Breweries

Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, Seasonal Return

Mardi Gras Stout: Hi-Wire King Cake 10W-40 Imperial Stout

Hi-Wire King Cake 10W-40, a Mardi Gras-themed imperial stout returns as February winds down. 

2022 seems to be flying by already. It’s Mardi Gras, Lent starts on Wednesday, and you can almost see summer from here. While Hi-Wire Brewing’s 10W-40 Imperial Stout evolves constantly throughout the year, a few favorites to make seasonal appearances – namely the King Cake 10W-40 Imperial Stout.

Stating the obvious, the imperial stout mimics the famous New Orleans King Cake – basically, a coffee cake blended with a cinnamon roll, covered in Mardi Gras colors. The stout is specifically brewed with lactose, vanilla beans, cinnamon, coffee, and chocolate. 

MORE: HI-WIRE 10W-40 IMPERIAL STOUT SERIES

Hi-Wire King Cake 10W-40 Imperial Stout is available for a limited time in 16-ounce cans and draft. 

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee. Chocolate. Vanilla Beans. Cinnamon. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Seasonal Release. 

Latest Return: Late February 2022

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Terrapin Beer Company, Seasonal Return

Terrapin Watermelon Gose returns ahead of warmer weather

Terrapin Watermelon Gose, one of the brewery’s most popular seasonals, is back on shelves ahead of the coming spring.

Watermelon Gose is the brewery’s first packaged gose style, a tart beer traditionally brewed with sea salt and coriander. In a break from tradition, the brewery adds fresh watermelon. If you put salt on your watermelon slices, you’ll really love this one.

Terrapin Watermelon Gose is available across the brewery’s entire footprint again starting in late February 2022.

Style: Gose (w/ Coriander. Salt. Watermelon.)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Latest Return: Late February 2022

4.5% ABV 

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Second Self Brewing Company, New Releases

Second Self Totally Twobular Beermosa Sour is coming 2/22 at 2:22pm

Second Self Totally Twobular, the brewery’s 7th Anniversary beer debuts on February 22nd. 

The Atlanta-based brewery created a Beermosa-style (juice and beer) sour India pale ale and added fresh peaches. The release is a collaboration with BottleShare, a non-profit organization supporting the craft beer industry. 

Second Self hosts their 7th Anniversary party on February 26th. 

Style: IPA (w/ Peaches)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release. 

Debut: 2/22/22, at 2:22pm

6.22% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Realm Brewing, Coming Soon

POG: New Realm Tropic Dream launches year-round

New Realm Tropic Dream, a fruited wheat ale, joins the brewery’s lineup year-round in March 2022. 

Tropic Dream is a “POG” beer – aka Passionfruit Orange Guava. If POG brings up flashbacks of the milk cap game from the 90’s there’s a reason. The POG drink dates back to creator and product consultant Mary Soon, who worked for Haleakala Dairy in Hawaii in 1971. The caps to the milk bottles spawned the 1990’s milk cap game. Interestingly, the original POG drink was never sold with cardboard caps, but the dairy gave the caps with the POG logo as promotional items in the 70’s. A teacher in the 1990’s was using the milk caps as a counting aid in the classroom, brought up this milk cap game she used to play, and well- it all really caught on. The 90’s kid fights over collectible POGs began. 

As for this “POG,” New Realm’s Mitch Steele and brewing team brewed up something tropical, using fresh blood orange, passionfruit and guava juices. The final recipe was decided after eight different fruited wheat batches. POG goes together for a reason, apparently. 

Tropic Dream has a prominent tropical fruit character, with a slight tartness and smooth finish. It’s light, refreshing, and a beer that we are really proud of.” – Mitch Steele

New Realm Tropic Dream is available at all brewery locations now, with 12-ounce cans launching the first week of March. 

Style: Fruit Beer (w/ Passionfruit. Blood Orange. Guava.)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Seasonal Release. 
Debut: March 2022

5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Iron Hill Brewing

Gold medal winning Iron Hill King’s Gold Pilsner hits brewpubs

Iron Hill King’s Gold, the brewery’s 2021 Great American Beer Festival gold medal-winning pilsner is available in cans. Brewer Peter Corbett’s recipe beat out 130 other entries at the festival, taking first in a highly contentious category. 

I am pilsner. Hear me roar! This easy-drinking American Pilsner is an absolute beast – with its smooth malt flavor and robust hop taste. When it roared into the 2021 Great American Beer Festival, it ruled the day. Today, King’s Gold is the pride of Iron Hill Brewery.

Iron Hill King’s Gold Pilsner is available in 12-ounce cans, and draft at all locations by mid-February. The brewery has not clarified whether or not this beer is seasonal. 

Style: Pilsner
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. 

Debut (Cans): 2/4/22

5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Orpheus Brewing, New Releases

Orpheus Brewing The Inevitable End, a west coast IPA

Orpheus Brewing The Inevitable End, a new West Coast style IPA debuts in cans in April. 

The Atlanta, Georgia-based brewery has had test batches of this beer available in the taproom since Labor Day weekend, coinciding with their 7th anniversary. The final recipe has been determined – using Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, Columbus, and Bravo hops.

As evidenced by the taproom batches, this is the least hazy India pale ale Orpheus has released to date. 

Orpheus Brewing The Inevitable End on draft hits distribution in late February. 12-ounce cans arrive in April 2022. 

Style: IPA 
Hops: Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, Columbus, Bravo

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. 
Debut (Cans): TBD

6.8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Modern Times Beer, Don't Miss This

Modern Times Beer closes 4 taprooms this week

San Diego-based Modern Times will close four satellite locations by the end of the week citing ongoing financial issues. 

“We wish that there were another way to resolve the financial issues we now face, but we have been put in a position – by the pandemic and global declines in the craft beer industry – from which this tremendously difficult path is the only way forward for us,” Modern Times stated in a blog post. 

After new leadership stepped in over the past few weeks, the financial state of the company is unsustainable. Per the brewery, “We’ve arrived at this current moment as the result of a combination of factors: four straight years of rapid, costly expansion followed by an unforeseen and financially devastating global health crisis, and an industry-wide decline in sales. Taken together, these factors have stretched our finances and company culture to a point that is simply no longer sustainable.”

This means closing Modern Times Portland, Oakland, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles locations by February 19th. The Point Loma, North Park, Encinitas, and Anaheim locations will remain open. 

Smaller, Smarter, Faster.

That’s Modern Times Beer’s approaching in their own words going forward. No more building and expanding what the brewery can’t afford. Distribution will be focused again on Southern California and the southwest. An east coast distribution will wind down immediately. 

To read the brewery’s full letter, click here. 

by Reid Ramsay