Don’t Miss This

Burial Beer Innertube floats in for another summer

Summer is creeping closer and with it, hot weather and cookouts. Don’t enjoy either without Burial Beer Innertube, the brewery’s “All-American” lager.

Inspired by the light lagers of old, Burial Innertube is craft beer’s version of the classic American lager. Believe Continue Reading →

Posted in Creature Comforts, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Whiskey barrel-aged Creature Comforts Life in Flux debuts in June

Creature Comforts Life in Flux debuts from the brewery’s Wood Cellar in June. 

The Athens, Georgia based brewery has blended an imperial stout aged in whiskey barrels from 1Ams 17 to 25 months. These barrels represent the best barrels at that point in time.

Expect this beer to be an annual release, snapshotting the barrel program at that moment in time.

Creature Comforts Life In Flux will be available in 750-milliliter bottles at the brewery starting June 1st.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged. Whiskey.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles. Limited, Brewery only release.
Debut: 6/1/19

13% ABV

Image: Creature Comforts.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Stone Brewing Co., Don't Miss This, New Releases

Stone ReVengeful Spirit, like”drinking a ray of hoppy sunshine”

In 2017, Stone released Vengeful Spirit IPA with the intention of showing off fruit in what the brewery is best known for – IPAs. Two years later a bolder version of that beer returns.

Stone chose pineapples and Mandarin oranges that compliments the tropical Mosaic, Loral & Mandarina Bavaria hops.

Revengeful Spirit is more aggressive than the 2017 release, in both alcohol by volume, hops and citrus fruit. Consider picking up this bold pre-summer beer. The nose is heavy on oranges, and each sip bursts with trop-hops and pineapple, finishing smooth and slightly bitter. Stone struck a nice balance with real fruit in an imperial IPA without being, cloying, heavy or sticky. It’s like drinking in a ray of hoppy sunshine.

Stone ReVengeful Spirit is available nationally in 12-ounce cans, 22-ounce bottles, and draft.

Style: Imperial IPA (w/ Mandarin Oranges. Pineapples.)
Hops: Loral, Mandarina Bavaria, Mosaic

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Seasonal Release.
Debut: May 2019

8.1% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Burial Beer Co, Don't Miss This, Seasonal Return

Burial Beer Innertube floats in for another summer

Summer is creeping closer and with it, hot weather and cookouts. Don’t enjoy either without Burial Beer Innertube, the brewery’s “All-American” lager.

Inspired by the light lagers of old, Burial Innertube is craft beer’s version of the classic American lager. Believe us when we say, this is a perfect summer slammer. Pairs beautifully with a hotdog hot off the grill, a soak in the pool, sitting on the dock at the lake – pretty much anything.

Brewed with North American barley, corn and rice and lagered carefully, this lager is meant to enjoy all summer long.

Since its initial release, Innertube has added the 16-ounce can format as well. 4 more ounces of summer. Available starting May 19th.

Style: Lager
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Latest Return: Mid May 2019

3.5% ABV, 11 IBUs

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bell's Brewing, Don't Miss This

Bell’s debuts Whitman inspired “Leaves of Grass” Series (with style updates)

A few years ago, it was a series of planetary releases inspired by Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite by the same name. Now Bell’s Brewery is taking their latest beer inspirations from Walt Whitman, his poetry collection Leaves of Grass.

Starting this month, and continuing into 2020, look for seven different literary beer pieces, each brewed with Whitman in mind. Up first – Song of Myself, a German-inspired American India pale ale.

“Over the years, we’ve drawn inspiration from a variety of different sources from music to literature to the Great Lakes. This series is just the latest example of how the arts have inspired us to create new and innovative recipes.” – Larry Bell, President, and Founder

After Song of Myself IPA, the series will tentatively look like this:

The Prairie-Grass Dividing (July) – Gose-Style Ale Brewed with Plum, Salt & Coriander
Oh, Captain! My Captain! (September)- Black India pale lager
To a Locomotive in Winter (November) – Smoked Porter
Song of the Open Road (January 2020) – Winter Warmer
Salut Au Monde! (March 2020) – Lager with old world grains
Spontaneous Me (May 2020) – Wild Fermented Beer

Leaves of Grass was first published in 1855. Whitman spent a good bit of his life revising the collection, which started as just 12 poems, growing to over 400 at the time of his death. The last edition, aka “The Deathbed” edition, was published in 1892.

Each of the Bell’s Leaves of Grass Series will be available in 12-ounce bottles, in limited quantities nationally.

Article updated with future potential styles.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in The Bruery, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Black Forest Cake inspired: The Bruery Geburtstagskranz

German chocolate cake in a can? This is it. The Bruery Geburtstagskranz 2019 is now available.

It’s no secret that The Bruery loves big flavorful beers, and this oddly named release is no different. If our German is even close to correct, Geburtstagskranz means “birthday wreath”. The wreath is typically a decorated wooden circle where candles are lit instead of putting them on the birthday cake.

While that tradition is typically for kids, this beer is definitely for adults. The base beer is an imperial stout, aged in bourbon barrels with vanilla, cacao nibs, and tart cherries. The Bruery describes this release as “rich, with notes of sweet vanilla, chocolate, and tart juicy cherries”.

The Bruery Geburtstagskranz 2019 is available in 16oz cans ($12) and 4-packs ($42) each. Limited release.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Vanilla Beans. Cacao Nibs. Tart Cherries. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 16oz Cans. Limited Release.
Debut: Early May 2019

9.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Firestone Walker releases wine barrel-aged ‘Napa Parabola’

Firestone Walker Napa Parabola, a barrel-aged beer/wine cross over release, debuts this week.

Parabola, Firestone Walker’s barrel-aged Russian imperial stout, is quite well-known amongst beer drinkers, first released in 2006. The brewery is situated in Paso Robles, California deep in wine country. The wine culture has had a lot of influence on the brewery, especially in Firestone’s Anniversary blends, and in the recent year-round release, Rosalie.

Eric Ponce, Firestone’s barrel program manager, always thought Parabola would really mesh well with red wine barrels. “It was something that was always in the back of my mind, so when these rare wine barrels became available, I jumped at the opportunity. The winery didn’t want to be named—all I can say is that these barrels held some of the finest wines you’ll find in Napa Valley,” Ponce says.

READ MORE: BARREL AGED BEER

According to the brewery, the result is a beer that marries the French oak flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot barrels with the robust dark fruit, tobacco, and roasted malt flavors of Parabola.

Firestone Walker Napa Parabola starts shipping this week in 12-ounce bottles and draft.

Style: Imperial Stout (Wine Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: Week of May 8th, 2019

11.3% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Sierra Nevada, Bitburger Brewery, Brauhaus Mittenberger, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Sierra Nevada chooses Bitburger Brewery for Oktoberfest 2019 collab

In 2015, Sierra Nevada released an Oktoberfest ahead of the fall season. Instead of simply brewing the beer in the German tradition (releasing it for their on-site fest parties), Sierra Nevada took it a step further. They began collaborating with some of the best German breweries in the world.

The first edition was quite a masterpiece- combining Sierra Nevada’s hardcore brewing quality with Brauhaus Riegele’s 600+ years of brewing experience. A different kind of festbier and you could certainly taste it.

Since then, Sierra Nevada collaborated Mahrs Brau, Brauhaus Mittenberger, and most recently – the oldest brewery in the world, Weihenstephaner.

For the 2019 release, Sierra Nevada has selected Bitburger Brewery. Based in Bitburg, Germany, Bitburger lays claim to one of the top breweries in sales volume in their home country. Founded in 1817 by Johann Wallenborn, the brewery’s pilsner sells over 1 million U.S. barrels annually.

This year’s Oktoberfest edition is brewed with Bitburger’s Siegelhopfen (meaning “sealed hops”)—a classified hop blend that has never been shared outside the German brewery walls, according to Sierra Nevada. Additionally, Bitburger offered their signature house yeast, also never shared outside of their own brewing operations.

“We are thrilled to be brewing together with our friends from the iconic Sierra Nevada Brewery. Not only are we united by our passion for exceptional beer and truly unique hop flavors, we also share a long history of transatlantic exchange, leading to this exciting collaboration.” – Jan Niewodniczanski, Managing Director of Bitburger

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest 2019 will be available just once in 12-ounce bottles and draft starting in late July 2019.

Style: Oktoberfest
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. One-Time Release.
Debut: Late July 2019

6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay