DESTIHL Brewery Unveils 2019 Beer Release Calendar

DESTIHLWSPinaRecognizing that beer calendar season is now in full swing, DESTIHL Brewery (Normal, Illinois) has gotten in on the action by sending out a 2019 Beer Release Calendar boasting “a new WiLD SOUR SERIES seasonal, innovative DeadHead IPA Series releases . . ., a tropical blonde ale loaded with fruit” and much more.

Just as we do with all beer calendar-related posts, we have published DESTIHL Brewery’s full 2019 Beer Release Calendar below for you to look over at your leisure.  Before we turn you loose on that document, there are a few details that we need to get out of the way first:

  • Hawaii Five Ale, “a tropical blonde ale brewed with pineapple, coconut, peach, mango and guava”, will join DESTIHL’s lineup of Core Seasonals in March 2019.
  • The Seasonal WiLD SOUR Series will have a new addition in 2019 when Piña Colada Gose – a Gose ale brewed with pineapple and coconut – hits shelves for the first time in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans from April to June.  The Seasonal WiLD SOUR lineup will also include Apricot (January – March), Blueberry Gose (July – September) and Cranberry Criek (October – December).
  • The DeadHead IPA Series will return in 2019 with Touch of Haze | Hazy IPA (January 2019), Haze of the Dead | Hazy Double IPA (February – April), Extended Jam| Tropical IPA (May – July), and Funkengruven | Fruited, Tart IPA (August – October).
  • The highly awarded, barrel-aged Dosvidanya Russian Imperial Stout will be back in November for its annual Specialty Release.

Alrighty, that’s all we have for you this time around, but there is still plenty of goodness left for you check out on the calendar below.  Give it a good glance and get ready for another jam-packed year of releases from DESTIHL Brewery in 2019.  Prost!

DESTIHL2019Calendar
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Rogue Ales Adds Outta Line and Batsquatch IPAs to Year-Round Lineup

Rogue2019IPAsRogue Ales (Newport, Oregon) has officially announced that it will launch two new Year-Round IPAs in 2019: Outta Line West Coast IPA and Batsquatch Hazy IPA.

Brewed to be a celebration of “those who have the courage to do their own thing”, Outta Line is a West Coast-style India Pale Ale “that opens with tangerine and mango, balanced by malt sweetness and a crisp hop bite.”  Clocking in at 6.9% ABV and 66 IBUs, Outta Line is a perfect go-to beer “for those who live outside the lines.”

Swooping in from the other side of the IPA spectrum to serve as the first Hazy IPA to join Rogue’s Year-Round portfolio, Batsquatch boasts “bold tropical aromas, flavors of stonefruit and tangerine, and a fruity citrus rind finish.”  Batsquatch weighs in at 6.7% ABV and 45 IBUs.

“In the beginning, 30 years ago, we were told that nobody would ever drink Rogue beers because they were too hoppy,” says Rogue Brewmaster John Maier. “People started calling me ‘More Hops’ because of my love of hop-forward beers and I still wear it like a badge of honor.” Batsquatch and Outta Line aren’t palate destroyingly bitter, but they are intentionally brewed with strong hop character. “These beers are the epitome of their respective styles,” says Maier. “We hope people will enjoy and have as much fun with them as we do.”

Outta Line is scheduled to release nationwide on January 1, 2019 with availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft.  Available only in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft, Batsquatch will initially launch in Oregon and Washington only in January with a nationwide release slated to follow on March 1, 2019.  Prost!

Vital Information for Outta Line West Coast IPA from Rogue Ales

Release – Year-Round, launching January 2019
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 6.9%
IBUs – 66
Hops – Mosaic, Simcoe & Rogue Farms Rebel
Malts – 2-Row, Munich, GWM Brūmalt & Wheat
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://finder.rogue.com/

Vital Information for Batsquatch Hazy IPA from Rogue Ales

Release – Year-Round; launching in Oregon & Washington in January 2019, nationwide March 2019
Style – Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale
ABV – 6.7%
IBUs – 45
Hops – Mosaic, El Dorado & Belma
Malts – 2-Row, Flaked Wheat & Malted Wheat
Fun Fact – On the beer’s name: “Batsquatch is a Hazy IPA dedicated to the half-bat half-sasquatch creature that, according to legend, resides in the woods on Mount St. Helens.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://finder.rogue.com/

RogueBatsquatchFeature

Schlafly Beer Closes Out the 2018 From the Ibex Cellar Series with Release of Barrel-aged Barleywine

IbexBABWSchlafly Beer (St. Louis, Missouri) has officially announced that it will wrap up 2018 with the Limited Release of From the Ibex Cellar: Barrel-aged Barleywine.

Developed to be “a new twist on one of [Schlafly’s] most-lauded brews”, From the Ibex Cellar: Barrel-aged Barleywine is an English-style Barleywine that has been aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels.  This treatment produced an “over ten percent elixir with oak, vanilla and whiskey backed by the considerable malt strength of a barleywine.”

“Barleywine has been in the brewery’s portfolio since the early 1990’s, and it has been a favorite ever since. It heralded the coming of winter when strong beers were the norm to stave off the ensuing cold weather.”

 

– Stephen Hale, Founding Brewer at Schlafly Beer 

From the Ibex Cellar: Barrel-aged Barleywine is rolling out now and will be available as long as supplies last.  You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles (suggested retail price of $17.99 each) at select craft beer retailers located in Missouri, Tennessee, and throughout the rest of Schlafly’s distribution footprint.  Prost!

Vital Information for From the Ibex Cellar: Barrel-aged Barleywine from Schlafly Beer

Release – Limited/From the Ibex Cellar Series, late December 2018
Style – English-style Barleywine
ABV- 10.2%
Treatment – Aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels
Fun Fact – Background on the From the Ibex Cellar Series: “The “From the Ibex Cellar” beers feature big beers brewed in exclusive, smaller bottles that pay homage to the Ibex with the majestic symbol embossed in the glass. The packaging mimics the striking architecture of the Schlafly Tap Room’s building from the pitches and peaks to the arches that hold up the cellar below. A typeface from the 1900s, discovered by one of the Schlafly designers in the St. Louis Public Library archives, inspired the exclusive design for the label and packaging. See more about the project here.”
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles (suggested retail price of $17.99)
Beer Finder – http://www.schlafly.com/beer-finder/

 

Field Trip: 6th Annual Florida Tap Invitational at Proof Brewing Co.

FLTAPLogoLast month, we were lucky enough to receive an invite to the 6th Annual Florida Tap Invitational at Proof Brewing Co. (Tallahassee, Florida) and we have returned – after a bit of a delay – to provide you with a recap and photographic account of our experience at this truly special beer festival.

Taking place each year at Proof Brewing Co. in Tallahassee, the Florida Tap Invitational is an exclusive beer festival that aims to collect the finest and most interesting/innovative beers being produced in Florida so that craft beer fans can experience them all in one spot.  Beyond just being a celebration of the state’s craft beer community, this year’s event went an extra mile by serving as a fundraiser for Proof Brewing Co.’s neighbors in the Florida Panhandle that were affected by Hurricane Michael.

The description of the event that we received was very similar to the paragraph above, but we had no idea how intimate this beer festival would be until we turned the corner to the parking lot to get in line.  The entirety of the Florida Tap Invitational takes place in Proof Brewing Co.’s parking lot, beer garden and tasting room – none of which are incredibly large.  Despite that fact, someone who undoubtedly was a savant at Tetris found ample space to set up pour stations – most of them housed under tents – for 45 or so breweries and still had room for food vendors, a stage for musical entertainment and areas for attendees to congregate.

We entered with the VIP ticket holders, and the ID check/ticket redemption process was speedy and efficient.  As soon as we received our glass and got through the gate, our worries of over-crowding – a very real occurrence at many beer festivals – were quickly put at ease.  The amount of tickets allotted for this event was nearly perfect, and the layout basically kept the crowd moving at a slowly churning pace.  Even after General Admission was let in and attendance was at its peak, we never felt rushed or crowded and always had somewhere to go to hang out and have a conversation.  At times, many pour stations were wide open and allowed guests plenty of time to chat with representatives from their favorite breweries.

As far as the beer goes, the level of quality at the Florida Tap Invitational was as advertised.  Nearly every brewery came with the intention to show you their absolute best, and the event was utterly awash with countless one-off, rare, and limited release beers.  To give you an idea of the insane brews that graced our glasses during this event, here are our “Top 5 Most Memorable Beers of the 6th Annual Florida Tap Invitational” (list is in no particular order):

  • Magnanimous Brewing | Flourish – New England-style Wheat.  A new brewery coming to Tampa, Magnanimous made quite the first impression with a Wheat Ale that was bright, hoppy, luscious and refreshing.
  • Deep Brewing Co. | Bourbon Barrel CYNNICAL – Imperial Stout with cinnamon, ancho chile, cacao & vanilla.  CYNNICAL blew us away with big notes of brownie batter, dark chocolate, bourbon and just the right pop of heat.
  • Aardwolf Brewing Company | Bearer of the Cup of the Blood of the Ancients – Barrel-aged Raspberry Sour.  The name immediately captured our attention, and the beer itself delivered a wonderfully complex experience filled with tart raspberry goodness.
  • Invasive Species Brewing | Malkovich Malkovich – Hazy IPA double dry-hopped with Mosaic, Citra & Cashmere hops.  This IPA was ridiculously juicy and had just the right amount of delightful dankness. Oh, and the label artwork on the can is just stunning.
  • Proof Brewing Co. | Coffee Vanilla Hazelnut Bourbon Barrel-aged Glass Emperor – Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout.  The home team stood up and showed out with a tap list comprised of over 30 beers, but this one set itself apart by nailing every descriptor in its name.  Pronounced and impactful but not overly cloying, this was THE dessert stout of the festival for us.

In addition to all the amazing beer, the Florida Tap Invitational also featured an incredibly solid lineup of food trucks/vendors and an unforgettable musical performance from Tallahassee’s Catfish Alliance and their majestic hype man “Sex Manatee”.  Once all the pieces of this event – from the beer to the food to the band – started functioning as a whole, the Florida Tap Invitational was then able to go next level and become a true celebration filled with nothing but good times and vibes.

Absolutely everything mentioned above was truly fantastic, but the coolest and most interesting part of the Florida Tap Invitational was how the brewers/brewery representatives behaved while at the event.  It was very clear that they were all there to talk to fans and properly showcase what makes their breweries special, but throughout the event we noticed that almost every single one of them found a moment to disappear into the crowd in search of a beer they were excited about. Sure, the “I need a beer, I’ll be right back” kind of moment happens at all beer festivals, but this was something different.  We ran into countless of them at other breweries’ tables and they were just as giddy as the ticket-holders surrounding them for the chance to try these beers.  They were talking shop, catching a laugh with old friends, and just genuinely stoked to be there.  At times it had the air of a company holiday party and showed that a very real camaraderie exists in Florida’s brewing community.

This speaks volumes for the Florida Tap Invitational because if the brewers and brewery reps – people who are at beer fests/events constantly all year long – are clearly having a great time and genuinely want to be there, that means you, the beer lover, need to be there.  There is no better endorsement for a beer festival than that, so check out the photos below and go ahead and make a note that you will need to be in Tallahassee in 2019 for the 7th Annual Florida Tap Invitational.  Prost!

Creature Comforts and Jackie O’s Brewery Collaborate on Athens to Athens Grist to Grist Saison

CCBC_AthenstoAthensStillWeb-Creature Comforts Brewing Co. (Athens, Georgia) has officially announced that it will begin a limited bottle release for Athens to Athens Grist to Grist, a wine barrel-aged Saison brewed in collaboration with Jackie O’s Brewery (Athens, Ohio), on Friday, January 11.

Meant to unify the distinct characteristics of two American breweries that both call a town named Athens home, Athens to Athens Grist to Grist is a Saison that was originally brewed in February of 2017 with a base recipe that included “spelt sourced from Jackie O’s community in Ohio and wheat locally sourced from DaySpring Farms in Danielsville, Georgia.”  That Saison base was then split among wine barrels with “half the barrels inoculated with Creature Comforts’ house-mixed culture, and the other half with Jackie O’s house-mixed culture.”  After spending a year in those barrels, the two Saisons were finally blended to perfectly marry “Jackie O’s signature lemon meringue flavor . . . with Creature Comforts’ stone fruit notes.”  The completed Athens to Athens Grist to Grist comes in at 6% ABV.

“By inoculating the barrels with each of our mixed-cultures separately, we were able to allow our house cultures to develop the flavors they would on their own and then blend the beer to create a unique voice together,” said Blake Tyers, Wood Cellar and Specialty Brand Manager at Creature Comforts. “I have such a huge respect for Brad and the work he’s done at Jackie O’s. I favored the Jackie O’s character in the blend to present something different than what we typically offer, and to present a distinct saison that is truly representative of the collaboration.”

 

“This project was conceived two years ago through an innocent conversation about how we both brewed in towns named Athens,” said Jackie O’s Director of Brewing Operations Brad Clark. “A seemingly simple discourse led to a collaborative concept that pulls from a time, and most importantly a place. We brewed with each other at both breweries over the course of seven days! Time spent together in our respective place of being, led to some dynamic beers that transcended both environment and glass.”

Athens to Athens Grist to Grist will officially release in the Creature Comforts Tasting Room on Friday, January 11.  This Limited Release offering will be available in 750ml bottles and is not expected to see distribution.  Prost!

Vital Information for Athens to Athens Grist to Grist from Creature Comforts Brewing Co. & Jackie O’s Brewery

Release – Limited/Brewery Release; January 11, 2019
Style – Saison
ABV – 6%
Featured Grains – “Spelt sourced from Jackie O’s community in Ohio and wheat locally sourced from DaySpring Farms in Danielsville, Georgia”
Treatment – A base Saison split among wine barrels “with half the barrels inoculated with Creature Comforts’ house-mixed culture, and the other half with Jackie O’s house-mixed culture.” Aged for a year and then blended.
Fun Fact – On the label artwork: “Creature Comforts staff member Melissa Merrill designed the label artwork. The artwork depicts an idyllic moment to enjoy the saison.”

Availability – 750ml bottles 
Distribution – None. Available exclusively in the Tasting Room at Creature Comforts Brewing Co.

 

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Reveals 2019 Beer Release Calendar

SuperEIGHT_12ozCan copyConfident that they are headed into their “best year yet”, the folks at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) are backing up that claim with the announcement of their 2019 Beer Release Calendar.

Just as we do with all brewery calendar-related news, we have posted Dogfish Head’s full 2019 Beer Release Calendar below for you to take in on your own.  With that said, we should probably quickly go over just a few of the many noteworthy releases Dogfish Head plans to treat us to in 2019.  Let’s get to it:

  • Liquid Truth Serum IPA will continue to be a Year-Round offering in 2019 and is “coming to 12 oz. cans in addition to the already available 16 oz. cans!”
  • The Perfect Disguise – a “double dry-hopped American IPA brewed with German Chit malt, loaded with tropical flavors and a crisp Kölsch-like finish” – will kick off the 2019 Off-Centered Art Series (February – April).  Dragons & YumYums (April – August), Punkin Ale (Mid-August – November), and 75 Minute IPA (November – January 2020) will all return to round out the Art Series lineup.  All four 2019 Off-Centered Art Series offerings will feature label artwork designed by Michael Hacker.
  • Listed as an “Occasional Release”, American Beauty – a Pale Ale brewed in collaboration with the Grateful Dead – will return in 2019 with Year-Round availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles.  **You can read all about this one by clicking here.**
  • Speaking of Occasionals, Raison D’Extra (January – April) and World Wide Stout (May – August) will both be making long-awaited returns in 2019.
  • Arriving as a brand spanking new additional the brewery’s lineup of Occasionals, SuperEIGHT is Dogfish Head’s “sessionable gose brewed with eight super ingredients: prickly pear, mango, boysenberry, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry, kiwi juices, toasted quinoa and an ample addition of red Hawaiian sea salt! Okay, so technically that’s nine, but it ‘gose’ without say that there’s going to be salt.”
  • Unfortunately, sacrifices had to be made to accommodate the beers above and that means that we will not be seeing Indian BrownFestina PêchePennsylvania Tuxedo and Romantic Chemistry IPA in 2019.

That wraps up just about everything we wanted to cover, but there are still quite a few exciting brews left for you to find on the calendar below.  Soak it all in and start getting yourself prepared for all the Off-Centered goodness headed your way in 2019.  Prost!

Dogfish2019
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Avery Brewing Co. Goes Year-Round with Hazyish IPA

averylogoAvery Brewing Co. (Boulder, Colorado) will kick off 2019 with the debut of its newest Year-Round offering, Hazyish IPA.

Available on draft in Avery Brewing Co.’s Tap Room “under a few different names and variations over the past year”, Hazyish IPA has finally been given a permanent name and is now ready for the big time as a Year-Round release.  This Juicy/Hazy India Pale Ale features a “low bitterness, an expressive aroma of four different hop varieties (Amarillo, Azacca, Mosaic, and Simcoe), and a creamy mouthfeel.”  Hazyish IPA comes in at 7% ABV.

Hazyish IPA will launch in Avery Brewing’s Tap Room on January 11 and is expected to enter full distribution shortly after the on-site release.  You can expect to find this new Year-Round offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Colorado and throughout the rest of Avery Brewing Co.’s nationwide distribution territory.  Prost!

Vital Information for Hazyish IPA from Avery Brewing Co.

Release – Year-Round; launching January 2019
Style – Hazy India Pale Ale
ABV – 7%
Featured Hops – Amarillo, Azacca, Mosaic & Simcoe
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.averybrewing.com/brew-finder

Short’s Brewing Company Expands Distribution Into Central Florida

shortsbrewinglogoShort’s Brewing Company (Elk Rapids, Michigan) has officially announced that it will launch distribution in the greater Orlando and Tampa areas of Florida in mid-January 2019.

Widely known for their extensive lineup of flagship and experimental beers, Short’s Brewing Company is a brewery that “prides themselves on producing fearlessly creative beers handmade by people who care in northern Michigan.”  This brewery cares about its fans so much that it is now following Michigan-based, craft beer-lovin’ snowbirds south by launching distribution in Central Florida.

“Although we’re seeing double-digit growth in our existing area, a lot of Short’s beer drinkers head south for the winter, and we wanted to ensure their favorite brews are available to them. We’ve received many requests from Michigan-residents visiting Florida over the years, so we’re combatting seasonality and keeping people happy at the same time.”

 

– Scott Newman-Bale, Partner at Short’s Brewing Company

Short’s Brewing Company will roll out in Central Florida with the following offerings:

The following selection of Starcut Ciders, the Hard Cider division of Short’s Brewing, will also hit Central Florida in January:

With the help of Cavalier Distributing in the greater Orlando area and J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida, Inc. in the greater Tampa area, Short’s Brewing Company will arrive in Central Florida in mid-January.  The brewery plans to host a series of Launch Events in the Tampa area during the week of January 14 and in Orlando the following week (exact details on event locations will be posted soon).  If you cannot make it out to an official Launch Party, you can expect to find Short’s Brewing Company/Starcut Ciders offerings available on draft and in their respective packaging formats at craft beer-focused retailers, bars and restaurants located throughout the greater Orlando and Tampa areas of Florida.  Prost!

 

Angry Chair Brewing Extends Distribution Reach into Central Florida

angrychairlogoAngry Chair Brewing (Tampa, Florida) has officially partnered with Sunshine State Distributing so that it can immediately begin distribution in the following Central Florida counties: Orange, Osceola, Polk, Brevard, Lake, and Seminole.

A brewery that does not really require an introduction, Angry Chair Brewing is one of the most lauded, respected and sought-after brewers of decadent pastry stouts in the world.  After years of insanely long wait lines for bottle releases, a plethora of sold out events and countless high ratings on beer-related sites, Thrillist finally confirmed what all Tampa-based craft beer lovers already knew when they named Angry Chair Brewing “The Best Craft Brewery in Florida” in an article published in November 2018.  Distribution expansion is inevitable when it comes to a brewery as highly praised as this one, and it only seems fitting that Angry Chair is starting small and keeping it local by sending some love out to its neighbors in Central Florida.

“We are excited for the opportunity to partner with Angry Chair Brewing,” said Chris Larue, president and founder of Sunshine State Distributing. “Their beer will be a welcome addition to shelves and taps around Central Florida—we can’t wait to get it into the hands of craft beer lovers in the area.”

 

“We’re known for our stouts, but we have the flexibility to be creative and change up our beer. To have a distributor be okay with that and encourage it makes this partnership a no-brainer for us,” said Ryan Dowdle, co-founder of Angry Chair Brewing. “We’ve had a lot of requests for our beer in Central Florida and Orlando specifically. We’re excited to have that support and be able to send some beer their way.”

With Sunshine State Distributing handling all distribution responsibilities, Angry Chair Brewing will launch in its new Central Florida territory in late December with a “regular line-up” of offerings that includes “Nexus Sour IPA, Vodnik Czech Style Pils, Two Pump Chump Porter, and others. Additional rotating beers will be distributed throughout the year based on availability.”  You can expect to find Angry Chair Brewing offerings at select at craft beer-friendly bars, restaurants and retailers located throughout Orange, Osceola, Polk, Brevard, Lake, and Seminole counties.  Prost!

Highland Brewing Introduces Midnight Summit Milk Stout as Newest Seasonal

MidnightSummit-Web-Render_2f738ceffacd75bb03d92ae127419836Highland Brewing Company (Asheville, North Carolina) has announced that Midnight Summit Vanilla Milk Stout will officially join its Seasonal lineup in late December 2018.

Surfacing just in time for the cold winter nights ahead of us, Midnight Summit is a Milk Stout that blends “trails of smooth, creamy vanilla . . .  with shades of chocolate and coffee.”  Weighing in at a comforting 6% ABV, Midnight Summit “is a beer that is best enjoined by a roaring fire while the snow falls outside.”

Midnight Summit will make its official debut at a Release Party at Highland Brewing on December 21 and is scheduled to enter distribution at or around that date.  You can expect to find this new Seasonal offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and throughout the rest of Highland Brewing Company’s distribution footprint in the Southeast.  Prost!

Vital Information for Midnight Summit from Highland Brewing Company

Release – Seasonal; launches December 21, 2018
Style – Milk Stout
ABV – 6%
IBUs – 40
Malts – 2-Row, Munich, Wheat, Caramel 80, Black Prinz, Flaked Oats, Chocolate Malt & Midnight Wheat
Hops – Summit & Willamette 
Added Ingredients – Vanilla
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://highlandbrewing.com/beer (located at the bottom of the page)