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. From Stone Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium to the latest releases from Stone and Elysian Brewing – we’ve all kinds of beers that you’ll want to chase down.

So welcome to another edition of Newbies -Your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!

Helium Beer (Escondido, CA) – Stone’s special Stochasticity Project unit is definitely pushing craft beer boundaries again with their newest release. StoneStochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium is the brainchild of Stone Quality Assurance Supervisor Rick Blankemeier who came up with the idea after playing around with nitro beers and thought, “What would happen if helium was added to a beer?” The idea was presented to Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele, who decided it was worth a try and the beer would be perfect for the Stone Stochasticity Project. Stone Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium is an easy-drinking session beer with an effervescent floral, spicy, and strong hop character. Helium is introduced to the beer via a widget that activates when the can is opened, streaming helium into the beer.

Odell Loosens Up (Ft Collins, CO) – Odell Brewing is not only loosening up – they’re lightening up with their latest year-round offering. Brewed using whole flower hops, Odell Loose Leaf American Session Ale is a light and crisp refresher that at 4.5% ABV is perfect for drinking plenty

Starr Hill Let Its Soul Shine (Charlottesville, VA) – Like most of us, Starr Hill is getting ready for the summer and they’ve brewed up something special to celebrate it with. Starr Hill Soul Shine Belgian-Style Pale Ale is a 5.2% ABV abundantly hopped Pale Ale that’s light-bodied and crisp with a spicy finish. It’s out there now – so you know what to do.

Six Degrees of Collaboration (Seattle, WA) – Six Seattle area brewers recently  got together at Elysian Brewing’s Airport Way facility to brew the sixth Seattle Beer Week beer (May 8-18)  together and it was all about the sixes.  Six malts, six hop varieties added at six different times, and six different house yeasts as well helped create this six-happy collaboration beer. The bastard love-child of Georgetown, Black Raven, Naked City, Schooner Exact and Pike and Elysian Brewing, Six Degrees of Collaboration is a session IPA that should weigh in at around 6% ABV and will be shipped to retail in 22-ounce bottles in advance of Seattle Beer Week and will be on draft everywhere during it.

Kern River White (Kernville, CA) – The Kern River Brewing Company recently released something interesting and experimental. Kern River White IPA is made for people who like their hops. Cloudy and pale this 7.2% ABV is brewed using Amarillo and experimental Hops from Hopsteiner and it’s on draft at the brewery until it’s not.