Beer | Mashing In

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. Sets Release Date for Five Year Anniversary Ale

Posted on April 1, 2019 by mashingin

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. (Athens, Georgia) has officially announced that its Five Year Anniversary celebration on Saturday, April 13 will also act as a bottle release for its Five Year Anniversary Ale.

Meticulously crafted to honor the five years of amazing Creature Comforts beers that came before it, Five Year Anniversary Ale is a “blended Strong Ale from the brewery’s whiskey barrel cellar. The average age
of the blend is 23 months in whiskey barrels.” Meant to be a slow-sipping celebratory offering, Five Year Anniversary Ale weighs in at 12.8% ABV.

“The last five years have been an unbelievable journey,” said CEO Chris Herron. “We’re immensely grateful for the support from our incredible community over the years, and to have the opportunity to continue pursuing our passion.”

750ml bottles of Five Year Anniversary Ale will be exclusively available for purchase at the Five Year Anniversary Party on April 13 in Creature Comfort’s Tasting Room in downtown Athens, Georgia. This extremely Limited Release offering is not expected to see distribution. Prost!

Vital Information for Five Year Anniversary Ale from Creature Comforts Brewing Co.

Release – Limited; April 13, 2019
Style – Strong Ale
ABV – 12.8%
Treatment – Blended Strong Ale aged in whiskey barrels
Availability – 750 ml bottles
Distribution – None. Brewery-only release

New Holland Brewing Co. Releases Dragon’s Milk Reserve – Raspberry Hibiscus

Posted on April 1, 2019April 1, 2019 by mashingin

New Holland Brewing Co. (Holland, Michigan) has officially announced that Dragon’s Milk Reserve – Raspberry Hibiscus is rolling out now as the newest installment in the brewery’s fan-favorite Dragon’s Milk Reserve series.

Arriving as the latest innovative variant of the legendary Dragon’s Milk Bourbon Barrel-aged Stout, Dragon’s Milk Reserve – Raspberry Hibiscus features a “refreshing blend of real raspberry & hibiscus.” This added element of “fruity tartness . . . enhances the underlying flavors of bourbon, vanilla, and roasted malt character.” Weighing in at a monstrous 11% ABV, Dragon’s Milk Reserve – Raspberry Hibiscus promises to be “one of the most balanced and exciting entries in the Reserve series to date.”

Dragon’s Milk Reserve – Raspberry Hibiscus made its debut in late March 2019 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-focused establishments located throughout New Holland’s nationwide distribution territory. Prost!

Vital Information for Dragon’s Milk Reserve – Raspberry Hibiscus from New Holland Brewing Co.

Release – Limited/Dragon’s Milk Reserve, launching late March 2019
Style – Imperial Stout
ABV – 11%
Added Ingredients – Real raspberry & hibiscus
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://newhollandbrew.com/beer-finder/

Reformation Brewery Revives Wilder Tart Fruited Ale

Posted on March 29, 2019 by mashingin

Reformation Brewery (Atlanta, Georgia) has officially announced that the Limited Release of Wilder, a “sweet, purple and tart” Fruited Ale, will begin on March 29.

Crafted to embody the “sweet beast in every beer lover”, Wilder (7% ABV) is a “heavily fruited ale . . . dripping with wild amounts of cranberry, blackberry, blackcurrant and ginger.” Thanks to “ongoing research and development” at Reformation’s recently-opened Woodstock location, Tyler Bohn, a cellarman at the brewery, is “credited with bringing [Wilder’s] recipe back from the archives.”

“Wilder was a happy accident when we made it years ago, and remained one of our customer’s most requested products,” said CEO and co-founder, Spencer Nix. “This beer is one of those legends around the brewhouse, and we now have the tools and talent to live up to it. Tyler was able to dial this one in with a few small test batches. We’re proud to have such a dedicated, passionate team of brewers behind the beer we bring to our community.”

Wilder is set to debut in Reformation’s Woodstock taproom on March 29 and distribution is scheduled to follow shortly after the on-site release. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer establishments located within Reformation’s distribution footprint in Georgia and Tennessee. Prost!

