Headlines

Harpoon Brewery acquires Clown Shoes Beer

Harpoon Brewery’s parent company has acquired Clown Shoes Brewing.

The Mass Bay Brewing Company, the parent company for Harpoon Brewery, has acquired Ipswich, Massachusetts based Clown Shoes Beer. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Clown Shoes Brewing started in Continue Reading →

Chocolate heavy Westbrook 7th Anniversary on the way

Westbrook 7th Anniversary, celebrating the brewery’s 7th birthday, is coming soon. 

Celebrating birthdays is how famed Westbrook Mexican Cake got its start. It was originally brewed to celebrate a milestone, and fan demand caused to be an annual release. (Now with barrel-aged variants.)

It Continue Reading →

Posted in New Belgium, Headlines

One of the world’s most exclusive coffee beans, a wood cellar, & New Belgium Geisha

Billed as the “loftiest sour” they’ve ever crafted, New Belgium Geisha debuts.

There are a lot of elements at play in this La Folie Grand Reserve release. First, the name “Geisha”. It comes from the highly sought after Geisha coffee bean that hails from Ethiopia. It found international fame after the bean was imported to Panama and produced by Hacienda La Esmerelda. The family-run coffee grower submitted the bean to the Best of Panama Auction in 2004, winning first place. The Geisha bean continued to win five more times from 2005 to 2010. Basically, it’s a badass.

New Belgium Wood Cellar Director Lauren Woods Limbach’s vision was to blend the Geisha bean’s delicate aromatics with the brewery’s sour beer Oscar. Incidentally, Oscar is the base beer that is blended into famed La Folie Sour Brown Ale. In order to do so, the brewery needed another “threaded” beer to make Geisha work.

Local Fort Collins-based Troubadour Maltings provided a few special malt varieties for a special beer to thread into Geisha. New Belgium calls is a “smuggler” beer, bringing in the oils needed for beer head retention, bridging the gap between Oscar, and the Geisha bean.

“There’s this apprehension to do right by Geisha. I’ve thought more about this beer than any beer I’ve made in my life. Not just because of the expense of the coffee, but because we’re attempting to put something that doesn’t have the classic coffee aroma—floral, tea, notes of citrus and stone fruit—into a coffee beer. – Lauren Woods Limbach

One of the world’s most exclusive coffee beans, an award-winning wild ale program, and an expert blender come together for what New Belgium hops is a truly unique and bold American wild ale.

New Belgium Geisha is available in 750-milliliter bottles in select markets, and both of the brewery’s taprooms starting November 3rd. There’s a price tag for this kind of sensory experience. A bottle’s retail price is around $48 dollars.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Coffee. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Corked & Caged.
Debut: November 2017

7.9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Evil Twin Brewing, Headlines, New Releases, Westbrook Brewing Co

WHALE: Evil Twin Double Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break debuts

Evil Twin Double Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break, a double-barreled variant of the epic mash-up release, is now available in bottles. 

This beer is a mashup that started off the coast of South Carolina. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina’s Westbrook Brewing was also one of the U.S. homes to Evil Twin Brewing on a contract basis. Each of the two breweries have a very popular dessert-style beer offering. Evil Twin’s is Biscotti Break, an imperial stout with flavors mimicking the coffee shop dessert. Westbrook celebrated an anniversary a few years ago with Mexican Cake Imperial Stout. As it turns out, that beer was so popular the brewery has been releasing it annually ever since.

Ultimately pretty epic. Evil Twin Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break

Since both beers were brewed in the same house by friends, last year Evil Twin and Westbrook combined the two together creating Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break. The best of both worlds in under one cap. Needless to say, your palate had a lot to sort out with each beautiful sip.

Popping up now is the epic mashup that has seen multiple barrels – Evil Twin Double Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break.

The imperial stout brewed with coffee, cinnamon, almonds, cocoa nibs, vanilla and habanero peppers has been resting in both bourbon and marsala wine barrels, resulting in an even more complex beer than before. It’s enough to make any barrel-aged beer fan sweat.

Evil Twin Double Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break will be available in 22-ounce bottles in very limited quantities. The first bottles surfaced around Halloween.

Joining this double barrel bottle of ridiculous is Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break. 

Happy Hunting.

Style: Imperial Stout (Coffee, Cinnamon, Almonds, Cocoa Nibs, Habanero Peppers. Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Debut: Late October/November 2017

10.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Clown Shoes Brewing, Brewery Acquisitions, Harpoon Brewing, Headlines

Harpoon Brewery acquires Clown Shoes Beer

Harpoon Brewery’s parent company has acquired Clown Shoes Brewing.

The Mass Bay Brewing Company, the parent company for Harpoon Brewery, has acquired Ipswich, Massachusetts based Clown Shoes Beer. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Clown Shoes Brewing started in late 2009 by Gregg Berman. The business was started as a single beer project (specifically Hoppy Feet Black IPA) that “snowballed into a craft brand” according to the brewery. Since opening, Clown Shoes Brewing has expanded distribution to 28 states, plus five foreign countries, added 12 and 16-ounce cans, and state-specific small batches.

in 2017, the brewery’s annual production hovers at 13,000 barrels annually.

“Harpoon and Clown Shoes are both fiercely loyal to our brands, to independent craft brewing, and to our employees. I’ve been a fan of Harpoon for a long time and it’s very gratifying to me that our team will get to work alongside the expert brewers at Mass Bay Brewing to grow Clown Shoes and get our beer into the hands of more beer drinkers.” – Clown Shoes founder, Greg Berman

Harpoon Brewery was founded in 1996, being issued Brewing Permit #1 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. in August of 2014, the brewery became employee-owned.

Developing...

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in The Veil Brewing, Headlines

Throw pumpkin pies into your mash & you have The Veil Brewing’s ‘Creep’

The Veil Brewing Creep debuts on October 31st.

Absolutely no stranger to weird is Richmond, Virginia based The Veil Brewing. The brewery has brewed with everything from Oreos to chicken wings in the past. Truly zero fu$ks given when it comes to being weird. That being said, in honor of Halloween and the coming Thanksgiving, The Veil threw a bunch of whole pumpkin pies into their mash tun. Because they can.

The Veil Brewing Creep is the result.

So many of the brewery’s IPAs and imperial IPAs are hazy and dank. According to the brewery, they wanted to create one with a “fuller body” and some residual sweetness. You can thank the pumpkin pie for that.

As you can see by the images, The Veil dumped a countless number of pumpkin pies into the brew, then intensely hopped it with Enigma, Motueka, and Citra hops. Despite not using lactose in the brewing process, the pumpkin pies most likely contain dairy.

…whole pumpkin pies to the mash resulting in a subtle flaky pie crust character with the slightest hint of pumpkin pie spice.

If this beer goes over well with the fans, expect this pie heavy beer to return next season. The Veil Brewing Creep will be available in 16-ounce cans when the brewery opens on Halloween.

Style: Imperial IPA (w/ Pumpkin Pie)
Hops: Citra, Motueka, Enigma

Availability: 16oz Cans
Debut: 10/31/17

9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Evil Twin Brewing, Headlines, New Releases, Westbrook Brewing Co

Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break debuts

Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break debuts as October comes to a close.

What started with two highly sought after beers: Evil Twin Biscotti Break and Westbrook Brewing’s Mexican Cake Imperial Stout. Since Evil Twin was gypsy brewing until Westbrook’s roof, the brewery’s opted to combine the two beers into one beast of a beer – Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break. The result was dark, bold and complex.

Now some barrel-aged variants will be available to fans – Double Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break, aged in Marsala wine and bourbon barrels, and Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break.

The latter uses the base mash-up, an imperial stout brewed with coffee, cinnamon, almonds, cocoa nibs, vanilla and habanero peppers, aged in maple bourbon barrels. A mouthful? Yes. Sound delicious? Of course.

Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break will be available in 22-ounce wax top bottles for the first time in the last week of October.

Style: Imperial Stout (Coffee, Cinnamon, Almonds, Cocoa Nibs, Habanero Peppers. Barrel Aged. Maple Syrup Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Debut: Late October 2017

10.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Westbrook Brewing Co, Coming Soon, Headlines

Chocolate heavy Westbrook 7th Anniversary on the way

Westbrook 7th Anniversary, celebrating the brewery’s 7th birthday, is coming soon. 

Celebrating birthdays is how famed Westbrook Mexican Cake got its start. It was originally brewed to celebrate a milestone, and fan demand caused to be an annual release. (Now with barrel-aged variants.)

It would seem Mount Pleasant, South Carolina based brewery loves dessert beer when it comes to anniversary releases. Westbrook 7th Anniversary is first an foremost an imperial stout that is all about chocolate. Think of it like liquid cake.

For our 7th anniversary beer, we went big on the chocolate and added a little sea salt to make it interesting. Luscious notes o liquid cocoa and a smooth salinity make this beer deliciously decadent.

Westbrook 7th Anniversary will be available in 22-ounce bottles. Each of the anniversary releases have debuted around January in the past.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Chocolate. Sea Salt.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, DRaft.
Debut: TBA

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Anheuser-Busch, Headlines

Budweiser 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager launches nationally

Budweiser 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager is the latest national release by Anheuser Busch InBev. 

According to Anheuser Busch, brewery founder Adolphus Busch created 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager prior to the American Prohibition in 1920. The beer never traveled far from Bud’s original home of Saint Louis before alcohol was banned.

With the anniversary of Repeal coming up on December 5th plus the holidays looming,  Anheuser Busch is launching Budweiser 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager. The amber lager is lightly hopped, and caramel malt-forward. Repeal Reserve will also be packaged in vintage “stubby” 12-ounce bottles.

“We are excited to mark the upcoming holiday season and the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition with this new brew based on a forgotten recipe. While Budweiser Repeal Reserve is a great tasting Amber Lager, it also tells the story of an important part of our history and gives reason for celebration.” – Ricardo Marques, VP of Budweiser

The official launch of Budweiser 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager is slated for October 25th in New York City. Th brewery has partnered with LYFT to bring a fleet of 1930’s cars for safe rides to the launch party.

1933 Repeal Reserve is available in 12-ounce bottles and draft for a limited time.

Style: Amber Lager
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: 10/23/17

6.1% ABV

by Reid Ramsay