Cascade Brewing Releases Midnight Bramble

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CascadeMBCascade Brewing (Portland, Oregon) announced this week that Midnight Bramble has officially arrived as the brewery’s newest Tier One project.

Making its official debut this month, Midnight Bramble is here to delight sour beer fans with a blend of Wheat and Blonde Ales that has been “aged in oak wine barrels for up to 18 months with black and red raspberries, fresh ginger and thyme.”  This lengthy process results in a “unique” Sour Ale that “offers carefully layered flavors of ripe bramble fruit with a refreshing ginger lift and soft notes of lavender and pine.”

“We’re incredibly excited to release Midnight Bramble for the first time,” explained Tim Larrance, Cascade Brewing VP of Sales and Marketing. “This amazing Northwest sour is a take on our ever-popular Blackcap Raspberry project, but we’ve added some really cool ingredients to the mix.”

Midnight Bramble (2016) is available now and will hang around as long as supplies last.  You can expect to find this new Tier One offering available in 750ml bottles and on draft at craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Oregon and throughout the rest of Cascade Brewing’s distribution footprint.  Prost!

Vital Information for Midnight Bramble (2016) from Cascade Brewing

Release – Limited/Tier One, December 2017
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 6.6%
Treatment – A blend of Wheat & Blond Ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 18 months with black & red raspberries, fresh ginger & thyme
Availability – 750ml bottles & draft
Fun Fact – Concerning Cascade Brewing’s new labels: “Midnight Bramble is a Tier One offering; Cascade’s bottles have distinct label styles for each of the three Cascade Brewing pricing tiers, with each label within the tier utilizing distinctive colors to clearly differentiate each beer. The tiers differ by the style of beer used in the product, the type ingredients contained within, the time aged in the barrels and types of barrels used.”

Left Hand Brewing Sheds Some Light on its 2018 Beer Lineup

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Lefthandkegs_editedLeft Hand Brewing Company (Longmont, Colorado) recently came forward to release a jam-packed 2018 Beer Lineup Calendar that is more than worthy of the brewery’s upcoming 25th Anniversary.

You all know the drill by now.  We have posted Left Hand Brewing Company’s full 2018 Beer Lineup below for you peruse at your convenience.  Since 2018 does mark Left Hand’s 25th year of brewing, we do feel inclined to go over a few of their exciting, upcoming releases before sending you directly to that calendar.  We promise to keep this brief:

  • Left Hand will introduce four new Year-Round offerings in 2018: Juicy Goodness Dry-Hopped Golden Ale, Left Hand IPA, Death Before Disco Porter, & Colorful Colorado Pale Ale.  Outside of select Mixed Packs, Colorful Colorado Pale Ale will only be available in the brewery’s home state of Colorado.  The remaining new Year-Rounds will see full distribution alongside award-winning, perennial mainstays like Milk Stout and Polestar Pilsner.
  • The brewery will introduce a Seasonal line of smooth nitro-perfected styles in 2018.  Releases will include Chai Milk Stout Nitro, Blackcurrant Cream Ale Nitro, Belgian Dubbel Nitro & Wake Up Dead Nitro. These offerings will be packaged in 4-packs of 13.65 oz. cans
  • The brewery will add “a variety of new seasonal and limited cans intended to please the palate with culinary and cocktail-inspired flavors. MS Gose Away, a perfectly salty and lightly sour beer with raspberries and lemon peel will debut in late spring, Peach Beerllini Radler will be just-in-time for the hot summer months and a pepper porter with chipotle and other mild peppers will liven up your mood come winter.”
  • Left Hand plans to release a 25th Anniversary 22oz bomber in September, but exact details on this beer are not yet available.  Stay tuned for more info on this one.

That glosses over the highlights that we wanted to cover, but there are still plenty of beers left to discover on the calendar below.  Be sure to give it a good once over so that you know what beers you will be raising in 2018 to honor Left Hand Brewing Company’s 25th Anniversary.  Prost!

LeftHand2018calendar

 

Jameson Irish Whiskey Introduces Caskmates IPA Edition

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JamesonCaskmates IPAJameson Irish Whiskey (Dublin, Ireland) recently announced that it has officially expanded its Caskmates lineup with the release of Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition.

To create Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition, the distillers at Jameson begin by sending “propriety oak whiskey barrels” from their Midleton distillery to a local Irish brewery so that it may fill them with a “local craft IPA.”  Once the barrels are infused with the “crisp citrus notes” of that India Pale Ale, they are then “sent back to Jameson to be reused to finish Jameson Original.” After spending a lengthy time aging in the IPA-soaked barrels, a 40% ABV (80 proof) Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition emerges with that familiar “smooth taste of Jameson” but with added “light hints of hops, fresh citrus and floral notes.”  Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition now joins Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition to comprise the distillery’s portfolio of Caskmates offerings.

“Quality and taste have always been our reason to be,” said Sebastien Borda, Brand Director Jameson Irish Whiskey, Pernod Ricard USA. “Jameson Caskmates IPA was born from the dedication of the whiskey making tradition that John Jameson established in 1780, combined with a relentless pursuit of original and innovative expressions for our whiskeys. Jameson Caskmates IPA brings the crisp, hoppy notes that characterizes IPA beer together with the triple-distilled smoothness of Jameson to create a one-of-a-kind and exceptional tasting whiskey.”

Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition is available now in 750ml bottles for the suggested retail price of $29.99 each.  You can find this latest Caskmates release at fine establishments throughout the U.S. that normally carry offerings from Jameson Irish Whiskey.  Prost!

Founders Brewing Co. Unveils Plans for 2018

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founderspour_editedAll set for next year, Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, Michigan) has officially released a 2018 Availability Calendar that is absolutely loaded with new brews, old favorites, and updated packing options.

Just as we always do with all release calendars, Founders Brewing Co.’s full 2018 Availability Calendar is posted below for you to look over at your own pace.  Before we turn you loose, there are a few things on that calendar that we are just dying to point out . . . so let’s knock that out real fast:

  • Breakfast Stout and Backwoods Bastard will be available year-round in 2018.  Yeah, you read that correctly!  Breakfast Stout should seamlessly shift into year-round availability through the New Year while Backwoods Bastard will resurface in late-March to early-April to begin its year-round status.
  • Although the calendar does not mention this, Founders Brewing Co. will be offering Solid Gold, All Day IPA, Rubaeus and all of its Seasonal beers, which include Mosaic Promise, Azacca IPA and PC Pils, in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans in 2018.
  • Double Trouble Imperial IPA will return as a Limited Release in 2018.  It will be available from late-May to July in 4-packs of 12oz bottles across all 46 states that currently comprise the distribution area for Founders Brewing.
  • The Barrel-Aged Series will return in 2018 with KBS (April) and four new releases.  Details about the yet-to-be-named beers will be released throughout the year.
  • Founders is launching a “brand new taproom carryout series called the ‘Mothership Series’. These beers will range from classics like the inaugural release, Red’s Rye IPA, to experimental new styles. They will only be available for carryout in 6-pack bottles at [all Founders Brewing Co.] taproom locations.”
  • Finally . . . a bit of bad news: Founders will say “goodbye to some favorites, like Imperial Stout, Curmudgeon and reDANKulous” in 2018.  Since the brewery is known to regularly bring back old favorites (see Double Trouble & Red’s Rye IPA above), it assures that this is more of an “until we meet again” scenario.

Alright, that’s a wrap on all that we wanted to cover.  Be sure to check out the full calendar below so that you can properly prepare for an amazing 2018 with Founders Brewing Co. Prost!

2018-Availability-Calendar_2

 

New Realm Brewing Appoints Executive Chef and Restaurant General Manager

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NewrealmlogoNew Realm Brewing Company (Atlanta, Georgia) has officially announced that General Manager, Don Mioton and Executive Chef, Julio Delgado have been hired on to lead operations at the brewery’s highly anticipated, in-house restaurant.

Confident that their talents are a perfect pairing for the beers and vibe soon to be produced at the brewery, the folks at New Realm Brewing Company have named Don Mioton and Julio Delgado as the leadership team for their restaurant.  Taking the title of General Manager, Mioton previously held position at American Cut & Regent Cocktail Club in Atlanta’s Buckhead area.  After previously working as Executive Chef at JP, a restaurant in downtown Atlanta’s Hotel Indigo, Delgado will slide into the same role at New Realm.

Having hit the ground running, this impressive duo is currently “putting the final touches” on New Realm’s menu.  Executive Chef Delgado plans to build his dishes with “inspiration from Brewmaster Mitch Steele’s craft beers as well as the area’s local farms in order to create an approachable menu, which is rooted in tradition.”  Showcasing a “blend of global flavors and southern techniques”, the menu will include dishes such as “a house ground prime beef burger on a brioche bun, a beer can Springer Mountain Farms half chicken, as well as four hickory wood-fired pizzas cooked to perfection in a dedicated pizza kitchen which guests will see on display on their way to the brewery’s main entrance.”

When it comes to the restaurant space itself, guests will have the option to enjoy their meals “in a variety of seated locations within New Realm Brewing including a main dining room, an interior bar, a lower level patio, an outdoor beltline beer garden or the rooftop patio where the view is spectacular. New Realm Brewing will also have a private dining room on the lower level and a second level tasting room/tour center, both of which will house special events like weddings, private parties and corporate meetings.”

Although an official date has not yet been set, New Realm Brewing Company is hoping to open in the very near future so that it can begin sharing some beers and the culinary talents of Mioton and Delgado with Atlanta’s craft beer faithful.  Once an official opening date is made public, we will be sure to update you with that information here.  Stay tuned.  Prost!

newrealmplans

Koko Buni Makes Seasonal Return for Creature Comforts Brewing Co.

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CCKokoBuni_editedCreature Comforts Brewing Co. (Athens, Georgia) recently announced that Koko Buni, the brewery’s seasonally released Milk Porter, will begin hitting shelves and taps again in mid to late December.

Released each year as Creature Comforts Brewing Co.’s fan-favorite Winter Seasonal, Koko Buni is a Milk Porter brewed with toasted coconut, Ecuadorian cocoa nibs sourced from Condor Chocolates, and an Ethiopian coffee blend from 1000 Faces Coffee. Although this combination results in “rich and velvety” flavors, the 6.5% ABV Koko Buni achieves a beautiful balance where “none of the flavors are overpowering or fatiguing on the palate.”

“We decided not to be traditional with the beer and add some ingredients that play well with the existing roasty and chocolatey flavors of dark beer,” said Co-founder and Head Brewer David Stein. “The result is a decadent porter, yet balanced and not over the top. Each flavor has room to individually interact with your palate, which is always a challenge as a brewer when using so many ingredients.”

Koko Buni is scheduled to officially release on December 19 with availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft.  You can expect to find this Seasonal offering onsite at the brewery as well at select craft beer establishments in the Athens and Atlanta, Georgia markets.  Prost!

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

Release – Winter Seasonal, release date set for December 19, 2017
Style – American Porter
ABV – 6.5%
Added Ingredients – Toasted coconut, cocoa nibs & coffee
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Athens & Atlanta, Georgia
Fun Fact – “The coconut and Ethiopian coffee used in making the beer inspired its name. ‘Koko’ translates to coconut in Papmiento, a language commonly used in the Caribbean. ‘Buni’ is derived from the word for coffee in Amharic, the primary language found in Ethiopia.”

Inoculum Ale Works Signs with J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida

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inoculumpour_editedInoculum Ale Works (Spring Hill, Florida) recently announced that it has partnered with J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida so that it can officially begin distribution throughout Tampa Bay and its surrounding counties.

For those who may be unfamiliar with this brewery, Inoculum Ale Works is making a name for itself by being “Florida’s first full production sour only brewery.”  Working out of a 4,000-square foot production space in Spring Hill, the Inoculum team brews their “truly unique, local” Sours with 100% proprietary yeast and bacteria, and local cultures that have been cultivated “from flowers, citrus fruits, trees, etc.”  Confident that “their attention to science, nature, innovation and quality” is fully dialed in, the folks at Inoculum Ale Works are now taking the next natural step by sending their beers out for distribution.

“We built Inoculum from the very beginning to be about the fermentation sciences and progression of sour beer. We are beyond excited to partner with J.J. Taylor, a group of people we are certain share the same passion for driving and developing new segments of Craft.”

 

– Nick Moench, Owner Inoculum Ale Works

Inoculum Ale Works will launch distribution with limited, draft-only availability of the following core beers:

  • Drex – A light and crisp Sour Weisse beer. 100% lactobacillus pitch followed by an American ale yeast fermentation produces a 3.2pH, 3.2% ABV, 10 IBU beer.
  • Kuebiko – A soured ale with strawberries, lemons, and limes. Strawberry nose, sour bite, floral finish.  ABV – 3.3%
  • Dreamcatcher – An absinthe inspired sour ale. All of the ingredients of absinthe portioned for a nice hyssop herbal front end, mild wormwood bitterness, and mild smooth star anise licorice flavor. ABV – 3.3%
  • Spectrally Macabre – A gose brewed with watermelons, basil, sea salt (from Maldon, England), and a special bitterless black malt. Don’t knock a salty melon til you’ve tried it.  ABV – 4.5% 

With J.J. Taylor Distributing handling all distribution responsibilities, the beers above will begin hitting taps at select Tampa area establishments during the first week of December.  As time goes on, the brewery hopes to expand its reach into the rest of J.J. Taylor’s 17 county footprint.

Inoculum and J.J. Taylor are actively making plans for Official Launch Parties to debut on both sides of Tampa Bay in early January 2018, and we will update you here with that information just as soon as we have it. Stay tuned.  Prost!

Starr Hill Brewery Provides a Look at its 2018 Lineup

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StarrHillpourStarr Hill Brewery (Charlottesville, Virginia) sent out a press release today to officially announce its 2018 Product Calendar.

Just as we do with all brewery release calendars, we have posted Starr Hill Brewery’s full 2018 Product Calendar below so that you can go over it at your own leisure.  That said, this calendar is absolutely loaded with interesting content and we would be remiss if we did not go over a few of the highlights:

  • Starr Hill will launch Front Row Golden Ale in early 2018 as the brewery’s newest Year-Round offering.  At 4.9% ABV, “this light and refreshing beer is the perfect balance of Honey malt and Cascade hops for a smooth body and clean finish.” Front Row will initially launch on draft, “followed by six-pack [of 12 oz.] bottles, this spring with a Golden Ticket Giveaway contest” – a promotion that gives fans a chance to “enter to win concert tickets and an exclusive Front Row Tour Pack of prizes.”
  • In March 2018, the brewery will introduce its new BoomBox 8-pack of 16 oz. cans.  This mixed pack will feature Front Row Golden Ale and Northern Lights IPA (four 16 oz. cans of each), “a link to free music content, and will be available year-round.”
  • Looking Glass IPA will arrive in February as the brewery’s new Spring Seasonal.  “Loaded with notes of juicy pineapple, mango and passion fruit, this IPA packs big hop aroma and flavor with minimal bitterness.”  Looking Glass IPA will replace Reviver Red IPA in the seasonal lineup, but The Hook Grapefruit Session IPA (summer), Last Leaf Maple Brown Ale (fall) and Snow Blind Doppelbock (winter) will all return in 2018.
  • The Heavy Rotation Series, “an ongoing playlist of new beer and music”, returns in 2018 “with something fresh available in 6-packs and on draft every three months.” Next year’s lineup will include 2-Tone Vanilla Porter (January), Amber Ale (March), Hibiscus Lager (June), Festie Oktoberfest Lager (September) and Dark Starr Dry Irish Stout (December).
  • Starr Hill’s All Access Series will go draft-only in 2018.  This series will feature “old favorites and new recipes developed at the Pilot Brewery & Side Stage in Roanoke.”  Releases include Denali Double IPA (January), Berliner Weisse (March), NE-Style IPA (May), a non-IPA style Roanoke Pilot Brew (July), an IPA style Roanoke Pilot Brew (September) and Little Red Roostarr (November).

Alright, that should be everything that we wanted to cover, but there is still plenty of goodness left for you to discover on the calendar below.  Give it a good look so that you are properly prepared for another great year of beer with Starr Hill in 2018.  Prost!

Starr-Hill-Products-Calendar_2018-PR

 

 

Great Divide Brewing Co. Introduces 2018 Edition of Hop Disciples IPA

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GDBCHopDiscipleslogoGreat Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, Colorado) recently announced that it is getting a jump on the year ahead by releasing the 2018 installment of Hop Disciples India Pale Ale in mid-December 2017.

First introduced in 2017, Hop Disciples is Great Divide’s Rotating Hop Project series that “takes a bright, clean IPA and puts a different hop variety at the forefront of the sensory experience.”  The 2018 version of Hop Disciples IPA showcases Ekuanot hops, “a newer American varietal that features strong tropical fruit flavor with aromas of citrus and herbs.”  These gorgeous hops have been put against a simple malt bill to “[bring] forth notes of papaya, honeydew melon and tangerines, while a subtle earthy undertone lingers.”  The golden-hued Hop Disciples weighs in at an “approachable” 6.2% ABV.

“Hops embody the romantic side of brewing and symbolize both a brewer’s connection to the soil and the spirit of innovation,” said Brandon Jacobs, brewery manager of Great Divide Brewing Company. “Creating a beer that can highlight a single varietal provides an opportunity to showcase the unique character of that hop and expand our consumers’ taste buds.”

The 2018 Hop Disciples India Pale Ale will officially arrive in mid-December of this year and hang around through April of 2018.  You can expect to find this Tank Farm release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Colorado and throughout the rest of Great Divide Brewing’s nationwide distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Hop Disciples (2018) from Great Divide Brewing Co.

Release – Tank Farm Series, mid-December 2017 to April 2018
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 6.2%
Featured Hops – Ekuanot 
Suggested Food Pairings – “Chicken curry with basil and cashews, warm Brie on French bread with balsamic reduction, white chocolate chip cookies”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://greatdivide.com/beer-finder/

 

Rogue Ales Spreads Holiday Cheer with Release of Santa’s Private Reserve

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santas2017Overcome with holiday spirit, Rogue Ales (Newport, Oregon) has officially announced the limited release of Santa’s Private Reserve (2017).

To give Santa a bit of a break from the dairy this month, the brewers at Rogue Ales are supplying Saint Nick with a more adult option in the newly reformulated Santa’s Private Reserve.  Previously released as a “double-hopped” Amber Ale, this special holiday brew is now a “Belgian Strong Ale made with cherries, raspberries, Belgian Candi sugar and Imperial Gnome Yeast.” This ultimately yields an 7.8% ABV Santa’s Private Reserve that “delivers a delicious sweet and tart flavor.”

“I love what John and I came up with,” said Santa. “The Candi sugar enhances the sweet and tart characteristics of the raspberries and cherries, and the beer takes a little bit from both sides of the list: it will put a little color on your cheeks, but finishes on the sweet side.”

Santa’s Private Reserve (2017) is officially available now and will hang around through the holiday season.  You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Oregon and throughout the rest of Rogue’s nationwide distribution footprint.  Prost!

Vital Information for Santa’s Private Reserve from Rogue Ales

Release – Limited, Holiday Season 2017
Style – Belgian Strong Ale
ABV – 7.8% 
IBUs – 23
Malts – Premium 2 Row, Munich, Weyermann Carabelge, Weyermann Caramunich III, Weyermann Special W & Midnight Wheat
Hops – Willamette
Yeast – Imperial Gnome Yeast
Added Ingredients – Belgian Candi Sugar, Red Raspberries & Cherries
Availability – 22 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.rogue.com/finder/