing

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hbcsouther6er_editedHighland Brewing Company (Asheville, North Carolina) has announced that Southern Sixer IPA will officially release on Friday, January 27 as the brewery’s first Seasonal of 2017.

Brewed in recognition of “a group of Southern Appalachian mountains over 6,000 feet in elevation” known as the “Southern Sixers”, Southern Sixer IPA has a serious fixation with the number six.  Hopped with six varietals (Ekuanot™, Mosaic, Columbus, Cascade, Chinook & Simcoe), this West Coast-style India Pale Ale boasts “assertive citrus and tropical fruit notes . . . along with hints of pine and green pepper.”  Clocking in at 6% ABV and 60 IBUs, this golden “brew finishes bitter and crisp with a lingering, dank hop presence.”

“I am excited about Southern Sixer because the bulk of the hops we are using, Equinox now rebranded as Ekuanot™, have never been used in a Highland beer before. Ekuanot™ and Mosaic® will carry the beer together, and the complementing four others are in the dry hop. Ekuanot™ is a very unique flavoring and aromatic hop that will give us cool characteristics, like ripe berry and cedar forest. Mixed with tropical Mosaic® and others, Sixer is going to be a uniquely fruity and resiny IPA, not just classic citrus and pine.”

Hollie Stephenson, Highland Brewing Company Brewmaster

Highland Brewing Company will officially launch Southern Sixer IPA with an event in their taproom on January 27th at 4pm (click here for more inf0).  Since every Seasonal release from Highland Brewing is named for a protected feature of Southern Appalachia, “every glass of Southern Sixer sold on January 27th will result in one dollar donated to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.”  Shortly after the launch party, Southern Sixer will become available on draft and in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles in Alabama, Florida and the rest of the brewery’s distribution area.  If you are in search of a new hop fix in 2017, keep an eye out for this one when it lands at the end of the month.  Prost!

Vital Information for Southern Sixer IPA from Highland Brewing Company

Release – Seasonal, beginning late-January 2017
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 6%
IBUs – 60
Hops –  Ekuanot™ (a.k.a. Equinox), Mosaic, Columbus, Cascade, Chinook & Simcoe
Malts –  2 Row base, C-20 & C-40
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft

Ballast Point Brewing Introduces Manta Ray Double IPA

Posted on by mashingin

02-beers-primary-image-mantarayBallast Point Brewing Company (San Diego, California) starts the New Year off in proper fashion with the debut of their newest Year-Round offering, Manta Ray Double India Pale Ale.  

Previously brewed as “The Landlord” or “Roots to Boots Double IPA” from the brewery’s R&D program, Ballast Point Brewery has now officially upgraded this Double IPA’s status to become a packaged, Year-Round release under the name Manta Ray.  In true West Coast style, this hop experience is laden with “aromas of fresh, citrusy tangerine, melon and light pine [that] leap from the beer and linger over a smooth finish.”  Ballast Point offers this brew up with one simple warning: “Like its namesake, this brew can sneak up on you – a big ABV (8.5%) without a bite. ”  Wasting absolutely no time, Manta Ray Double IPA has already been named a 2016 Euro Beer Star Gold Medalist.

Manta Ray Double IPA is available now at all Ballast Point Tasting Room locations and will eventually roll out across the country during the month of January 2017.  You can expect to find this offering in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at fine beer establishments in Alabama, Florida and throughout the rest of Ballast Point’s expansive distribution territory. Hopheads, be sure to take notice of this new release and give Manta Ray DIPA a try in 2017.  Prost!

Vital Information for Manta Ray Double IPA from Ballast Point Brewing Company

Release – Year-Round, January 2017
Style – American Double India Pale Ale
ABV – 8.5%
IBUs – 70
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Suggested Food Pairings – Chinese salt & pepper wings, Bay Blue Cheese, Dungeness crab cakes

Dogfish Head Brewery Announces Return of Olde School Barleywine

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oldeschool1_editedDogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) will officially reintroduce Olde School Barleywine as a limited release beginning on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

First released back in 2002, Olde School Barleywine quickly achieved the status of being one of Dogfish Head’s most popular seasonal beers.  This is in large part thanks to the addition of dates and figs to tame the trademark hop bitterness found within the American-style Barleywine.  Although this ageable ale weighs in at a sturdy 15% ABV, it proves to be a gentle giant that is “beautifully balanced . . ., dark red to amber in color, with a sweet and velvety flavor profile and huge complexity and warmth.”  You can either enjoy Olde School Barleywine fresh to enjoy its full hop power or stash your bottles away in the cellar to later experience developing “oxidative characteristics, including honey and toffee flavors and aromas, and lessened bitterness.”

“Our approach was to do a new world take on traditional English barleywine,” says Dogfish Head president and founder, Sam Calagione. “American style barleywines tend to be more hop-forward while, in comparison, English barleywines are malt-forward and develop their fruity attributes from the esters. When properly aged, the pit-fruit and sweet, sherry characteristics mature into something spectacular.”

Olde School Barleywine officially returns on January 3 as a Limited release offering.  This brew will be available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles at craft beer-friendly establishments found in Florida and throughout the rest of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s 31 state (+ D.C.) distribution footprint.  Olde School Barleywine is released quite infrequently these days, so be sure to grab an adequate supply this month to hold you over until its next release.  Prost!

Vital Information for Olde School Barleywine from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited, beginning January 3, 2017
Style – American Barleywine
Original Release Date – 2002
ABV – 15%
IBUs – 85
Added Ingredients – Figs & dates
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles
Beer Finder (a.k.a. Fish Finder) – https://www.dogfish.com/brewery/fishfinder   

Coronado Brewing Releases Barrel-Aged Stupid Stout

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ba_ss_web1-bottleCoronado Brewing Company (San Diego, California) will officially close out 2016 in style with the much-anticipated, limited release of Barrel-Aged Stupid Stout.

Returning as the year’s final release in the brewery’s Coronado Collection, Barrel-Aged Stupid Stout takes Coronado Brewing’s Seasonal release of Stupid Stout Imperial Stout to new heights thanks to “five months aging in fresh bourbon barrels from West Virginia craft distiller, Smooth Ambler.”  This aging process transforms the base beer by adding complex notes of bourbon-laced vanilla to the brew’s already intense “layers of espresso, caramel, dark chocolate, and a smooth, warming finish.”

“We look forward to this release each year,” says Ryan Brooks, Brewmaster, Coronado Brewing Company. “Stupid Stout is a big, bold beer, and it gets even more complex with barrel-aging. I love how the beer picks up subtle vanilla and coconut notes from the oak.”

Barrel-Aged Stupid Stout officially released in the Tasting Room at Coronado Brewing on December 23.  If you could not make the release event in San Diego, worry not because kegs and 22 oz. bottles of this small-batch, limited offering are headed out now to Florida and all other states within Coronado’s distribution network.  Like all barrel-aged beers these days, Barrel-Aged Stupid Stout is sure to move quickly once it hits shelves and taps.  Be sure to get yours if/when you see it.  Prost!

Vital Information for Barrel-Aged Stupid Stout from Coronado Brewing Company

Release – Limited/Coronado Collection, late December 2016
Style – American Imperial Stout
ABV – 10%
IBUs – 42
Treatment – Aged for five months in Smooth Ambler Bourbon barrels
Availability – 22 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://coronadobrewing.com/brew-finder-2/

Southern Tier Brewing Co. Introduces Nu Skool IPA

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ST-101 New School IPA 16oz_can_R.7Southern Tier Brewing Company (Lakewood, New York) has officially launched their take on the West Coast-style India Pale Ale, Nu Skool IPA.

After over a year of research and development, the brewers at Southern Tier Brewing Co. feel that their hard work and experimentation has resulted in quite the special beer.  At its core, Nu Skool IPA is a liquid study of American & experimental hops to show just how complex and dynamic hop varieties have become over the years.  This “well-balanced” West Coast-style IPA utilizes Mosaic, Simcoe, Equinox and Experimental Hop #07270 to create flavor and aromatic profiles “brimming with tropical, fruity, spicy, piney and citrus character.” With the beer achieving balance thanks to a “slight malty sweetness,” the brewery proudly declares, “There’s no need to add anything else.”  Weighing in at a very reasonable 6% ABV, Nu Skool acts as the perfect contrast to Southern Tier’s longstanding and more English-inspired brew known simply as IPA.

With availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft, Nu Skool IPA has started a gradual rollout throughout Southern Tier’s distribution area.  This new Year-Round offering is currently hitting shelves and taps in Florida, will become available in Alabama in January of 2017, and will arrive in other markets as late as March (full rollout map available below).  If you happen to be a hophead, be sure to keep an eye out for this one to start the New Year off with a new hop experience.  Prost!

Vital Information for Nu Skool IPA from Southern Tier Brewing Co.

Release – Year-Round, gradual rollout beginning December 2016
Style  – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 6%
Hops – Mosaic, Simcoe, Equinox & Experimental Hop #07270
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – http://www.stbcbeer.com/beer-finder/
Fun Fact – The hop process for Nu Skool IPA: “We used 3.5 lbs. of “new school” varieties of hops per barrel of beer. We load our hopback to the brim with Mosaic hops for a big tropical fruit character. A nice whirlpool dose of experimental hop #07270 gives the beer a flavorful, resinous character. We then dry hop this beer on two separate days with a large amount of Mosaic hops in our hop cannon & Simcoe + Equinox two days later.”

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Cigar City Brewing Releases 2017 Distribution Calendar

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ccbbrickCigar City Brewing (Tampa, Florida) recently announced the release timeline for their 2017 portfolio of distributed beers.

In true Cigar City Brewing fashion, the always interesting and innovative brewery has more than a few intriguing beers in their 2017 distribution portfolio to grab your attention.  The full 2017 Distribution Calendar from the brewery is available below, but we really should go over a handful of highlights first:

Confident that our job is completed, we will now turn it over to Cigar City Brewing’s 2017 Distribution Calendar.  Check it out below.  Prost!

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Sneak Attack Saison Makes Seasonal Return for 21st Amendment Brewery

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21stsa-can-png-230x42421st Amendment Brewery (San Leandro, California) declares war on winter once again with the re-release of Sneak Attack Saison.

Drawing inspiration from General George Washington’s bold decision to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night to surprise his enemy, 21st Amendment Brewery created Sneak Attack as a means of “ambushing the cold” with the summer flavors found within a Belgian-style Saison.  To deal winter a devastating blow, Sneak Attack digs in and lays a solid foundation with Pilsner Malt, Belgian Light Candi Sugar and spicy Saison Yeast.  These ingredients supply a refreshing flavor that is further reinforced with “aromas of pepper, cardamom, lemon rind and freshly cut grassy fields.”  Standing proud at 6.2% ABV and 38 IBUs, Sneak Attack is 21st Amendment’s subtle way of saying, “In your face, winter.”

“While this is the time of year when brewers are typically introducing strong, heavy beers, we wanted to brew up a bit of a surprising alternative that essentially says, ‘In your face, winter!’ This year we experimented with a new Belgian yeast and had some fun with the subtle spicing to create a true farmhouse-style ale.”

-21st Amendment Brewery Co-founder and Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan

Sneak Attack Saison is a Seasonal release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft from December 2016 through March of 2017.  You can find this offering available at craft beer-friendly establishments in Florida and throughout the rest of 21st Amendment’s 25 state distribution area (full list of states available below).  Do not sit idly by and allow winter to unjustly dictate your choices in libations.  Resist, fight back, pick up a sixer of Sneak Attack Saison and drink whatever you want.  Prost!

Vital Information for Sneak Attack Saison from 21st Amendment Brewery

Release – Seasonal, December 2016 through March 2017
Style – Belgian-style Saison
ABV – 6.2%
IBUs – 38
Malts – Pale Malt, Crystal Malt & Belgian Light Candi Sugar
Hops – Magnum
Added Ingredients – Organic cardamom pods
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – FL, CA, OR, WA, AK, ID, MN, OH, MA, NY, IL, NJ, DC, NV, DE, MD, VT, RI, PA, NH, ME, VA, GA, SC & NC
Beer Finder – http://21st-amendment.com/find-some/

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