Collaborations

Posted in Ecliptic Brewing, Gigantic Brewing Company, New Releases

Ecliptic & Gigantic Brewing team up on “Star Destroyer”

Ecliptic Star Destroyer, a collaboration with Gigantic Brewing debuts March 1st.

Part of Ecliptic’s Cosmic Collaboration Series, this release is titled a “Imperial Darkside Lager”, or schwarzbier if you want to get technical. In keeping with Ecliptic’s space tendencies, the beer was ultimately called ‘Star Destroyer‘.

‘In 2016 I approached Van Havig of Gigantic about a collaboration for 2017. He agreed only if we called the beer Star Destroyer? Brewing with the boys from Gigantic is always a good time!’ – John Harris, Ecliptic Brewmaster

Ecliptic Star Destroyer will be available in 22 ounce bottles and draft starting March 1st.

Style: Schwarzbier
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. One-off release.
Debut: 3/1/17

8% ABV

Feel the power of the darkside. Bah, Bah, Bah-Bum, Ba, Bum-Bum, Da, Bum. This beer is fully operational. Prepare the attack.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Stone Brewing Co., Ardent Craft Ales, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, New Releases

Stone Give Me IPA or Give Me Death, Virginia collaboration #2

Stone Give Me IPA or Give Me Death is a second Virginia commemorative collaboration, is now available.

For 20 years, Stone has been brewing in Escondido, California. Growth and demand has prompted the brewery to build on the east coast, in Richmond, Virginia. To commemorate the new digs coming online, Stone Give Me Stout or Give Me Death hit shelves as 2016 wound down. A second collaboration, Give Me IPA or Give Me Death is ready for a little patriotic drinking.

State Governor Terry McAuliffe, as well as Virginia based Ardent Craft Ales, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, collaborated on this release. Much like its predecessor, Stone Give Me IPA or Give Me Death is brewed with blackberries and raspberries.

Just as Patrick Henry once stood addressing the city of Richmond in 1775 to spur resistance against the tyrannical British Empire, 20 years ago we were stirred to join the cry for resistance agains the tyrannical oppression of industrial beer. And now, the opening of our Richmond brewery is yet another shot in the salvo that has been fired on behalf of American brewing independence. If we wish to brew free, if we mean to retain our identity and preserve the privilege of access to independent craft beer, we must recognize it a group effort. We do not stand alone. And so, on our new brewing grounds, we gathered with fellow craft breweries and “His Excellency,” Governor McAuliffe, to join together in force. A group cry of freedom & independence! Consider this aggressively  hopped imperial IPA, jam-packed with Virginia raspberries and blackberries, a testament to our passion and unwillingness to settle or sell out! We think Patrick Henry would be proud, and hope you will be too.

Stone Give Me IPA or Give Me Death is a 22 ounce bottle release, with larger distribution then Collaboration #1.

Style: Imperial IPA (w/ Blackberries, Raspberries)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: February/March, 2017

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Creature Comforts, New Releases

Creature Comforts Condor Chocolate Stout releases in Taproom Series

Creature Comforts Condor Chocolate Stout debuts today in the Athens, Georgia based brewery’s Taproom Series.

Recently, the brewery started releasing small batch taproom only releases, available on select brewery tours. The latest (and currently still available at the time of this article) is a pilsner dubbed Green Ghost.

Creature Comforts Condor Chocolate Stout is a collaboration with local chocolatier Condor, whose nibs have been found KoKo Buni Milk Stout and upcoming Terrapin Chubby Bunny.

Those seeking Condor Chocolate Stout will have their first opportunity on February 28th, as a to-go option on tours.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Cocoa Nibs)
Availability: 12oz Cans. Brewery Only.
Debut: 2/28/17

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Tree House Brewing Company, Headlines, Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp East Meets West IPA, featuring Tree House Brewing

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp East Meets West IPA will be a part of this years “Beer Camp Around the World” when it debuts later this year.

In 2017, Sierra Nevada is taking their famed Beer Camp internationally, collaborating with both selected American brewers, and some of the world’s best. Stateside, Massachusetts based Tree House Brewing Company has been  selected.

RELATED: Sierra Nevada teams up with Surly Brewing 

Sierra Nevada is famous for the west coast IPA. If you wanted to point fingers at breweries responsible for the hazy, “New England Style” IPA, at least one finger would be pointed at Tree House. Perhaps that’s what makes this future collaboration so interesting. Clarity meets hazy. East Coast meets West Coast. Think of it like turning on a humidifier and dehumidifier at the same time. You’d think it would cause a rip in the space-time continuum.

In just a few short years, Tree House has made made a big impact on the beer scene with their approach to the IPA – low bitterness, intense juicy hop flavor and unfiltered haze. As fellow lovers of the IPA, we combined our styles – the classic American IPA malt body and the New England approach to hopping- resulting in lightly bitter, unfiltered beer with huge hop flavor.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp East Meets West IPA will be a part of both the Beer Camp Variety Pack, and pouring at various Beer Camp festivals later this year.

Style: IPA
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: TBA

7% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hair Of The Dog Brewing, Don't Miss This, Omnipolo

Hair of the Dog Maja, an Omnipollo collaboration debuts

Hair of the Dog Maja, a collaboration with Stockholm, Sweden’s Omnipollo, debuts today.

The base beer is a 10% alcohol by volume barleywine, with nuances of vanilla, maple and bourbon. The beer went into the barrel with vanilla beans in February of 2016. 100% bottle conditioned.

This beer is pale in color and has the aromas of peaches and pleasant memories of the past. In the mouth, pineapple mixes with marshmallow, ample and whimsy. Produced with the help and guidance of our good friends at Omnipollo to provide a truly unique drinking experience.

Hair of the Dog Maja is a 12 ounce bottle release, available the brewery in Portland, Oregon starting today.

Style: Barleywine (w/ Vanilla, Maple. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles
Debut: 2/11/17

10% ABV

Image: Hair of the Dog

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Wicked Weed Brewing Co, Don't Miss This, The Rare Barrel

Wicked Weed Happy Blending, a collab with The Rare Barrel date set

Wicked Weed Happy Blending, a collaboration with California based The Rare Barrel, is set to debut in February.

The Asheville based brewery has put together some pretty killer collaborations recently. In 2016,  it was Juiceless, a hoppy collab with Creature Comforts, which was followed by a wild/sour ale brewed with Switzerland’s Trois Dames. Fans also lusted over Red Atrial, a raspberry filled blend with Jester King.

Wicked Weed Happy Blending is the latest collaboration release, created with California’s The Rare Barrel. Both breweries are very well known for their barrel-aged sours. This release will be no different. Cellermen from each of the breweries travelled to the other’s home base and hand selected their favorite barrels. The chosen barrels were then combined with 3 pounds per gallon of nectarines and plums.

This collaboration is the brainchild of blenders from both Wicked Weed and The Rare Barrel breweries. Cellarmen travelled to one another’s breweries to select their favorite barrels from the others’ collection. They then combined the beer from these barrels with 3 lbs per gallon of nectarines and plums. This combination formed the perfect balance of character and flavor to represent each respective barrel house.

Wicked Weed Happy Blending will be a 500 milliliter bottle at the brewery on February 17th.

Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Nectarines, Plums.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Debut: 2/17/17

6.6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Holy City Brewing, NOLA Brewing

More amazing artwork from Hi-Wire Brewing in new 12 pack

Asheville, North Carolina’s Hi-Wire Brewing has been absolutely killing it with the artwork. Don’t believe us? See Hi-Wire 10W-40 Imperial Stout. Coming in February is some more awesome artwork, found in the Hi-Wire Collaboration 12-Pack. If you’ve ever used a can of spray paint, or stepped foot in the paint section of a hardware store, you’ll find something familiar with this branding.

It has been a while since Hi-Wire has been able to collaborate with other breweries, thanks to the time it has taken to get settled in with their new production facility. When time opened up on the production schedule, they opted to go big.

The mixed pack features Hi-Wire teamed up with NOLA Brewing, Holy City Brewing (Charleston, SC), and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery (Richmond, VA), each creating three unique beers.

NOLA Brewing’s collaboration, Pimm’s Berliner Weisse, is based on the New Orlean’s favorite Pimm’s Cup drink. A Berliner Weisse brewed with juniper berries, orange peel, and cucumber. 4.2% ABV

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Hi-Wire created Oatmeal Brown Ale, brewed with honey and black currants, 5% ABV.

Holy City co-owner Jeff Moreadith is a lover of lighter beers, as well as an Asheville resident. Together, they created Carolina Coastal Black Rye Lager using Seashore Black Rye, a malt grown outside Charleston, South Carolina.

The 12-pack will be rounded out with Hi-Wire’s flagship beers: Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA, Hi-Wire Lager, and Hi-Wire Gose.

Look for Hi-Wire Collaboration 12-pack throughout the brewery’s entire distribution footprint in mid-February, 2017.

by Reid Ramsay