American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
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 seasonals. From the delicacy of Breckenridge Brewery’s new spring seasonal Ophelia to the massiveness of He’Brew Jewbelation Reborn, we’ve got all kinds of new releases you’re going to want to chase down. So welcome to another edition of Newbies – your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!
Jester King Plans to Farm it Out in January (Austin, TX) – Jester King Craft Brewery will be bottling one of their most popular ales in January. Jester King Ambrée is a dry, tart, naturally conditioned Amber Ale that was inspired by the rustic farmhouse ales of French Flanders (particularly those brewed by Brasserie Thiriez in Esquelbecq).The artwork for Ambrée was created by the brewery’s own artist, Josh Cockrell, and is entitled “Franco-American Gothic.”
Breckenridge Goes Shakespearean (Denver, CO) – Breckenridge Brewery will ring in 2014 with a new spring seasonal. Like its namesake from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia is a sweet and innocent hoppy wheat beer that weighs in at 5% ABV and offers a seasons’ changing crispness. It’s worth noting, however, that unlike Shakespeare’s character Ophelia, there’s no tragic ending with this beer. Just the opposite! Ophelia 
Hoppy Wheat Ale will hit the market in 6-packs and kegs in early January.
Hop to It! (Downingtown, PA) – The Victory Brewing Company has just released its newest seasonal offering and we’re all about it. Pungent and floral, Hop Ranch Imperial India Pale Ale is a 9% ABV Double IPA brewed with Mosaic and Azacca hops. The brew traces its roots to Victory’s Ranch Series, where their brewers experimented with different hop varieties to showcase and celebrate a range of flavors and profiles. Hop Ranch is the third recent new release for the brewery and is available in 4-packs and on draft through February.
Relax and Pay Attention (Seattle, WA) – In the Pacific Northwest, beer and coffee are like siblings, jealously dividing the day. It’s a ticklish point as evening approaches, in fact, when the joys of one give way to the other. 
Elysian Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout brings brewers and roasters, barkeeps and baristas all together, combining the talents of Elysian Brewing and Stumptown Coffee in a smooth, rich and very Seattle beer. At 7.25% ABV, Split Shot will warm through spring’s cool evenings, and its combination of coffee and stout will definitely keep your attention. Split Shot made its first appearance as the official beer of Seattle Beer Week back in 2012 and it returns in January as the brewery’s first spring offering.
A Time for Jewbelation (Clifton Park, NY) – Shmaltz Brewing Company released an enormous winter seasonal in December – and you haven’t chased it down, you should. He’Brew Jewbelation Reborn is a massive (17% ABV!) American Strong Ale brewed with 17 malts and 17 hops to celebrate the brewery’s 17 years in the biz. Look for Jewbelation 17 in 22 oz. bombers on draft.
