Beer Alert: New West Coast-Style India Pale Ales and Non-Alcoholic Porters

American Craft Beer|October 19th, 2024|

(Courtesy Lawson’s Finest Liquids)

Fall is ON and American craft brewers are addressing the season with an intriguing roster of new beers you’re gonna want to have around as things cool down.

Freestyling (Waitsfield, VT) – Lawson’s Finest Liquids has a new addition to its fall roster that’s a collaboration between Adeline Druart, the brewery’s first-hired CEO, and Founding Brewer Sean Lawson. An ode to experimentation and the early days of Lawson’s Finest, when recipes were created on a whim at the original 7-barrel brewery in Warren, Vt. Lawson’s Freestyle IPA is a 6.8% ABV West Coast-Style IPA brewed with pilsner malt that allows the unique character of Talus hops to shine alongside a soft bitterness.

“The beer recipe throws it back to the early days of Lawson’s Finest, before we opened our taproom and when all our brews were imagined on the original system inside our Crooked Cabin in Warren,” said Lawson’s Finest Founding Brewer Sean Lawson. “That time involved a lot of experimenting. I had a stockpile of ingredients and would freestyle the brew schedule depending on what I was feeling that day.”

Deschutes Nails The Non-Alc Porter (Bend, OR) – Deschutes Brewery has taken a bold step into non-alcohol brewing and returned one of their classic beers as a buzz-free variation. Crafted entirely in-house utilizing Sustainable Beverage Technologies’ BrewVo® technology in combination with Deschutes’ proprietary brewing methods, Black Butte Non-Alcoholic is a new take on the original robust porter, with the authenticity of the original but none of the baggage.

“Crafting a full fidelity non-alcoholic beer that delivers the flavor, aroma and mouthfeel of a great craft beer involves a lot more than just removing the alcohol,” said Peter Skrbek, CEO of Deschutes Brewery. Our patented and proprietary process, rooted in decades of brewing experience, ensures that our non-alcoholic products offer an excellent craft beer experience without the alcohol.”

Just Huge (Boonville, CA) – Anderson Valley Brewing Fall’s arrival with the return of something HUGE. Actually illegal in seven states and aged in bourbon barrels for more than 12 months, Anderson Valley Huge Arker is a massive, yet surprisingly drinkable, 15.5% ABV Imperial Stout with a hefty burnished oak malt backbone, layers of honey and molasses notes and hints of coffee, vanilla and dark fruits.

“It’s a great day when we finally get to release Huge Arker. Making a beer like this is always a fun process,” said AVBC President Kevin McGee. “While the ABV is certainly one of the first things people look at, there’s a lot more to this beer. For anyone who is into big, complex beers, this is for you.”