So many beers, So little time… Our friends at River North Brewery are re-releasing a barrel-aged beauty that you need to know about. We’ve that story for you plus other cool new releases from Brewery Vivant and Boulevard that you’ll want to chase down! 

Rum & A Good Time (Denver, CO) – Our friends at River North Brewery are re-releasing one of their most-coveted big brews this Saturday, and you’ll want to be at their taproom at 1 pm for its return. Aged in fresh rum barrels, which are apparently hard to come by in Colorado according to Head Brewer Matt Hess, the 10.2% ABV Rum Barrel Quandary balances the sweet maltiness of a Belgian-style dark ale with a good hit of spirits. Be warned – only 135 cases were bottled, and Colorado stores should be receiving a limited supply after the release party.

Beer Goes With Everything (Grand Rapids, MI) – A few of us here at ACB appreciate the marriage of dessert and beer, and this release recently struck a nerve in our sweet tooth. Belgian and French-inspired Brewery Vivant is teaming up with a local bakery, Propaganda Donuts, to create a one-of-a-kind collab – a Belgian-style dark ale brewed with black currants, vanilla beans, and rose petals. After its successful in-house-only release, a limited supply of Agent a Deux will be sold in 4-packs, slated to hit stores in West Michigan and Lansing on Wednesday, August 27. As Brewery Vivant’s Owner Jason Spaulding so eloquently stated in an article for The Rapidian, “beer goes with everything. Even doughnuts.”

A Beer Fit for A Fried Food Bonanza (Dallas, TX) – As we’ve covered before, fried foods dominate at the annual State Fair of Texas. This year though, beer is giving the greasy grub a run for its money. Community Beer Co. took on its fried brethren with an innovative twist on dessert – a funnel cake ale. Justin Martinez, an award-winning contestant in the fair’s annual fried food competition, approached Community’s Head Brewer Jamie Fulton with an idea to make a brew reminiscent of classic fair flavors. The beer’s base is a sessionable 4% ABV wheated English-style summer ale, aged on vanilla beans, and kicked up a notch when served with a dusting of powdered sugar on each glass’s rim. But you’ve gotta head to Dallas to try this dessert in a glass – lucky for you, there’s still time to put it on your calendar as the fair goes from Sept. 26 – Oct 19.

Big Moves for Boulevard (Kansas City, MO) – Boulevard’s got a lot to celebrate as of late. The first round of good news is that they are expanding their distribution for the first time since May 2013 and will enter northern New Jersey and Philadelphia in September. This new expansion puts Boulevard in 27 states. Not only are they covering new ground, but they have also just released a brand-new seasonal, Hibiscus Gose, which will be available from August through October in bottles only. An interpretation of Gose-style brews (learn more about them here) that were popular in Germany in the late 1800s, this beer gets its salty and sour flavors from additions of coriander and sea salt during boiling and its pink hue from dried hibiscus flowers.