Coming Soon

Anchor Coffee Porter is slated for bottles

From the San Francisco based brewery that already has an epic Porter, will soon come another – Anchor Coffee Porter.

The brewery’s historic building on Potrero Hill in San Francisco was once a coffee roaster. As Anchor describes it, it’s high Continue Reading →

Posted in AleSmith Brewing, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Alesmith is making 40oz bottles, with the band Sublime (in July)

Two southern California pioneers are teaming up this spring. Music and beer fuse in forthcoming Alesmith Sublime Mexican Lager.

Unless you’ve been living under rock, you’ve heard the musical stylings of SoCal’s Sublime, best known for the song “Santeria” and “What I Got”. 2017 marks the 25th Anniversary of the band’s debut album 40oz to Freedom? The duo is celebrating accordingly.

When you hail from Southern California and are celebrating an album called 40oz to Freedom, what do you brew? A Mexican-style lager. In 40 ounce bottles.

You don’t see a lot of “40s” in craft brewing. When Alesmith’s owner Peter Zien sat down with the band, he learned Sublime has an affinity for the Vienna-style lager (brewed heavily in Mexico, aka Mexican Lager). The style is very crisp and clean, finishing slightly sweet. A fitting style for sunny SoCal weather, or tailgating for a concert.

“It doesn’t taste like anything else. The flavor is great and it has a craft beer flare with a true Mexican lager taste. This is the one!” – Sublime co-founder Bud Gaugh. “

The 40 ounce bottles are a special release, sold as ticket pre-order on July 8th, on sale July 15th. The keg tapping party with include drummer Bud Gaugh, and DJ PRODUCT 1969c, who worked on Sublimes Robbin’ The Hood album.

Alesmith Sublime Mexican Lager will be available in 12 ounce cans and draft year-round starting in June, 2017.

Style: Vienna Lager
Availability: 12oz Cans, 40oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut (40oz Bottles): July, 2017
Cans: August, 2017

5.2% ABV

Image: AleSmith Brewing

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Terrapin Beer Company, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Pineapples & payapas in future Terrapin Panama Krunkles

The fictitious, hop-loving character that hails from Athens, Georgia is on another flavor trip. This time to Panama.

Krunkles has gone by many different names in the past – Dr. Krunkles, Samurai Krunkles, Indiana Krunkles, and new tropically inspired Luau Krunkles. Taking a tropical spin through Central America, Terrapin Panama Krunkles is on the horizon.

This edition features papaya and pineapple against the hoppy backdrop of the India pale ale.

Continuing his world brewing tour, Krunkles is back with another fruit-forward IPA. “Panama Krunkles” blends the tropical juiciness of pineapple and papaya for this Central American-inspired beer.”

Terrapin Panama Krunkles will be available in 12 ounce cans and draft. The brewery has not yet announced this offering.

Style: IPA (w/ Payapa. Pineapple.)
Availability: 12oz Cans. Draft.
Debut: TBA

6.5% ABV, 77 IBUS

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Funk Factory Geuzeria, Coming Soon

July 7th: Funk Factory Geuzeria Meerts, a rare style

A want for any American wild ale lover. Funk Factory Geuzeria Meerts debuts on July 7th.

The Madison, Wisconsin based brewery describes Meerts as a “modern interpretation of the low alcohol by volume style derived from the second running of Lambic”. (Dipping a few toes in the “table beer” category.) Funk Factory uses Cantillon and Boon’s known techniques as a reference for this beer.

Why modern interpretation? In 2016, the brewery attempted to make Meerts using the second runnings for a Lambic wort on a 50 barrel brewhouse. The theory was the second runnings would yield 20-30 barrels. In reality, it only yielded 4 barrels (120 or so gallons).

A dedicated brew day for Meerts was required to produce enough wort to make the beer. Basically, brewed to style as much as possible.

Funk Factory uses a pilsner malt, raw wheat, and Saaz hops in a turbid mash, scaled down to target a 4% finishing alcohol by volume. The beer is boiled long, lightly hoppeed, and hit the foeder for fermentation back in February.

At 4% abv, it is refreshing and clean, lightly tart lemon citrus with some rustic earthiness.  I’m very excited to have a beer that I can put out at a lower price point and with more frequency.

Funk Factory Geuzeria Meerts will debut on July 7th in 750 milliliter bottles. This is a ticketed release, with a June 20th on sale date.

Style: Lambic (Foeder Aged)
Hops: Saaz
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: 7/7/17

4% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Anchor Brewing, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Anchor Coffee Porter is slated for bottles

From the San Francisco based brewery that already has an epic Porter, will soon come another – Anchor Coffee Porter.

The brewery’s historic building on Potrero Hill in San Francisco was once a coffee roaster. As Anchor describes it, it’s high time the brewery finally release a Coffee Porter in bottles. Last year, a coffee heavy porter was briefly available on draft.

Anchor Coffee Porter uses San Francisco based Four Barrel Coffee developed especially for this brew, that is added to the brewery’s famous Porter recipe.

We start in the brewhouse with our radically traditional recipe fro Anchor Porter, which we’ve been brewing since 1972. We end up in the cellar, where we add Four Barrel Flash Chilled Coffee – developed with Anchor especially for this beer -during secondary fermentation. The result is a coffee porter of immense richness, intensity, boldness, and smoothness, with deep aromas and mouthfeel of fresh-roasted coffee melded with dark-roasted maltiness.

Anchor Coffee Porter will be available in 12 ounce bottles and draft. The brewery has not yet announced this offering.

Style: Porter (w/ Coffee)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: TBA

5.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Jester King Brewery, Coming Soon

SweetWater Black Lager will be Hatchery Release #3

SweetWater Black Lager is slated to be the third release from the brewery’s pilot system “The Hatchery”.

For the first time in 20 years, Atlanta’s largest craft brewery has a pilot system. The inaugural release was Mosaic IPA (a beer we hope they upscale to full production). Available now is Mexican Lager, perfect for the 90 degree Atlanta days.

Up next is SweetWater Black Lager (aka Schwarzbier), expected in late summer/fall.

Malt forward with chocolate and cashew, balanced with hops sitting quietly in the background.

SweetWater Black Lager will be available in 12 ounce bottles and draft. The Hatchery Series beers can be found in the brewery’s mixed packs, and in 6-packs at the brewery.

Style: Schwarzbier
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: Late Summer/Fall, 2017

5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Carolina Bauernhaus Ales, Coming Soon

Watermelons. Carolina Bauernhaus Bradford debuts May 20th

Carolina Bauernhaus Bradford, a watermelon wild ale, debuts on May 20th.

Heirloom Bradford watermelons take the lead in Carolina Bauernhaus Bradford. The melons are touted as one of the sweetest and most flavorful melon. The American wild ale has been fermenting in oak barrels for 10 months in a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, before being introduced to the melons.

Our ale was fermented with a blend of native yeast locally collected by SouthYeast Labs and a blend of wild yeasts and bacteria added to the barrel. A massive amount of farm fresh Bradford watermelons were added after aging for a bright, refreshing, and very South Carolina summer-like flavor braced by a tart sour finish.

Carolina Bauernhaus Bradford will be available in 750 milliliter bottles, when the brewery opens on May 20th.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Watermelons. Wine Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: 5/20/17

6.2% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Stone Brewing Co., Coming Soon, Headlines

Stone is brewing a New England IPA, Nor’East Nod

It’s undeniable that Stone Brewing is well-known for brewing big west coast style IPAs. Breweries like Stone and Sierra Nevada have shaped the perception of the American IPA. Then quietly, or not-so-quietly, folks in New England brought the the haze craze to life. Paying homage to the new, Stone Nor’ East Nod Double IPA is coming.

The lack of bitterness is an earmark of the “New England Style IPA” or NEIPA. Stone’s repertoire of west coast styles are big on hops, finishing notably bitter. Stone Nor’ East Nod Double IPA will be far less so than the brewery is accustomed to.

The 21st Anniversary Nor’East Nod India pale ale is in inspiration of, and ode to, what many of our comrades in the northeast are currently brewing, and we happily drinking. It’s an India pale ale, for sure, but not like we’ve ever experienced before. Our past as early progenitor of the West Coast style of India pale ale means we are intimately familiar, in fact still very much in love with, lingering bitterness. Unlike that, THIS India pale ale is all ’bout hop flavor with a sweet, bright, decidedly UN-bitter finish. ‘Nuff said. Give this sweet hoppy nectar a try. We’re pretty sure you’ll like it as much as we do.

Stone Nor’ East Nod Double IPA is slated for 22 ounce bottles and draft, potentially in August. The brewery has not yet announced this release.

Style: Imperial IPA
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: August, 2017

9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay