Headlines

First time in cans: AleSmith Speedway Stout

AleSmith Speedway Stout, easily one of the most popular imperial stouts in the United States, is now available in cans.

The black, silver foiled, bottle of viscous has made AleSmith Speedway Stout an American brewing icon. What is the next logical step for Continue Reading →

Really big rabbits and Odell Flemish Giant

Odell Flemish Giant, a future potential release in the brewery’s Cellar Series.

Consider this beer a tribute to the Belgian Flanders-style that is inspiring so many brewers in America. Odell Flemish Giant will have spent a year hidden a way in oak by Continue Reading →

Posted in Headlines

Guinness to build a brewery in the United States

World renown Irish brewer Guinness will build in the United States. The brewery’s parent company Diageo has chosen Maryland for the build.

The build will be a U.S. version of Dublin’s popular Guinness Open Gate Brewery, a mid-sized location and visitor experience in Baltimore County, Maryland. Diageo is investing $50 million dollars in the project.

The facility will brew and feature beers created solely for the American market. The St. James Gate facility will still be the brewing home to the iconic Guinness Stout.

This new project will re-establish a Guinness brewery in the U.S. after a 63 year absence. Diageo has chosen Relay, Maryland as the preferred location for a plethora of reasons, including proximity to major tourist destinations, skilled nearby labor, and existing structures that the brewery can renovate. Guinness will be renovating a Diageo bottling facility that was shuttered in 2015.

“Guinness’ plan to build a brewery at its historic facility in Relay, MD is great news for job creation, manufacturing, and tourism in our state. Beer tourism attracts millions of visitors to towns and communities across the country every year and I look forward to welcoming Guinness to the roster of excellent breweries we have here in Maryland.” – Maryland Governor Larry Hogan

Diageo is hoping to have final approval soon, and commence construction in the spring. The goal is to have Guinness U.S. open by the 200th Anniversary of Guinness being first imported into the United States.

Developing...

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in AleSmith Brewing, Headlines

First time in cans: AleSmith Speedway Stout

AleSmith Speedway Stout, easily one of the most popular imperial stouts in the United States, is now available in cans.

The black, silver foiled, bottle of viscous has made AleSmith Speedway Stout an American brewing icon. What is the next logical step for one of America’s most renown stouts?

Alesmith has already been canning their IPA for while now, and fans have been wondering what’s up next. A pint can of the coffee-laden stout might just be the perfect size for those nights your aren’t sharing your beer.

…Chocolate and roasted malts dominate the flavor, supported by notes of dark fruit, toffee, and caramel. A healthy dose of locally-roasted coffee from Ryan Bros. Coffee, Inc. added to each batch brings out the beer’s dark chocolate flavors and enhances its drinkability…

AleSmith Speedway Stout is currently available year-round in 750ml bottles and draft. 16 ounce cans are available at the brewery in San Diego starting January 27th.

Style: Imperial Stout
Availability: 750ml Bottles Draft. Year-round. 16 oz Cans (New)
Debut: January, 2017

12% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Avery Brewing, Headlines

Avery Apricot Sour joins ‘Botanicals’ as 4th release

Avery Apricot Sour, the fourth installment of the brewery’s Botanicals & Barrels Series, debuts at month’s end.

The barrel-aged series debuted with Raspberry Sour in May of 2015. Not long after, Vanilla Bean Stout was added to the series, and most recently Tangerine Quadrupel Ale.

The brewery is leaning back “tart” with Avery Apricot Sour. Just like its predecessors, each beer comprises of the four usual beer ingredients, and one specially chosen outside ingredient. The same mixed sour and wild culture in Raspberry Sour is used Apricot, with more lactic acid in the finished beer.

“As the second sour of the series, it is brewed with the same bacterial and yeast cocktail as Raspberry Sour, however the result is a more lactic beer with minimal malt character and a ton of apricot”. – Special Project Brewer Leigh Audin

Avery Apricot Sour will be available in 22 ounce bottles and draft starting January 30th.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Apricots. Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: 1/30/17

7.3% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in SweetWater Brewing, Coming Soon, Headlines

SweetWater 20th Anniversary Ale gets funky in February

Marking the double decade milestone, SweetWater 20th Anniversary Ale will debut in February.

If we could sum up the just the last 5 years of Atlanta’s SweetWater Brewing Company, it would be growth. The brewery has jumped from a 25 barrel brewhouse to a 400 barrel system, added cans, expanded lab and quality control, added distribution states, bottle conditioning. and most recently, a multi-million dollar sour & wild facility. So much good coming out of 195 Ottley Drive.

In February, the brewery will mark their 20th year with a party featuring the band Moe. as well as releasing SweetWater 20th Anniversary Ale.

For the past few years, SweetWater has been working on their own house blend of Brettanomyces. A part from some small batch releases, this is the first time the beer has seen the big time. The base beer is an imperial IPA brewed with brewery staple “hop hash”. (Hash is the potent chunks leftover after hops are pelletized.)

Described as extremely hop forward, the American wild ale is fruity, herbal, and citrusy, with a touch of funk in the finish.

Can’t make the party? SweetWater 20th Anniversary Ale will be available in 750 milliliter bottles in mid to late February, 2017.

Style: American Wild Ale
Hops: Bravo, Mosaic, Citra
Malts: Pilsner, Maris Ottler, Wheat, Flaked Oats, Midnight Wheat

Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.
Debut: February, 2017

9% ABV, 81 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Headlines

Creature Comforts to open second facility in Athens

Athens, Georgia based Creature Comforts has maxed out production at their current facility. A second location is in the works.

The brewery has selected the historic Southern Mill complex on nearby North Chase Street for the second facility. The mill was originally built in 1900, and is currently being redeveloped into a mixed-use development.

The new location will add an additional 50,000 barrels of extra capacity, in addition to the 28,000 barrels being produced at the downtown location. (That’s around 2.4 million gallons of beer annually.) Creature Comforts notes that the expansion will bring 25,000 barrels of Tropicalia into production annually.

The second 36,000 square foot facility will house a 85 barrel, four vessel brewhouse from Steinecker, a 24-head rotary Krones canner, and an initial fermentation capacity of 50,000 barrels.

Creature Comforts is investing $8 million dollars in the new location. Ground breaking will occur in May, with completion in October, 2017.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dogfish Head, Headlines, New Releases

The newest “a-peeling” can: Dogfish Head Flesh & Blood

Dogfish Head Flesh & Blood IPA has been canned for the first time, following 60 Minute IPA the Delaware brewery’s new can lineup.

Fruit nuanced India pale ales have taken the beer world by storm over the past year, and 2017 will be no different. The beer debuted in 2016 in the brewery’s “Occasionals” lineup, but demand is dictating otherwise. Dogfish Head Flesh & Blood IPA has been promoted to year-round status, exclusively in aluminum.

Flesh & Blood’s base is an imperial IPA, brewed with fresh lemon flesh, and blood orange juice.

 “We’ve been experimenting with fruit and citrus IPA’s since 1996 when we released Aprihop, an IPA brewed with apricots. The India Pale Ale is the biggest craft beer style in America and the most popular breakout subset style in the fruit IPA. We think the fruit IPA category will surge the fastest in 2017 and we are proud of Dogfish Head’s innovator position in this realm.” – Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head founder and CEO

Dogfish Head Flesh & Blood IPA as well as 60 Minute IPA are now shipping to all distribution markets as of January, 2017.

Style: Imperial IPA (w/ Lemons, Blood Orange)
Availability: 12oz Cans. Year-Round
Debut (Cans): January, 2017

8.5% ABV

Image: Dogfish Head

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Odell Brewing, Coming Soon, Headlines

Really big rabbits and Odell Flemish Giant

Odell Flemish Giant, a future potential release in the brewery’s Cellar Series.

Consider this beer a tribute to the Belgian Flanders-style that is inspiring so many brewers in America. Odell Flemish Giant will have spent a year hidden a way in oak by the time you have this in your hands. Flemish Giant features flavors of raisins, figs and plum.

Recently, the brewery released Prop Culture in the Cellar Series.

Native to Belgium, the Flemish Giant is a breed of rabbit that dates back to the 16th century and tips the scales at 20 lbs. Burrowed in oak barrels for a year, Flemish Giant is our tribute to this prodigious hare and it’s homeland, the birthplace of the Flanders-style Sour Red Ale. Look for notes of tart ruby grapefruit and cherry to hop to the nose while sweet raisin, fig and plum favors thump the palette.

Ghent, Belgium is thank for one of the largest rabbits on earth – the Flemish Giant. First bred in the 16th century, the rabbit weighs on average around 15 pounds. (Honestly, there is a Monty Python movie sense that comes to mind.)

Odell Flemish Giant will be a 750 milliliter bottle release. The brewery has not yet announced this beer.

Style: Flanders Red Ale (Oak Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: TBA

6.6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay