Lactose

Posted in Odell Brewing, Coming Soon

Odell Cloud Catcher Milkshake IPA is coming in August

Odell Cloud Catcher Milkshake IPA is set to debut later this summer.

The currently unofficial style of beer known as the “milkshake India pale ale” is basically a hazy IPA plus lactose, a milk sugar. Most milkshakes have vanilla beans and fruit also added.

Fort Collins, Colorado based Odell Brewing is slated to release Cloud Catcher Milkshake IPA this August. The hop forward, smooth IPA is purported to feature flavors of “creamsicle and peach”, although the label artwork doesn’t mention the addition of any fruit.

Our fabled Odell Cloud Catcher roams the sunset, sweeping up every stray Cumulonimbus. She has one mission: to capture the key ingredient to our hazy, smooth Milkshake IPA. Hop-forward with notes of creamsicle and peach, it delivers a citrus-like burst alongside its velvety texture. Her risk is your delicious reward.

Odell Cloud Catcher will be available in 12-ounce cans and draft in August, according to the brewery’s website.

Style: Milkshake IPA (Hazy IPA) (w/ Lactose)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: August 2018

5.3% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing, Creature Comforts, Headlines, New Releases

Firestone Walker teams up with Creature Comforts, creates ‘Mother’s Milk’

Firestone Walker debuts a new collaboration this weekend with Athens, Georgia based Creature Comforts in Paso Robles, California.

Every beer collaboration is born out of friendship and mutual respect for one another’s brewing passions. In this case, the fermented love spans 2,000 miles. Introducing Firestone Walker / Creature Comforts Mother’s Milk.

The base beer is a milk stout that has been aging for nearly a year in rye whiskey barrels – a very intentional move. According to Eric Ponce, Firestone Walker’s barrel program manager, the sweetness of bourbon barrels would have been too cloying. “We designed the base beer with the intent of aging it in rye whiskey barrels—we thought it would be the perfect marriage. The dash of salt just makes everything pop on the palate,” he explains in a recent press release.

Mother’s Milk will be available to all attendees of this weekend’s Firestone Walker Invitational. 12-ounce bottles will be available at the brewery on June 2nd.

Style: Milk Stout (w/ Sea Salt. Lactose. Barrel Aged. Rye Whiskey.)
Hops:
Malts: Two-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Franco-Belges Kiln Coffee, Crystal 45, Oats

Availability: 12oz Bottles. Limited Release
Debut: 6/2/18

11.6% ABV

Image: Firestone Walker

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in The Unknown Brewing Co., Don't Miss This

Catnip beer? Unknown Brewing Kitten Snuggles might drive your cat crazy

Like a little catnip in your beer? Unknown Brewing Kitten Snuggles is back for a second time.

Two years ago, Charlotte, North Carolina based Unknown Brewing debuted ‘Kitten Snuggles‘ a farmhouse ale brewed with “fuzzy” apricots, lactose milk sugar, and catnip flowers.

Catnip has the most notable influence on felines, thanks to nepetalactone, an organic compound found in the plant. A little over 60% of cats are affected by the compounds in catnip.

Lesser known uses include making herbal tea or culinary dishes with catnip. In this case, the off-the-wall folks at Unknown Brewing created cat themed Kitten Snuggles with what some call “kitty crack”. (The brewery once made a beer with food grade scorpions.)

By now you might be wondering what catnip tastes like. Catnip tea is slightly minty and grassy. It’s been two years since trying Kitten Snuggles at the brewery in Charlotte, but as we recall – it’s apricot fruit heavy and creamy, with just a touch of grassy flavor. Cats followed us around the rest of the day. It was as cute as it was weird.

Unknown Brewing Kitten Snuggles is available for the first time in 16-ounce cans at the brewery on May 25th.

Style: Farmhouse Ale (w/ Apricots. Catnip. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release.
Latest Release: 5/25/18

?? ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Pontoon Brewing, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Find out what Roald Dahl really meant, plus Pontoon Snozzberries Taste Like Snozzberries

This one is for Willy Wonka fans. Pontoon Snozzberries Taste Like Snozzberries debuts this weekend.

In real life, snozzberries aren’t real. You’d be surprised how many people didn’t know that. There’s more to snozzberries though. Sure, they are fictitious, but there’s an ongoing debate running around the internet that Dahl’s snozzberries were actually penises, thanks to a reference from this 1979 novel My Uncle Oswald. How he used “snozzberry” in that book was years after defining it differently.

In 1948, Roald Dahl published Some Time Never: A Fable for Supermen. In the book, Dahl defines snozzberries as the main source of food for displaced gremlins that humans drove underground. 16 years later, Wonka himself in references it again with his lickable, fruit-laden wallpaper.

As for the beer, the brewery has envisioned what a snozzberry might actually taste like, and it doesn’t require licking wallpaper.

Pontoon Snozzberries Taste Like Snozzberries is a Berliner Weisse brewed with 2 pounds of boysenberries and black currants per gallon, as well as vanilla and lactose milk sugar. The end result is basically an alcoholic fruit smoothy that finishes with a touch of tartness and lingering vanilla. If fruit/dessert beers are your thing, don’t pass this release up.

Pontoon Snozzberries Taste Like Snozzberries will be available at the brewery in 16-ounce cans on May 12th.

Style: Berliner Weisse (w/ Boysenberries. Black Currants. Vanilla. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz cans, Draft.
Debut: 5/12/18

?? ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in The Veil Brewing, New Releases

Hundreds of pounds of marshmallows, graham crackers, & coffee created The Veil Brewing S’Mores Hornswoggler

A beer that’s absolutely perfect for a campfire. The Veil Brewing S’Mores Hornswoggler debuts today.

This story begins as Hornswoggler, the Richmond, Virginia based brewery’s milk stout brewed with chocolate. The beer is so rich with not only flavor, but the potential for different variants, The Veil didn’t resist the opportunity.

Since the original release, Hornswoggler has aged on Coffee, Oreos, Peanut Butter, Coconuts, Double Chocolate, French Vanilla, even Candy Bars.

Today, The Veil Brewing S’mores Hornswoggler expands the coveted ‘Swoggler lineup. This chocolate-heavy milk stout features more than 60 gallons of Cholaca liquid sweetened cocoa nibs (for extra chocolate flavor) plus 100 pounds of marshmallows added on the hot side of the brew day.

The perfect S’more needs a graham cracker. The Veil added move 700 pounds of crushed graham cracker, and for an added touch – 8 pounds per barrel of marshmallow coffee.

Sweet milk chocolate, salty & sweet graham cracker, aromatic marshmallows, and nice subtle roast from the coffee. S’mores all in your mouth-hole! ?

The Veil Brewing S’Mores Hornswoggler will be available in 16-ounce cans/4 packs. $17 each.

Style: Milk Stout (w/ Graham Cracker. Marshmallows. Liquid Cacao Nibs. Coffee. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz. Cans
Debut: 2/13/18

7% ABV

SEE THEM ALL: The Veil Brewing Hornswoggler Series

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Left Hand Brewing, New Releases

Left Hand Chai Milk Stout Nitro debuts this month

Left Hand Chai Milk Stout Nitro is on the way. 

Simply known as Milk Stout, Left Hand’s year-round offering is iconic in American craft beer. This month, that silky smooth icon has a new exotic sibling – Left Hand Chai Milk Stout Nitro. The brewery teased the fresh cans this week.

The brewery chose a custom blend of ginger and cloves that melds well with the sweetness of their Milk Stout.

“It was such a favorite, we decided to share it with all of our nitro-loving beer fans as the newest beer in our nitro can series. The chai spice mixture is brewed in-house and gives the whole brewery an intoxicating aroma on brew day.”

Left Hand Chai Milk Stout Nitro is now available in 16-ounce nitro cans for a limited time.

Style: Milk Stout (w/ Ginger. Cloves. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: February 2018

5% ABV, 22 IBUs

Image: Left Hand Brewing

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Red Brick Brewing, New Releases

Red Brick No New Friends draws a crowd, & new fans

Red Brick No New Friends, an imperial IPA collaboration with The Wrecking Bar has debuted.

Before taking on the role as Red Brick’s Director of Brewing Operations, Gavin McKenna worked and brewed for years with Neal Engleman at nearby Wrecking Bar. They’ve been friends for a while now, nothing new there – which we’re pretty sure is the inspiration behind the name – No New Friends.

“We used a few thousand dollars worth of hops,” Engleman jokes. “Folks better like it.”

No New Friends is everything about hop heavy, dank imperial IPAs that are in high demand. The near instant line at the bar when the brewery opened is all the validation you need. Beer fans that might have slept on Red Brick before aren’t anymore.

The 8% alcohol by volume hop bomb is hopped during primary fermentation with Citra and Mosaic hops, then dry hopped with Azacca, Vic Secret, plus a heavy dose Citra and Mosaic cryo powder. Basically, this IPA is hoppy AF.

That expensive hop bill is built on a malt bill of 2-Row, flaked oats, malted oats, spelt malt and lactose. Hoppy AF, hazy, and with a smooth, almost creamy finish. Simply put, a fantastic collaboration.

Red Brick No New Friends is available in 16-ounce cans in the brewery’s tap room.

Style: Imperial IPA (w/ Lactose)
Hops: Citra, Mosaic, Azacca, Vic Secret
Malts: 2-Row, Flaked Oats, Malted Oats, Spelt

Debut: 2/1/18

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay