So many beers- So little time…Newbies is your essential map to the “best of the best” and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week and this week we’re all about the cold-weather seasonals …From Half Acre’s Quakerbridge to Russian River’s Beatification Batch #6 , we’ve got all kinds of new seasonals you’re going to want to chase down.
So welcome to another edition of Newbies – your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!
It’s A Big Country (Portland, OR) – Breakside Brewery has just announced the first in a series of special seasonal beers available in bottles and on draft. Big Country is their 7.8% ABV winter warmer – a rich and balanced strong ale inspired by the starkbiers and weinnachtsbiers sold in the winter open air markets of Germany.
Pure Bliss for Pure Biss (Portsmouth, NH) – Smuttynose Brewing Company has just released what they refer to as an “unconventional Wit Beer as part of their Smuttlabs Series and it’s out there now. Pure Biss is a special limited release Witbier brewed with star chef Jamie Bissonnette that features spruce tips, grapefruit zest and lime leaves.
Fan Sourced Favorite Returns (Escondido, CA) -Last summer, the Stone Brewing Company posed a question to their fans via their social mediaaccounts–If Stone could brew any style of beer, what would their fans, want? The answer was a resounding plea for Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean.Beginning December 2nd devotees nationwide will once again be able to purchase and enjoy this rich libation and this year’s release will be encased in generous 22-ounce bottles!
Clown Shoes Gets Hammered! (Lexington, MA)- Clown Shoes Beer has an enormous limited release beer hitting shelves right now – so be ready. Hammer of the Holy is the company’s Vampire Slayer Smoked Imperial Stout aged in rum barrels for five months before being unleashed on the innocent.
Quakerbridge (Chicago, IL) – Last Tuesday, the Half Acre Beer Company released one of our favorite Barley Wines – and even if you think that you’re not a fan of this style – this beer may have you rethinking things. Quakerbridge Barley Wine is a 10% ABV jolt of richness with a stiff hop presence and its available now at the Half Acre Tap Room – so you know what to do!
Russian River Gets Beautiful (Santa Rosa, CA) – Our friends at Russian River will releasing the next batch of the legendary Beatification, their 100% spontaneously fermented barrel-aged sour beer on Saturday, December 14th Beatification Batch #6 is a brewpub only release and will also be available on draft. There will be a limit of 12 bottles per person – so be smart and get on the road early.