With 2016 now in its final lap, American breweries are looking to the coming year and positioning themselves in an increasingly competitive environment with new additions to their portfolio…And here is some, of what some American craft breweries will be brewing in 2017…

Summit Brewing

St Paul, Minnesota-based Summit Brewing has big plans for 2017. In addition to their core lineup of year-round offerings they’ll be returning their popular Unchained and Union Series (both with exotic new limited releases) and debuting four seasonal Variety 12-packs throughout the year

Summit’s Unchained Series, which is designed to showcase the individual talents of the company’s brewers, will showcase three limited releases in 2017. Arriving in March is Unchained 24: Spring Saison, a traditional Belgian-style Ale. In July they’ll be releasing Unchained 25: Vienna-Style Lager. And in October they’ll debut Unchained 26: Westie 7^th, a Belgian Dark Ale.

Summit’s Union Series is all about the melding of new and inventive ingredients with traditional brewing method’s and next year they’ll be releasing a Union Series: Imperial Russian-Style Stout that they’re particularly excited about.

Summit’s Variety 12-packs will offer brewery favorites and special additions that celebrate each season. January’s IPA Collection will include an India-Style Black Ale that we don’t believe they’ve ever released before.

In April they’ll be coming with Summit Boundary Waters Box that’s geared for the warmer months and will include their popular Keller Pils, along with two occasionals, a Hefeweizen and Wit Bier.

Summit’s Harvest Collection will appropriately return their terrific Oktoberfest Lager and winter’s Penalty Box will debut a limited edition Doppel Alt that sounds promising.

Highland Brewing

In addition to the always changing small batch creations on tap in Highland’s tasting room. Asheville, North Carolina-based Highland Brewing will also be shaking up what they offer in in the first half of 2017.

In January the brewery will be introducing a brand new seasonal Southern Sixer IPA, which features a menu of six distinctive hop varies and named after six Appalachian Mountains that are all over 6,000 feet.

In February, they’ll be introducing their newest year-round addition. Highland 4.9 IPA and a new “Warrior Brew Series” release, Imperium Russian Imperial Stout.

And in April they’ll greet spring with Big Briar Tart Raspberry Ale their second new seasonal for the year.

Heavy Seas Beer

Heavy Seas will be making several changes to their 2017 portfolio starting with their newest year-round TropiCannon Citrus IPA and the return of Gold Ale and Cutlass Lager to the brewery’s package format. They’ll also be introducing a new hazy IPA, The Alpha Effect as a limited release.

“Uncharted Waters,” their popular barrel-aged series, will see the new addition of 22 an anniversary ale planned to return annually every year.

The Partner Ships Series will return in 2017 and feature collaborations with Baltimore’s Union Craft Brewing, Tampa-based Cigar City, and Cincinnati, Ohio’s MadTree Brewing

Lineup Banner credit: The Usual Supects