Vital Information for Wilder from Reformation Brewery

Release – Limited; March 29, 2019
Style – Fruit Beer
ABV – 7%
Featured Ingredients – Cranberry, blackberry, blackcurrant & ginger
Fun Fact – On the label artwork for Wilder: “Designed by local Woodstock artists, Madison and Dustin Beaulieu, the husband and wife team collaborated on the art for the beer’s label, which features the brewery’s vintage, tap-ready Airstream trailer and a collection of awe inspired beasts attracted to the purple liquid at hand.”
Suggested Food Pairings – “Mild creamy cheeses, fruit pies, vanilla ice cream”
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Georgia & Tennessee

Red Hare Brewing Expands Distribution to Central Florida

Posted on March 29, 2019March 29, 2019 by mashingin

Red Hare Brewing Company (Marietta, Georgia) has officially announced that it will immediately begin distributing in the Central Florida counties of Flagler, Volusia, Brevard, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Orange and Lake.

Established in Marietta, Georgia in 2011, Red Hare Brewing Company is an independent microbrewery that has since grown to add a second location in Shallotte, North Carolina. With a strong portfolio consisting of six Year-Round brews and an array of Seasonal and Red Hare Reserve offerings, Red Hare has gone on to earn several awards and accolades including the distinction of being named the fourth best brewery at the 2016 U.S. Open Beer Championship. This steady level of growth and success has allowed the brewery to expand its distribution footprint to include Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and now Central Florida.

Thanks to a freshly inked agreement with Sunshine State Distributing, Red Hare Brewing will now be treating beer lovers in Central Florida to the following offerings (descriptions sourced directly from the brewery’s website):

Grapefruit SPF 50/50 – A light, refreshing blend of Gangway IPA and our house brewed sparkling grapefruit soda. Sweet grapefruit zest mingles perfectly with citrusy hop notes, making this the perfect can to take with you everywhere this summer. ABV – 4.2% IBUs – 38
Tangerine SPF 50/50 – You don’t have to rub a lamp to make all your wishes come true, just grab the Tangerine SPF 50/50. Native to Tangier, the tangerine is a small, citrus fruit which we’ve turned into a soda and blended with our Gangway IPA. The Tangerine SPF 50/50 is the beer you want for riding on a camel to the nearest oasis. When you can’t think straight and everything is a mirage, grab a few of these babies and get ready for magic carpet ride fit for a Moroccan sheikh. ABV – 4.2% IBUs – 26
Rewired IPA – West Coast meets East with this crisp and clean, tropical, stone fruit, and slightly dank IPA. ABV – 6.5% IBUs – 44
Soft J IPA – Soft J IPA starts off with a super fruity nose, which is matched with a hazy pour. It hits your tongue with blasts of orange and tangerine, while a delicate bitterness carries through to the finish. This soft, creamy, y-uicy IPA is proof that words, beer, anything can start with a Soft J…and by way, no fruit was harmed in the making of this beer. ABV – 6.8%
Gem City Classic – A craft light lager brewed to drink easy and finish clean. Hallertauer Mittelfrüh and Citra hops compliment the crisp quality of the beer with fragrant aromas but no overpowering bitterness. At 4.2% ABV and just 140 calories per can, Gem City Classic is the perfect beer to throw back while watching the game. ABV – 4.2% IBUs – 15.9

“We’re very excited to partner with the entire team at Red Hare Brewing Company. Their well-rounded team has built Red Hare into one of the top selling breweries in the Southeast, and we couldn’t be more pleased to work with them to bring their quality craft brands to the Florida market. Their high quality craft beers and refreshing SPF Radler brands are a welcome addition to Florida, and we feel the consumers in the state will be as excited to get these beers in their hands as we are.”

– Joe Martin, Sunshine State Director of Sales and Marketing

Red Hare officially launched distribution in Central Florida in late March 2019. You can expect to find the offerings mentioned above at craft beer-friendly establishments located in Flagler, Volusia, Brevard, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Orange and Lake counties. Prost!

Mango Crush Sour Ale Joins Southern Tier Brewing Co.’s Seasonal Lineup

Posted on March 28, 2019 by mashingin

Southern Tier Brewing Company (Lakewood, New York) has officially launched Mango Crush, a Session Sour Ale, as its newest Seasonal offering.

Created to embody the “fun of the summer season”, Mango Crush is a sessionable American Sour Ale “brewed with the perfect balance of mango puree and rich milk sugar.” Coming in at a highly drinkable 4% ABV, Mango Crush “provides a refreshingly smooth drinking experience” that can be enjoyed throughout the warm weather months.

Mango Crush is rolling out now and will hang around through the months of spring and summer. You can expect to find this new Seasonal available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 12-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer-focused retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and throughout the rest of Southern Tier’s distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Mango Crush from Southern Tier Brewing Company

Release – Seasonal (Spring/Summer), launching late March/early April 2019
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 4%
Featured Hops – Azacca
Added Ingredients – Mango puree & milk sugar
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 12-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.stbcbeer.com/find-beer/

New Realm Brewing Launches Sour Series with Release of Lime of the Party Gose

Posted on March 28, 2019 by mashingin

New Realm Brewing Company (Atlanta, Georgia) has officially announced that Lime of the Party, a Key Lime Gose, will release in April as the first canned offering to come out of the brewery’s Sour Series.

Here to make it so “Key Lime Pie lovers can . . . have their pie and drink it too”, Lime of the Party is a kettle soured Gose-style Ale that received an addition of “Fresh Key Lime juice from Florida . . . during the fermentation process.” Guaranteed to be “pure tart deliciousness on draft or in a can”, Lime of the Party comes in at an easy-drinking 4% ABV.

“Key Lime Pie is one of my personal favorites,” said Mitch Steele Co-Founder and Brewmaster of New Realm Brewing. “We found a supplier of really fantastic Key Lime Juice and after bringing in a sample, we knew it was the way to go for our first major Gose release. It truly is like enjoying Key Lime Pie in a glass.”

Lime of the Party officially releases in April 2019 and will stick around as long as supplies last. You can expect to find this Special Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located within New Realm’s distribution footprint in Georgia and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Prost!

Vital Information for Lime of the Party from New Realm Brewing Company

Release – Special/The Sour Series, April 2019
Style – Gose
ABV – 4%
IBUs – 7
Added Ingredients – Fresh Key lime juice & salt
Fun Fact – Lime of the Party “started out as a limited, draft only release at the brewery taproom and select bars and restaurants in fall 2018, but its popularity earned it a new life in 2019.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Georgia and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia

Hazy Hippie Trail IPA Slated to be Iron Fist Brewing’s April Small Batch Release

Posted on March 27, 2019 by mashingin

Iron Fist Brewing Company (Vista, California) has officially announced that Hazy Hippie Trail Hazy IPA will officially release on April 5 as installment No. 3 in the brewery’s series of Small Batch Experiments.

Acting as Iron Fist’s “entry into the much loved world of hazy brews”, Hazy Hippie Trail is a Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale “brewed with absurd amounts of Citra and Amarillo hops.” This hop bill produces an “aroma of citrus, floral hops, and pineapple juice” and “big, bold flavors of herbal dank hop flowers, bitter melon rind and stone-fruit.” Despite weighing in at 6.5% ABV, Hazy Hippie Trail remains “highly drinkable” and is “rounded by a full body and moderate bitterness.”

“Hazy IPAs feel almost fad-like in the market right now, so as with all fads we thought it better to relax a little and wait to jump on the bandwagon. We wanted to develop something that represented how we brew rather than being first to the market. The vision here was to brew a quality Hazy beer. The theory with Haze is that protein and yeast haze will hold on to the hop flavors and release them with a bang; mouth feel is increased, and the drinker has a full bodied hop experience. Though, the problem with this approach is that it can allow the Hop/Haze to cover up bad brewing techniques. In the case of HHT, we made a moderately hazy beer that gets most of its haze from protein (AKA chill haze). We chose a yeast that would settle out and leave room for the massive amount of hops we used and then un-muddled the beer of yeast, creating a deliciously clean Hazy profile. Kind of sophisticated Hippie, I guess. The ultimate chill-out beer.”

– Tom Garcia, Brewmaster at Iron Fist Brewing Company

A sneak peek of Hazy Hippie Trail will take place at Petco Park during Padres Opening Day on March 28. The official draft release of Hazy Hippie Trail will begin on April 5 and a limited-edition run of 500 cans (12 oz.) “will be announced shortly thereafter, via Iron Fist’s social media channels.” This Small Batch offering will be available “exclusively in Iron Fist’s Vista and Barrio Logan taprooms, with a small amount pouring at the Iron Fist SuperCart at Petco Park.” Prost!

Vital Information for Hazy Hippie Trail from Iron Fist Brewing Company

Release – Limited/Small Batch Experiments Series; April 5, 2019
Style – Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale
ABV – 6.5%
IBUs – 60
Featured Hops – Citra & Amarillo
Availability – 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – None. Available exclusively in Iron Fist’s Vista and Barrio Logan taprooms

Garage Brewing Co. Begins Limited Release of Hazy #8 IPA

Posted on March 27, 2019 by mashingin

Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California) has officially announced that it will begin the draft-only release of Hazy #8 on Wednesday, March 27.

