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Yikes, it’s almost November…and clearly the craft beer biz isn’t slowing down any time soon. But no worries, the Beer Buzz is always on the case, keeping you up on all the beer news and lifestyle that matters. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking lately and you don’t want to miss that!
Hey Toto, What’s New Belgium’s The Hemperor Doing Here? (Fort Collins, CO) – Well the home that Dorothy left when she flew off to OZ, has overturned its New Belgium’s hemp-fueled HPA, the Hemperor, making it the last state in the nation to do so.
Even though The Hemperor contains no THC or CBD, New Belgium’s application to sell it in Kansas was rejected in early 2018 by the state’s of Alcoholic Beverage Control board, based on an interpretation of existing industrial hemp laws. But citing additional research and recent changes to state law, the department rescinded its previous ruling allowing the HPA to be distributed in Kansas.
Released in April of 2018, The Hemperor HPA is brewed with hemp hearts (the meat of the seed, minus the shell) and dry-hopped with Simcoe and experimental HBC 522 hops to create dank, pungent hop aroma balanced by a sweet, mildly bitter finish.
Inspired by the struggles the brewery encountered in their more than two-year effort bringing The Hemperor to market, New Belgium has partnered with GCH Inc., the company founded by Willie Nelson and family to build brands inspired by his journey as an artist and advocate, in supporting the pro-industrial hemp advocacy campaign the American Hemp Campaign.
Words To Drink By – “Thanks to the efforts of New Belgium and others leading the advocacy charge to bring back US hemp farming, we have a real shot at success with the Farm Bill.” Eric Steenstra, President of the Vote Hemp advocacy group
Craft Brewing Surge In Connecticut Levelling Off ( Hartford, CT) – Relatively late to the craft brewing game, “brewery production in Connecticut has surged by over 600 percent over the last six years, while the number of breweries in the state has more than tripled since 2014,” according to Hartford Business.
Although Connecticut’s brewery sector generated $745.7 million in 2017, HBJ is reporting “that brewery growth has slowed in recent years, in both annual barrel production and the number of new breweries opening across the state.”
What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Littleton, CO) – Last night we tapped something new and delicious from the Breckenridge Brewery’s Nitro Series that was brewed with the upcoming winter holidays in mind. Crafted with Mandarina hops (which lend a profoundly citrusy aroma), orange zest and cocoa, Nitro Chocolate Orange Stout is a 6% ABV limited release with a creamy smooth mouthfeel.
