Cascade Brewing Releases Apricot 2019

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Cascade Brewing (Portland, Oregon) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of Apricot 2019 on Wednesday, June 10.

Back to continue its run as “one of the first and longest running blends in the brewery’s portfolio,” Apricot 2019 is a blend of Sour Blond Ales “aged in oak wine barrels for up to 14 months, then naturally fermented with Northwest-grown apricots and aged on the fruit for an additional six months before packaging.” This batch of Apricot comes in at 7.3% ABV.

Apricot 2019 will hit Cascade’s two Portland pubs – Cascade Brewing Barrel House (click here to pre-order for local delivery or pickup at the Barrel House) and Lodge at Cascade Brewing (pickup only at the Lodge) – on June 10, and distribution will begin on or shortly after that date. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 500ml bottles & on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Oregon and throughout the rest of Cascade Brewing’s distribution area. Prost!

Vital Information for Apricot 2019 from Cascade Brewing

Release – Limited; June 10, 2020
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 7.3%
Treatment – Blend of Sour Blond Ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 14 months, then naturally fermented with Northwest-grown apricots& aged on the fruit for an additional 6 months before packaging
Availability – 500ml bottles & draft

Lawson’s Finest Liquids Introduces Little Sip IPA

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Lawson’s Finest Liquids (Waitsfield, Vermont) has officially announced that Little Sip IPA will join the brewery’s Sunshine family of IPAs in late June 2020.

Developed to be the “little cousin to Lawson’s Finest flagship beer Sip of Sunshine IPA,” Little Sip is a Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale that possesses a “juicy, fruit-forward character layered with tropical hop flavors and bright floral aromas.” Coming in at a “crushable” 6.2% ABV, the “delectably balanced” Little Sip IPA “pairs best with outdoor adventures and fun, and it never disappoints.”

“It’s my new favorite everyday beer!” exclaims Lawson’s Finest Liquids founding brewer and co-owner Sean Lawson. “For years, fans have been saying how much they love Sip of Sunshine and asked me to brew a similar juicy hop-forward IPA with a little lower alcohol. It’s so refreshing – perfect for the end of a mountain bike ride.”

Little Sip IPA will hit the retail store at Lawson’s Finest Liquids on June 26 and distribution is scheduled to begin on June 29. You can expect to find this new release available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Lawson’s distribution footprint in Vermont. Prost!

Vital Information for Little Sip IPA from Lawson’s Finest Liquids

Release – ???; launching June 26, 2020
Style – Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale
ABV – 6.2%
Fun Fact – “Formulated at their original 7bbl brewery in Warren, VT, Little Sip IPA will be produced at the Waitsfield, VT location where Lawson’s Finest brews Double Sunshine IPA and Triple Sunshine IPA.”
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans
Distribution – Vermont only

Tröegs Independent Brewing Welcomes Back Nimble Giant DIPA

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Tröegs Independent Brewing (Hershey, Pennsylvania) has officially announced that it will begin the Annual Release of its fan-favorite Nimble Giant Double IPA in early June 2020.

The cumulative result of Tröegs Independent Brewing’s “first experiments with Mosaic hops” in its small-batch Scratch Series, Nimble Giant is a Double India Pale Ale that showcases Mosaic alongside Simcoe and Azacca hops. Coming in at 9% ABV and 69 IBUs, Nimble Giant “gracefully boasts grapefruit rind, pineapple and honeysuckle notes with a hint of earthy forest floor. Behold the wonder!”

Nimble Giant is rolling out now in Central Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and full distribution is scheduled to follow in the later weeks of June 2020. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Tröegs Independent Brewing’s full distribution footprint for as long as supplies last. Prost!

Vital Information for Nimble Giant from Tröegs Independent Brewing

Release – Limited/Once a Year Series; June 2020
Style – Double/Imperial India Pale Ale
ABV – 9%
IBUs – 69
Featured Hops – Mosaic, Simcoe & Azacca
Malt – Pilsner & Vienna
Yeast – House Ale
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://troegs.com/beers/brew-finder/

We Taste: Nimble Giant Double IPA from Tröegs Independent Brewing on Vimeo

Orpheus Brewing Releases Room a Thousand Years Wide Barleywine

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Orpheus Brewing (Atlanta, Georgia) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of Room a Thousand Years Wide, a Barrel-aged Barleywine, during the week of June 8.