Arriving as Garage Brewing Co.’s latest jaunt into “the land of hazies”, Hazy #8 is a “super juicy, double dry-hopped” India Pale Ale that uses Eureka, Citra and Galaxy hops to create “a delicious trifecta of luscious flavors.” Golden yellow in color, Hazy #8 (6.7% ABV) promises to be a “craftacular brew teeming with grapefruit, pineapple and dark fruit notes.”

“The idea behind the hazy series is to use different hops to pull out a variety of juicy flavors,” Garage Brewing Co. brewer Bret Stitzman said. “The flavors in this beer almost trick you into thinking there’s coconut in there.”

Hazy #8 officially releases on March 27 and will hang around as long as supplies last. This draft-only Limited Release will be available “at Garage Brewing Co.’s brewpub in Old Town Temecula and various bars and a few restaurants in Southern California.” Prost!

Vital Information for Hazy #8 from Garage Brewing Co.

Release – Limited; March 27, 2019
Style – Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale
ABV – 6.7%
Featured Hops – Eureka, Citra & Galaxy
Availability – Draft only
Distribution – Select establishments in Southern California

Boulevard Brewing Introduces Low Calorie, Carb Conscious Easy Sport Recreation Ale

Posted on March 26, 2019February 2, 2020 by mashingin

Boulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City, Missouri) has officially announced that Easy Sport Recreation Ale will join its Year-Round lineup in April 2019.

Crafted to be the perfect beer for “runners, cyclists, hikers, pickleball players, karate masters, yogis, disc golfers, ball golfers, yard mowers, jazzercisers and people who are just plain thirsty”, Easy Sport is a “refreshing, super drinkable, bright” Blonde Ale that boasts a “hint of tangerine” and three additions of electrolytes (potassium, magnesium and sea salt). Weighing in at a low 4.1% ABV, 4.5 grams of carbs and 99 calories, Easy Sport comes together to supply its drinker with “a slightly tart, subtly salty, all-natural, low calorie, carb-conscious beer.”

Easy Sport Recreation Ale will debut in the Greater Kansas City area on April 1 and is scheduled to enter full distribution shortly after that date. You can expect to find this new Year-Round offering available exclusively in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans at craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Missouri and throughout the rest of Boulevard’s distribution territory. Prost!

Vital Information for Easy Sport Recreation Ale from Boulevard Brewing Co.

Release – Year-Round, launching April 2019
Style – Blonde Ale
ABV – 4.1%
IBUs – 22
Carbs – 4.5g
Calories – 99
Malt – Pale
Hops – Columbus & Mandarina Bavaria
Added Ingredients – Tangerine peel
Supplements – “Potassium – maintains hydration and assists in recovery | Magnesium – optimizes brain, muscle and nerve function and enables faster recovery | Sea Salt – provides minerals to improve hydration, balances blood sugar & pressure”
Suggested Food Pairings – “Goo packs, jersey pocket bananas, granola bars, gummy bears, burpees, a wicked runner’s high”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans
Beer Finder – https://www.boulevard.com/beer/beer-finder/

Left Hand Brewing Co. Adds Flamingo Dreams Nitro to Year-Round Portfolio

Posted on March 26, 2019May 13, 2019 by mashingin

Left Hand Brewing Co. (Longmont, Colorado) has announced that Flamingo Dreams Nitro, a Berry Blonde Ale, will officially launch as the brewery’s newest Year-Round offering in late March 2019.

Arriving as Left Hand’s ” daring new nitro ale”, Flamingo Dreams is a pink-hued Blonde Ale that has been infused with black currant and raspberry. Coming in at an easy-drinking 4.7% ABV, Flamingo Dreams promises to be “a refreshing change from the ordinary with a berry burst, frisky zing and a nitro glide that’ll bring out your vibrant side.”

Flamingo Dreams is rolling out now and Left Hand Brewing Co. will host an official release party for this beer in its Tasting Room on March 30. You can find this new Year-Round offering available in 4-packs of 13.65 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer-friendly retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida, Colorado and throughout the rest of Left Hand’s 42-state distribution area. Prost!

Vital Information for Flamingo Dreams from Left Hand Brewing Co.

Release – Year-Round, launching late March/early April 2019
Style – Blonde Ale
ABV – 4.7%
IBUs – 11
Malts – Pale 2-Row & CaraFoam
Hops – CTZ
Added Ingredients – Black currant & raspberry
Availability – 4-packs of 13.65 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – http://lefthandbrewing.com/beer-finder