American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
So many beers, So little time…With so many craft breweries, releasing so many beers, we thought it might help to provide a weekly update on all the new beers that are hitting the streets…So welcome to this week’s edition of Newbies – your guide to great new craft beer releases!
Save the Date (Boulder, CO) – June 9th is a date you’ll want to mark down on your calendar if you’re interested in the very latest and extremely limited release in Avery Brewing Company‘s taproom-only Barrel Aged Series. Release #15 in the series, Momi Hiwa Barrel Aged Coconut Porter features the always delicious combination of dark chocolate notes and aromatic toasted coconut. If that doesn’t sound enticing enough already, the imperial porter spent an additional 6 months in rum barrels. Clocking in at a whopping 16.19% ABV, we’re thinking this might be worth the trip to Colorado (twist our arm).
Goose Island Celebrates 25 Years (Chicago, IL) – For its 25th anniversary, Goose Island Beer Company will release an appropriately named extra special bitter beer (ESB) – Goose Island 25th Anniversary Ale. Brewmaster Brett Porter, former Goose Island Brewmaster Greg Hall, and Goose Island Pub Brewmaster Nick Barron co-created this unique new brew to celebrate the loyal fans that have long supported the company. This special ale sports the rich malt and rustic hop flavors found in the kinds of English ales that originally inspired founder John Hall to open Goose Island in 1988. Goose Island’s 25th Anniversary Ale comes in at 6.4% ABV and will be available on draft and in bottled 6-packs later this month.
Center of The Universe Salutes The Homefront (Ashland, VA) – The 3rd annual release of Homefront IPA, originally developed by Fremont Brewing and Center of the Universe Brewing Company (COTU) in 2011, will take place at COTU’s brewery in Ashland this Saturday, May 25. Homefront IPA is a unique charity beer in that 100% of the proceeds go directly to support Operation Homefront, a charity that provides emergency financial assistance to military heroes and their families. The beer itself is a West Coast style IPA brewed with orange peel and aged on Louisville Slugger bats donated by none other than Louisville Slugger. With the help of 6 participating breweries and various suppliers that donated the hops and grains used to make the beer, Hops for Heroes was able to raise $165,000 for Operation Homefront in 2012.
Celebrating Ten Sweet Years (Grand Rapids, MI) – To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Local First of West Michigan, an organization that has played an integral role in the resurgence of Grand Rapids’ urban neighborhoods and the growth of West Michigan’s entrepreneurial culture, Founders Brewing Company will release their limited-edition Local Hive Honey Wheat beer at the annual Local First Street Party event on June 1. This 6.1% ABV summer brew features a barley and wheat base, with a smooth and sweet finish due to the addition of local honey. We hear it’s a sweet addition to a lively summer street fest!
Terrapin Gets Recreational (Athens, GA) – Our favorite Athens-based brewery, Terrapin Beer Company, has announced that the newest addition to their year-round lineup will be Recreation Ale. This hopped-up 4.7% ABV session ale is specially formulated with all your summertime activities in mind and canned for your convenience. Recreation Ale will be the brewery’s first and only canned release for 2013, and it should appear on retail shelves by the end of the month or in early June.
