Breweries

Posted in SweetWater Brewing, Headlines

SweetWater Brewing applies for distilling license, weed terpene hard seltzer coming

SweetWater Brewing Company, Georgia’s largest craft brewery made changes over the past few years. After the laws in Georgia changed to allow for the direct sale of beer to customers, the brewery ripped out their current taproom and added an in-house restaurant.

Additionally, SweetWater all-stars 420 Extra Pale Ale and IPA were joined by massively successful “420 Strain” series of beers filled with marijuana flavored organic terpenes. The 420 Strain “G13” IPA jumped to SweetWater’s second best-selling beer in their year-round lineup.

2020 at SweetWater is already revealing even more additions to the brewery operations, most notably a distillery. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, SweetWater has acquired a distillery license with the state of Georgia. Currently, the brewery is located across the street from another distillery, American Spirit Whiskey on Ottley Drive.

At least two other breweries in Georgia hold distilling licenses, including Dry County Brewing in Kennesaw, and Wild Leap Brewing in LaGrange.

Also this month, SweetWater will be debuting fruited, terpene heavy hard seltzers. The marijuana-themed series of releases inspired by legacy weed strains have been extremely successful for the brewery, and with massive growth in the hard seltzer category, the brewery is marrying the two into one new product line.

Test batches of “Hydroponics” Terpene Infused Hard & Heady Seltzer have been available on tap in the brewery’s taproom over the past few weeks. Flavors include Black Cherry, Forbidden Fruit, and Lime Haze. The seltzers are 5% alcohol by volume – no confirmation of the calorie content. Category leaders White Claw and Truly are around 100 calories per serving.

SweetWater Hydroponics Hard Seltzer will be available in both cans and draft by the end of January.

Artwork subject to change.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Three Taverns Brewery, Seasonal Return

A bell Ringing Three Taverns Quasimodo Quad reappears

Three Taverns Quasimodo, a traditional Belgian-style quadrupel, is available again for a limited time. 

Named for the lovable fictional character from Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Three Taverns Quasimodo really packs a punch. The 10% alcohol by volume beer was one of the brewery’s earliest releases and boasts flavors of dark fruit and raisins with a boozy, sweet finish. Formerly found in 750ml bottles, Quasi is now available in easier to manage 12-ounce bottles.

Inspired by the best of Belgium, specifically the brothers of the cloth who have devoted their lives to the brewing arts, Quasimodo is a classic, full-bodied quadrupel ale—for us, the measure of brewing perfection. Dark, savory and fruity, yet with a dry, bittersweet finish enhanced by the addition of imported Belgian dark candy sugar, Quasimodo is dangerously drinkable. Re-fermented in the bottle for natural carbonation, it can ring your bells now… or years from now.

Three Taverns Quasimodo is available in 12-ounce bottles and draft for a limited time for winter 2020.

Style: Quadrupel (w/ Candi Sugar)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Latest Return: Winter 2020

10% ABV, 30 IBUs

Image: Three Taverns

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Anheuser-Busch, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Bud Light Seltzer officially launches Monday

The hard seltzer industry is on fire, and about to get crowded at the top. Bud Light Seltzer launches Monday.

Hard seltzer was the clear winner in the beverage industry last year. The beverage segment, now worth in excess of $1 billion, saw historic and unparalleled growth from coast to coast. While mega-brewery Anheuser Busch already has two seltzers in the market now – Natty Light Hard Seltzer and Bon & Viv, a Bud Light branded hard seltzer headed to market absolutely predictable.

We expected an official release and marketing blitz leading up to summer 2020, but Bud has opted to debut Bud Light Seltzer ahead of the Super Bowl. ABI has already spent millions on 4 minutes of commercials during the game, dedicated to both Bud Light and the new seltzer line as well as Michelob Ultra and Michelob Ultra Pure Gold.

Four flavors will be available on Monday – Black Cherry, Lemon Lime, Strawberry, and Mango.  Each can is 100 calories and 5% alcohol by volume, but unlike Truly Hard Seltzer, Bud Light’s release has 2 grams of carbohydrates per serving. All four flavors will be available in 12-ounce cans, in a 12 can variety pack, as well as 25-ounce cans. (Think convenience store purchases.)

RELATED: TRULY HARD SELTZER ANNOUNCES LEMONADE

The category leaders at the start of 2020 are White Claw, largely own by Mark Anthony Brands, and Truly Hard Seltzer (Boston Beer Company). Pabst Blue Ribbon announced its own seltzer last year at 6% ABV, as well as Four Loko which is a whopping 12% ABV.

The hard seltzer segment grew 210% over the past year, according to Nielsen data. America’s craft brewers are releasing hard seltzers at a brisk pace too, including Avery Brewing, Schlafly Brewing, NoDa Brewing, Sockeye Brewing, and Atlanta’s Scofflaw Brewing.

All four flavors of Bud Light Seltzer should be on shelves nationally by mid-January. Now we wait to see what the Seltzer Knight looks like #FizzyFizzy.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Realm Brewing, Seasonal Return

New Realm Radegast Triple IPA makes a 3rd appearance

New Realm Radegast Triple IPA returns to the Atlanta brewery’s lineup on January 14th.

When New Realm opened its first facility in Atlanta just over a year ago, brewmaster Mitch Steele celebrated with a big imperial IPA known as Radegast. The 11.5% alcohol by volume “triple IPA” features Warrior, Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops, plus a touch of Dextrose sugar. New Realm has since added a second location in Virginia.

This boozy hop bomb is back for a third time this month- a pretty epic imperial IPA that is nostalgic of a time when IPAS didn’t need candy and lactose and flour to make you love it. This is an old school, west coast IPA and it’s glorious.

Expect huge citrus, resin and peach flavors plus mild malt character in both nose and taste. Radegast is aggressively bitter and full-bodied due to its alcohol content, but it’s not sweet.

New Realm Radegast Triple IPA is available on-site at the brewery on starting January 14th. (Atlanta)

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Warrior, Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado

Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release.
Latest Return: 1/14/20

11.5% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in The Bruery, Beer News

The Bruery drops a new lager nationally – Ruekeller Helles

The Bruery, nestled in Orange County, California, is known for a pretty wide range of styles from massive imperial and pastry stouts to saisons and wild ales. Even though the brewery said they were never going to stray into the American IPA world, they created their own opportunity to get hoppy and hazy (with a technical loophole) with the formulation of Offshoot Beer Co. Even with this proven versatility, The Bruery is releasing something a little more… refined this month – Ruekeller Helles Lager.

A “world-class” lager was the goal when the brew team set to work on Ruekeller’s creation nearly a year ago. Lagers are some of the most complicated beers to brew, and The Bruery took no shortcuts in this already highly touted release. The Helles is an all-German malt and hops recipe in keeping with style tradition. The final test batches released the taproom have received high marks on the beer rating app Untappd.

Much like The Bruery’s own name, “Ruekeller” is a play on brewery founder Patrick Rue’s name and Ruhkeller or “rest cellar,” where German lager beers are krausened.

The Bruery Ruekeller Helles will be available in full distribution in 16-ounce cans start in late January.

Style: Helles Lager
Hops: Magnum, Saaz
Malts: Pilsner

Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: Late January 2019

5.2% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Truly Hard Seltzer, Boston Beer Company, Don't Miss This

Truly Hard Seltzer launches 4 Lemonade flavors

Boston Beer Company’s Truly Hard Seltzer debuted in 2016 and has been on fire ever since. The flavored seltzers are one of the top 3 selling brands in the category in America. Building off that success, Boston Beer has announced their next creation in an already explosive category – Truly Lemonade.

Keeping with Truly’s “healthier” approach, Truly’s new Lemonade and family of flavors boast 100 calorie, 1 gram of sugar, and 5% alcohol by volume.

According to Casey O’Neill, Senior Manager of Product Development at Boston Beer says the Lemonade series has more flavor than the traditional hard seltzer.

“It really is the best of both worlds and brings together flavor and refreshment in a way that nothing else in the category does right now.  Drinkers will have to taste it to believe it, but we’re confident they’ll love Truly Lemonade as much as we do.”

Truly Lemonade is available in Original Lemonade, Black Cherry Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, and Mango Lemonade in 12oz/12ct variety packs, 16 & 24-ounce single-serve cans, nationally starting in January.

Style: Hard Seltzer/Hard Lemonade Hybrid
Availability: 12oz, 16oz, 24oz Cans. Nationally
Debut: January 2020

5% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Pure Project

Pure Project Rain Unfiltered Pilsner

Pure Project Rain Unfiltered Pilsner

by Reid Ramsay