New Releases
Cheerwine is now officially a beer, thanks to Noda Brewing
NoDa Brewing Company and Cheerwine have debuted a new beer collaboration this week – Noda Cheerwine Ale.
Folks in the southeast are already familiar with Cheerwine, a cherry-flavored soda invented in Salisbury, North Carolina in 1917 during a sugar shortage. For the last 106 years, Cheerwine has gained a cult following, all while still being run by the same family. Cheerwine has been integrated into everything from barbeque sauces to cocktails, and starting this week – beer.
NoDa Cheerwine Ale, a year-round wheat ale not only carries the Cheerwine name but also uses Cheerwine in the brewing process.
“Cheerwine Ale can be enjoyed year-round – it’s an approachable craft beer perfect for all occasions. We’re excited to bring fans the perfect marriage of these two North Carolina staples.”
Jacob Virgil, director of strategic development for NoDa Brewing Company
NoDa Cheerwine Ale ships this week to select bars and retailers across North Carolina, and South Carolina in the coming weeks.
Style: Wheat Ale (w/ Cheerwine)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Year-Round
Debut: Mid-February, 2023
5.2% ABV, 18 IBUs
Blackberry Smoke band has their own beer thanks to New Realm
Music collaborations are nothing new in craft beer but that doesn’t make each one unique. This is an either way it’s cool statement – New Realm Brewing is releasing a beer with the band Blackberry Smoke. If you know the band, you’re already excited. If you’re not there yet, their music is in the tv show Yellowstone. In yet?
This collaboration comes from a mutual friendship between the band and New Realm Brewing that started back in high school. Here are New Realm, fresh cans of New Realm Blackberry Smoke Lager are being signed by Brit Turner, drummer. He greets me with a smile and a beard that literally says musican or craft brewer.
Blackberry Smoke, a rock/blues/country band formed in Atlanta, Georgia 21 years ago. “The best way to celebrate your 21st is with a beer!” Turner jokes. “But really though, it’s the best way I can see. it.” He always hoped there would be a full scale band inspired beer, but getting one is harder than you think. Brewery capacity and distribution is a complicated thing. Turner says there was a small scale “Smoke” beer made in North Carolina a few years ago, that was available at one of their sold out shows. The band hoped the rest would be available in distribution later. Their rabid music and beer-loving fans managed to drink it all that night and there was none left over.
“We knew a few of the New Realm Brewing folks as far back as high school,’ Turner says. We have basically have our own record label situation and making a beer with a craft brewer really made sense to us,” he adds. Blackberry Smoke started a year before the first iPod, a few years before YouTube and more than a decade before Spotify. “Our only choice was to tour,” say Turner. Craft beer has that “out of the garage” feel to it like a lot of rock bands.
In preparation for Blackberry Smoke Lager, Turner sat down for a tasting session with brewmaster and co-founder Mitch Steele. “A lager just makes sense,” Steele tells me. “We made it with a touch of pilsner malt on top of 2-Row, so there’s a little bit of Europe in this lager.” It’s crazy how many bands we’ve interviewed lean towards the lighter side of beer like a pilsner or lager. Almost every time their reasoning is that they want to drink a few on stage and still be able to play.
Over the course of a few hours with the band, Turner’s excitement was solely focused on what this beer means to their fans. Steele and Turner designed it with them in mind. “They got us where we are, and we wanted to do something for them,” Turner says. “I’m more excited to see them drink it then I am to have it.”
Mitch Steele himself is a guitarist and music fan, making it easy to put a little extra musical passion into it. Both brewing and music require emotion and passion if you want it to be good. New Realm Blackberry Smoke is about both.
Two decades ago Blackberry Smoke got together and started playing in bars. Not long after, they were performing with Guns N’ Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Church, ZZ Top, and Zach Brown Band.
Honestly, to Turner and the rest of the band, this might be more exciting.
New Realm Blackberry Smoke Lager is available in 16-ounce cans and draft where ever New Realm is sold.
Style: Lager
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: Late May, 2022
4.5% ABV
Summer Seasonal Extended: Arches Brewing Bohemian Riot Pilsner
Arches Brewing Bohemian Riot first debuted at the brewery in 2019. The summer seasonal’s had grown over the years, prompting the brewery to extend the brewing season through August.
“Riot” is a pilsner, brewed in collaboration with North Carolina’s Riverbend Malt House. The Georgia-based, lager-forward brewery used traditional Czech Saaz hops to create this “crisp summertime drinker”.
Arches Brewing Bohemian Riot is available in 12-ounce cans and draft until fall 2022.
Style: Pilsner
Hops: Saaz
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: 7/5/19
Latest Return: Spring 2022
5.3% ABV
The “Martian style” imperial IPA from New Realm has arrived
New Realm Restricted Area Double IPA marks the second release of the brewery’s Monsters & Myths Series in 2022.
Apparently, the secrets of the infamous Area 51 in Nevada include hops. Restricted Area Double IPA is a double IPA, brewed with a “paranormal” amount of Citra and Mosaic hops. According to New Realm, the brewery had yet to brew a beer using those two hop combinations together.
“Our Monsters & Myths DIPA series is a favorite among beer fans every year, and we can’t wait for Restricted Area to make its debut as our newest addition to the lineup. We joke that Restricted Area is a ‘Martian-Style’ DIPA, but really, it’s just out of this world! We cannot wait to see what our hop-loving beer fans think of this new release.” – Bob Powers, Co-Founder and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
New Realm Restricted Area Double IPA is available in 12-ounce cans and draft in late April 2022.
Style: West Coast Style Imperial IPA
Hops: Citra, Mosaic
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Limited Seasonal Release
Debut: Late April 2022
9% ABV
A day drinking stout: Wild Heaven Smiling Eyes
Wild Heaven Smiling Eyes, a dry Irish stout debuts Friday at both brewery locations.
This lower alcohol beer is brewed with black and chocolate malts, for a pronounced roasted flavor.
A super-abridged Dry Irish Stout history.
The Irish Stout started in London over 300 years ago. Then, it was called a porter, specifically a London Porter, not a stout. The base malt was a dry, acrid, low-grade brown malt that gave the beer a “smoaky tang” flavor, as described by writers at the time. The malt was placed on a metal floor and a fire was lit underneath it to roast it. The smoke would pass through it grain, and the metal would heat up and char the grain. The resulting roasts were inconsistent at best.
The London Porter popularity spread to Ireland where for years, stayed pretty much the same until 1817. That’s when a man named Daniel Wheeler invented a malt roaster that would make bitter, dark roasts without a weird “smoaky tang” as the flavor was previously described. The malt was roasted in a metal drum, away from near direct contact to the flame. (Similar to coffee roasting.) The malts could be roasted darker and more consistently.
Wheeler created “Black Patent” malt in his new kiln, still widely used today. Irish brewers adopted the use of Black Patent and darker malts, while English brewers continued with brown malt in the following years. The Irish Stout officially/unofficially born.
Interestingly, before stout became a beer style, “stout” was more of a beer descriptor. Stout basically meant “strong” to drinkers in British pubs in the 1700’s.
In the instance of the Dry Irish Stout, the name is a bit contradictory – as they weren’t strong at all, most hovering around 4% alcohol by volume.
Wild Heaven’s Smiling Eyes keeps the style tradition alive ahead of Saint Patrick’s Day, minus the black patent malt, yet still dry and roasty. Available starting March 10th in 16-ounce cans and draft for a limited time.
Style: Dry Irish Stout
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release
Debut: 3/11/22
4% ABV
Mother Earth adds Heavy Cloud Hazy IPA to year-round lineup
Mother Earth Heavy Cloud Hazy IPA joins the brewery’s year-round lineup in March 2022.
Hazy IPAs are nothing new the Mother Earth, frequently released in the brewery’s ongoing Project X Series. According to Mother Earth, Heavy Cloud a “more accessible take on the style, with the softer palate and more delicate aroma.” Translation – it’s a hazy IPA that’s not a palate destroyer.
“…We were looking to make a go-to Hazy: Something mellow and sessionable, with a slightly lower ABV, but with the hoppiness that IPA fans have come to expect. ”-Chris Baker – Director of Brewing Ops, Mother Earth Brew Co.
Baker also chose a 12-ounce can format for this release as well. Galaxy, Citra, and Sabro are the hop headliners in this release, bringing stone fruit and melon to the flavor profile.
Mother Earth Heavy Cloud Hazy IPA ships this week in 12-ounce cans and draft year-round.
Style: Hazy IPA
Hops: Sabro, Citra, Galaxy
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Year-round.
Debut: March 2022
6.8% ABV
Second Self Totally Twobular Beermosa Sour is coming 2/22 at 2:22pm
Second Self Totally Twobular, the brewery’s 7th Anniversary beer debuts on February 22nd.
The Atlanta-based brewery created a Beermosa-style (juice and beer) sour India pale ale and added fresh peaches. The release is a collaboration with BottleShare, a non-profit organization supporting the craft beer industry.
Second Self hosts their 7th Anniversary party on February 26th.
Style: IPA (w/ Peaches)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: 2/22/22, at 2:22pm
6.22% ABV