Carefully crafted to be “frothy, smooth, and full of life,” Room a Thousand Years Wide is a blend of English-style Barleywines that have been aged one to two years in Bourbon and Rye Whiskey barrels. Coming in at a slow-sipping 13.5% ABV, Room a Thousand Years Wide is filled with “notes of malt candy, raisin, toast, Werther’s, spice, vanilla, leather, wood, and almost burnt cookies.”

Room a Thousand Years Wide is available now (as of June 8) in the Tasting Room at Orpheus Brewing and online via the brewery’s CraftCellr page. This Limited Release is available in 375ml bottles for as long as supplies last. Prost!

Vital Information for Room a Thousand Years Wide from Orpheus Brewing

Release – Limited; June 8, 2020
Style – English-style Barleywine
ABV – 13.5%
Treatment – Blend of Barleywines aged one to two years in Bourbon & Rye Whiskey barrels
Fun Fact – Label artwork created by Jeremiah McCleary
Availability – 375ml bottles
Reserve Online – https://orpheus.craftcellr.com/

Hidden Springs Ale Works Launches New Imperial Stout Series with Release of The Hermit

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Hidden Springs Ale Works (Tampa, Florida) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of The Hermit on Thursday, June 11.

Dropping as the first “delicious beast” in a new Imperial Stout Series from Hidden Springs, The Hermit is a non-barrel-aged Imperial Stout “overflowing with pecans, chocolate and caramel.” Oh so “thiccc + rich,” The Hermit is sure to conjure up fond memories of decadent turtle candies.

Bottles of The Hermit will release exclusively on the Hidden Springs Ale Works website at 4 p.m. on June 11. Here are the full details and rules surrounding this release (as posted on the brewery’s social media accounts):

  • 22 oz. bottles of The Hermit are $25 each
  • Bottle limit is set at 2 per person (if you order more than the allotment, your purchase will be REFUNDED and CANCELLED)
  • Bottles will be ready for pickup during regular business hours (stay tuned because those are changing) Friday 6/12 – Friday 6/19. You will have to choose a pickup date and time at checkout. Your order will be ready that day ONLY. If you need to reschedule your pickup, please EMAIL the brewery at info@hiddenspringsaleworks.com (Hidden Springs is NOT able to reschedule your pickup from the DM’s).
  • For the safety of the community and to maintain social distancing standards established by the CDC, the brewery will be allowing PROXIES for this release. It helps to cut down the amount of bodies coming in and out of the Tasting Room at a single time. Yes. PROXIES ARE A GO!
  • To pickup your bottles you must have the correct name, order number, and ID (gotta make sure you’re old enough), also, make sure it’s the right day, y’all.

Once again, The Hermit will be sold exclusively online. There will be no walk-up sales or distribution. With that in mind, make sure that you are at your computer/phone/tablet at 4 p.m. on June 11 for the chance to land your bottles of The Hermit before they sell out. Prost!

Offshoot Beer Co. Adds Escape West Coast IPA to Year-Round Lineup

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Offshoot Beer Co. (Orange County, California), the hop-centric extension of The Bruery, has officially announced that it will round off its Year-Round portfolio with the nationwide release of Escape [It’s Your Everyday West Coast IPA] in June 2020.

Arriving as Offshoot Beer Co.’s “second foray into clear-beer— and an homage to the hop-focused Southern California tradition of West Coast IPAs,” Escape is a West Coast-style India Pale Ale that “submerges the senses with notes of tropical passionfruit, grapefruit zest, and pine” sourced from a hop bill comprised of Mosaic, Strata, Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Clocking in at 7.1% ABV and 50 IBUs, the “clean, crisp, and clear” Escape [It’s Your Everyday West Coast IPA] entices you to “crack one open, kick your feet up, and Escape.”

“Offshoot Beer Co. has allowed us to branch off in new directions, continue our passion for experimentation and explore the art of developing hop-forward beers,” said Patrick Rue, founder of The Bruery and its hoppy offshoot, and one of just 19 individuals to earn the title of Master Cicerone®. VP of Brewing Operations Darren Moser chimes in, “Escape was a fun project that let us play with some hop varieties we really love. The combination of Mosaic, Strata, Simcoe, and Amarillo leaves you with a crisp IPA loaded with notes of tropical passionfruit, grapefruit zest, and hints of pine.”

Escape [It’s Your Everyday West Coast IPA] now joins Relax [It’s Just a Hazy IPA], Retreat [This is a Double Hazy IPA] and Unwind [You Earned This Hoppy Pils] in Offshoot’s nationally available lineup of Year-Round offerings.

Escape [It’s Your Everyday West Coast IPA] is scheduled to launch in June 2020 with availability in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft. You can expect to find this new Year-Round offering at craft beer-focused establishments located in Florida, California, Washington, D.C., Virginia and throughout the rest of Offshoot Beer Co.’s 25-state distribution footprint. Prost!

Vital Information for Escape [It’s Your Everyday West Coast IPA] from Offshoot Beer Co.

Release – Year-Round; launching June 2020
Style – West Coast-style India Pale Ale
ABV – 7.1%
IBUs – 50
Featured Hops – Mosaic, Strata, Simcoe & Amarillo
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.offshootbeer.com/find

Stone Brewing Brings Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse Back for the Summer

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Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of its “cult-favorite” Stone Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse in late May/early June 2020.

First brewed in 2016 as a collaboration with actor and comedian Jonah Ray with the intention of capturing his childhood memories of drinking POG Juice in Hawaii, Stone Notorious P.O.G. is a Berliner Weisse loaded down with “countless passion fruits, oranges and guavas.” Coming in at just 4.7% ABV and 20 IBUs, the “tart, refreshing, citrusy and spectacular” Stone Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse “effortlessly rides its effervescence of tart orange citrus and tropicality with sip-it-like-its-Sunday ease.”

“This beer is dedicated to my homeland, the islands of Hawaii,” explained Jonah Ray. “It’s also dedicated to my dad who used to pour a little bit of booze into his PASSION ORANGE GUAVA juice on the weekends. LOOK DAD! I’VE COMBINED THE TWO!”

Stone Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse is rolling into distribution now and will be hanging around as long as supplies last this summer. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 22 oz. bottles, 19.2 oz. cans and in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Stone Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse from Stone Brewing

Release – Limited; releasing late May/early June 2020
Style – Berliner Weisse
ABV – 4.7%
IBUs – 20
Added Ingredients – Passion fruit, orange & guava
Suggested Food Pairings – “Starters: Stone Mac N Cheese, Meat and Cheese Board, Vietnamese-style Egg Rolls, Chinese Sticky Ribs | Salads: Fruity Goat Salad (seasonal fruits & shredded fillo-wrapped goat cheese), Wedge Salad | Main Courses: Crispy Skin Salmon, True Craft Burger, BBQ JackFruit Sandwich, Pork Katsu, Loco Moco, and a variety of brunch dishes because this is the perfect Brunch Beer—try it with Eggs Benedict! | Desserts: Ice Cream Sandwich, Crème Brulee Cheesecake, Baklava”
Availability – 22 oz. bottles, 19.2 oz. cans & 6-packs of 12 oz. cans
Beer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

Tasting Notes: Raspberry Gose from Bravus Brewing Co.

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For this installment of Tasting Notes, we wander into the world of non-alcoholic beer and get acquainted with Raspberry Gose from Bravus Brewing Company (Newport Beach, California).

One of the six Year-Round offerings in Bravus Brewing Company’s non-alcoholic lineup, Raspberry Gose is Near Beer take on the Gose style – “a sour style with some salt added (or historically, derived from local water sources).” This example utilizes a “very, very small amount of salt added with the intention of balancing some of the sweetness of the raspberries.” Coming in at less than 0.5% ABV, Raspberry Gose is “a super light and refreshing summer crusher with a wonderful raspberry tartness.”

Raspberry Gose is available Year-Round in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans. You can purchase this non-alcoholic brew online or at select craft beer-friendly establishments located within Bravus Brewing Company’s distribution footprint in Southern California. 

Now that the background information is out of the way, let’s crack open a can and see how this non-alcoholic brew measures up over some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Raspberry Gose from Bravus Brewing Co.

Appearance: A gentle pour from a 12 oz. can produces a hazy, straw yellow-colored beer capped with a tight finger of bright white foam. When held to direct light, the color holds for the most part but the faintest of red tones does push through to add a bit of vibrancy. The beer is lightly cloudy, but a steady stream of carbonation bubbles can still be seen cascading within. Head retention is good, eventually falling to a scattered top cap that occasionally leaves behind wispy strings of lace on the glass.

Aroma: The raspberry is super forward, supplying plenty of juicy fruit and gently tart notes. There is also a lactobacillus-like mustiness here supporting and complementing the berries. A touch of salinity lingers in the background but does not really assert itself.

Taste: The raspberries dominate here as well, but they are offering more of a sweet and fruity character than tart. A light layer of wheat malt adds to this sweetness, while the mustiness found in the aroma returns to add some more dimension and draw attention to the beer’s gentle tartness that surfaces more in the finish. The salt is quite muted and nearly undetectable.

Mouthfeel: Light in body with a medium carbonation level, this beer has a soft weight to it on the palate and dries out nicely in due time. Although it is more sweet than tart, the overall experience is still nicely balanced and high in drinkability. The lack of alcohol does not take away from this Gose since the style tends to hide the ABV well. The aftertaste is a good amount of lingering raspberry.

Final Thoughts: Since the Gose style is typically very low in ABV, this goes a long way to help sell the illusion that Raspberry Gose is the real deal and not just a Near Beer. As a fruited Gose, the flavors are pretty spot on and it even gives you a bit of that lactobacillus character. The only gripe we could come up with is that it could definitely use some more salt but, to be fair, we pretty much say that about each and every Gose we come across. All in all, Raspberry Gose has the same feel, flavor and easy drinking nature you expect from a good Gose, and it should definitely be on your radar whenever you are after a non-alcoholic brew. Prost!

Ska Brewing Introduces Low-Calorie Aggrolite IPA

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Ska Brewing (Durango, Colorado) has officially announced that it will launch Aggrolite IPA, a new low-calorie, low-carb option, throughout its distribution footprint in June 2020.

Brewed in collaboration with The Aggrolites, one of Ska Brewing’s favorite bands, Aggrolite is a calorie-conscious India Pale Ale that gains “slight citrus and pine notes from the use of Cascade, Mandarina Bavaria, and El Dorado hops.” Coming in at just 4.2% ABV, 99 calories and 4g of carbohydrates per 12 oz. serving, Aggrolite IPA is a “delicious sidekick for athletes and adventurists” and “pairs well bike rides, boating, and bikinis.”

Aggrolite IPA is rolling out now with availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans. You can expect to find this new low-calorie offering at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Colorado and throughout the rest of Ska Brewing’s 13-state distribution footprint. Prost!

Vital Information for Aggrolite IPA from Ska Brewing

Release – Unknown; launching June 2020
Style – Session/Low-Calorie India Pale Ale
ABV – 4.2%
Calories – 99 (per 12 oz. serving)
Carbs – 4 grams (per 12 oz. serving)
Featured Hops – Cascade, Mandarina Bavaria & El Dorado
Fun Fact – “Aggrolite IPA is a collaboration with one of Ska’s favorite bands, The Aggrolites, who played at the brewery’s 24th anniversary invitational in 2019. The Aggrolites started as a compilation of two bands, one reggae and one ska in genre, that came together in Los Angeles in 2002 to create the soul and funk-inspired ‘dirty reggae music’ that they’re known for.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans
Beer Finder – https://skabrewing.com/where-to-find-ska/

North Coast Brewing Co. Partners with Artisanal Imports to Cover Eastern & Central U.S.

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Artisanal Imports (Austin, Texas) has officially announced that it has partnered with North Coast Brewing Co. (Fort Bragg, California) to be the brewery’s sales and marketing partner for the central and eastern regions of the United States.

A true pioneer in the craft beer community, North Coast Brewing Co. was founded in 1988 with a mission to “Make the World a Better Place, One Pint at a Time.” The brewery has since gone on to establish a highly respected beer portfolio that includes iconic beers such as Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, Old Stock Ale, Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale, PranQster Belgian Style Golden Ale, and Scrimshaw Pilsner. Now, more than 30 years after its establishment, North Coast is continuing to grow by expanding and improving upon its presence in the eastern and central U.S.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Artisanal team to introduce our portfolio to new markets around the country,” says Jeffrey Ottoboni, Chief Executive Officer of North Coast Brewing Company “The North Coast brand continues to expand, and we are delighted to have the support of Artisanal Imports.”

“I am extremely excited about our North Coast connection, as the brewery is a legendary pioneer in the American craft beer movement,” says Bob Leggett, Founder, and CEO of Artisanal Imports. “Scrimshaw and Old Rasputin are some of my favorites in their styles. The brewery has recently moved into cans that will certainly open new doors. I believe this will be a great partnership, and we will both reap the benefits of our expertise.”

With this partnership in place, Artisanal Imports now represents North Coast Brewing Co. as its sales liaison with on- and off-premises retailers and distributors in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Prost!