Thursday, June 16, 2016

Oskar Blues Brewery Releases Passion Fruit Pinner IPA

Courtesy of Oskar Blues Brewery
Longmont, CO, Brevard, NC & Austin, TX -- Oskar Blues Brewery is twisting up a PINNER for beer drinkers to lust after this summer with its Passion Fruit PINNER Throwback IPA strain, the sultry spinoff to the brand's existing PINNER Throwback IPA. The limited release brew will launch at the end of June and will blaze in all 50 states where Oskar Blues CANs are sold.
 
Passion Fruit PINNER IPA (4.9% ABV, 40 IBUs) accentuates the passion fruit and citrus juice attributes of the original PINNER and cranks them up to 11. The clean malts with hints of toasted biscuit pair with zesty hops to spice up the taste and aromas from immense additions of pureed passion fruit and a small spike of pureed Blood Orange.

"Passion fruit is very prominent in PINNER Throwback IPA's dry-hopped flavor spectrum, locking in on that and accentuating it alongside the existing mouthfeel and clean malt characteristics is a natural extension of what this beer is all about," said head brewer Tim Matthews. "Melding fruit aromas and flavors with a lower ABV beer creates a killer light and refreshing Passion Fruit Pinner IPA for getting after it this summer." 

Find your #summersidepiece at a watering hole near you: www.oskarblues.com/beerfinder. #swiperight #sipsipPASS #PinnerIPA

Courtesy of Oskar Blues Brewery
About Oskar Blues Brewery 
Founded by Dale Katechis in 1997 in Lyons, Colorado, Oskar Blues Brewery launched the craft beer-in-a-can apocalypse with hand-canned, flagship brew Dale's Pale Ale. Today, Oskar Blues is one of the fastest growing breweries in the country and operates breweries in Longmont, Colorado and Brevard, North Carolina, while producing 192,000 barrels in 2015. The original canned craft brewery continues push innovation with the announcement of an Austin, TX brewery in April of 2016 and creations like The Crowler while it distributes to 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., as well as parts of Canada, Sweden, Australia and the U.K.  

In 2013, Oskar Blues founded the CAN'd Aid Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity that offers grassroots grants to those making a difference in the areas of community, the environment, music, and more. In 2015 alone, CAN'd Aid partnered with 52 organizations and raised $2 million to date. CAN'd Aid's "do-goodery" efforts include: 
*    Towns - building strong communities
*    Tunes - for your eyeholes and earholes
*    Treads + Trails - get outside and get after it
*    Love Yur Mama - save the blue marble
 
To keep up with all things Oskar Blues, visit 

Ninkasi Brewing Company Celebrates 10 years of brewing

Courtesy of Ninkasi Brewing Co


N10 Imperial Blended Ale Kicks off a Summer of Festivities

EUGENE, Ore.—June 16, 2016—June 15, 2006, Ninkasi Brewing Company set out with a single mission: Perpetuate Better Living. Operating under this core purpose, the brewery has grown from a two-man team to become the 36th largest craft brewery in the United States, operating entirely from its facilities in Eugene, Oregon and employing more than 100 employees. Producing award-winning craft beers, giving back to each community that serves its beers, and garnering national recognition as a top employer are just a few milestones the brewery has achieved in its first decade.

“We are excited for what we’ve been able to accomplish since 2006 and are even more excited about what the future holds,” explains Ninkasi CEO and co-founder, Nikos Ridge. “Ninkasi exists because our customers support what we do; we take that to heart every day.”

With distribution in 14 states and two provinces, Ninkasi continues to grow its craft offerings to a lineup of seven, year-round Flagship Series beers, a rotating Seasonal Release Series, Special Release Series beers, and Rare & Delicious (R&D) small-batch releases.

Since its founding in 2006, Ninkasi has prioritized community impact in each and every state where its beer is sold. Ninkasi's Beer is Love donations program supports more than 300 non-profits annually with donated beer to be used for fundraising initiatives and other gatherings.

As an employer, the brewery has been named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon” by Oregon Business Magazine for two years. Last year, the brewery received national recognition ranking on the “The 100 Best Places to Work in 2015” list by OUTSIDE.

“I am so proud of our team and the achievements we have made together in this amount of time,” says Ninkasi co-founder and founding brewer, Jamie Floyd. “Mostly I am happy that we have folks who have supported us all along and we are still drawing in new beer lovers every day.”

Courtesy of Ninkasi Brewing Co

THE BEER: N10 IMPERIAL BLENDED ALE
To kick off its summer of celebrations, the brewery will release N10, a commemorative Imperial Blended Ale, available in limited 22-ounce bottles throughout Ninkasi’s distribution footprint beginning this July. Featuring a collectible outer box, the iconographic artwork for N10 was crafted in collaboration with Ninkasi’s in-house art department and Portland-based muralist and artist, Blaine Fontana. 

“N10 is a very special beer, blending together five cornerstone recipes each telling its own story about our brewery,” says founding brewer and co-founder Jamie Floyd. “This beer is big, flavorful and heavy-hitting.”

N10 is crafted of 50% Imperial Stout, 10% Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, 12.5% Imperial Total Domination IPA, 12.5% Imperial Maiden the Shade IPA, and 15% Critical Hit Barleywine. The result? A blend that offers a striking hop intensity followed by a rich backbone of caramel and roasted malt.

N10 Stats
N10 commemorates ten wild and wondrous years of independent brewing in Eugene, Oregon. Crafted with Imperial Stout, Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, two Imperial IPAs and Barleywine, these five heavy-hitting beers collide to celebrate one unforgettable decade. Big and flavorful, our N10 blend offers a striking hop intensity followed by a rich backbone of caramel and roasted malt. Enjoy now or save for later, this beer is crafted to change over time in the most delicious way.

·         Style: Imperial Blended Ale
·         Available: July 2016 – depletion
·         ABV: 10%
·         IBU: 100
·         OG: 1096

Imperial Stout, 50% of final blend
Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, 10% of final blend
Inspired by our past and celebrating our future, these Imperial Stouts feature a rich complexity paired with a sizeable hop profile, giving the final blend deep, roasted notes that better with age.

Imperial Total Domination IPA, 12.5% of final blend
Imperial Maiden the Shade IPA, 12.5% of final blend
Our history of crafting highly-hopped beers began on day one. N10 incorporates two Imperial versions of our cornerstone IPAs, Total Domination and Maiden the Shade, offering a big, citrus and floral hop hit.

Critical Hit Barleywine, 15% of final blend
A nod to our nerdier side, Critical Hit Barleywine possesses an impressive level of port-like characteristics. As it ages, the caramel flavors and bitterness intensify to create a complex finish.

THE PARTY: N10 CELEBRATION
Ninkasi opens its doors for a free celebration with its fans and community, Sunday Aug. 14 from 12pm to 9pm at the Ninkasi Tasting Room (272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR). The event will feature live music, food carts, merchandise, and specialty beers on-tap.

For those not in Eugene, Ninkasi fans can find specialty N10 Anniversary crowns featured on all Ninkasi bottles starting in July.

Follow Ninkasi online for N10 content and celebration updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 
Courtesy of Ninkasi Brewing Co
About Ninkasi Brewing Company
Founded in 2006 by Jamie Floyd and Nikos Ridge, Ninkasi Brewing Company continues to grow from its first batch of Total Domination IPA, to two brewhouses, a 55-barrel and a 90-barrel brewhouse, located in Eugene, Ore. Ninkasi’s Flagship beers—Total Domination IPA, Tricerahops Double IPA, Dawn of the Red IPA, Easy Way IPA, Helles Belles Helles Lager, Oatis Oatmeal Stout, and Vanilla Oatis Oatmeal Stout—are sold throughout Alaska; Alberta; Arizona; California; D.C.; Colorado; Idaho; Maryland; Nevada; New York; Oregon; Texas; Utah; Washington; and Vancouver, British Columbia. The brewery remains privately-owned and is committed to community support and giving. Ninkasi’s Beer Is Love program offers in-kind donations and support for organizations throughout its footprint.

For more information, call 541.344.2739 or visit www.NinkasiBrewing.com

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Releases Two New Beers to Celebrate 19th Anniversary

Courtesy of Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

San Francisco, CA - (June 16, 2016) 
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers is celebrating its 19th Anniversary with the release of two new beers at their San Francisco brewery and tap room. Bronze Anniversary Ale and Fixed Fight Barrel-Aged Old Ale will be sold for the first time during Speakeasy’s 19th Anniversary Raise the Stakes Weekend, July 14-17. In addition to the new releases, the four-day celebration will feature rare beers, a cellar sale, firkin festival, a ticketed VIP session, live music, food, and more.
Bronze Anniversary Ale is a quaffable summer beer that’s bronze in color with balanced notes of roast chestnut, biscuit, lightly toasted bread, and orange zest. This draft only release is the first new beer created by Zambo, Speakeasy’s new director or brewing. The beer is 6% alcohol by volume with 24 IBUs. The malt bill includes Two Row, Biscuit, Carafa, English Amber, and Crystal Malt. The beer is low in bitterness, achieved using Magnum hops, with a touch of Cascade to produce a crisp clean citrusy finish.
Fixed Fight Barrel-Aged Old Ale is one heavy hitter. It pounds the taste buds with a wide range of rich and complex flavors, including dried stone fruits, raisins, caramel, anise, toffee, and dark wheat bread. Twenty percent of the beer was aged in American bourbon barrels from 12 to 24 months, adding oak, whiskey, toasted coconut, and vanilla overtones. The beer is 10.5% alcohol by volume and contains just 19 IBUs. The recipe includes German Munich, Carafa Type 2, and European Crystal Malts, while German Magnum, Merkur, and American Chinook hops dial down the sweetness and add a touch of citrus to the warming finish. Fixed Fight Barrel-Aged Old Ale will be available on draft and sold in 22oz bottles, exclusively in the Speakeasy Tap Room.

Bronze Anniversary Ale will be served on Thursday, July 14. Fixed Fight Barrel-Aged Old Ale will be available on draft and 22oz bottles Friday, July 15. Both release parties will take place in the brewery’s tap room and are part of Speakeasy Ales & Lagers 19th Anniversary Raise the Stakes Weekend, July 14-17. Additional festivities include the seasonal release of Blind Tiger Imperial IPA, the Old Godfather VIP Session, an IPA Day, and firkin festival. Visit the Speakeasy website for more information about the brewery’s entire anniversary celebration.  

 
Courtesy of Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

QUICK FACTS

 

Bronze Anniversary Ale

Style: American Bronze Ale
ABV: 6%
IBUs: 24
Color: 21 SRM
Grain: Two Row, English Amber & Crystal Malt, Biscuit, Carafa
Hops: Magnum, Cascade
Yeast: California Ale
Availability: July-September
Series: Perfect Crime Series
Formats: Draft only
Distribution: California and a limited number of states (TBD)

Fixed Fight Barrel-Aged Old Ale

Style: Barrel-Aged Old Ale
ABV: 10.5%
IBUs: 19
Color: 22  SRM
Grain: German Munich, European Crystal Malts, Carafa 2
Hops: German Magnum & Merkur, Chinook
Barrels: American Bourbon (20% of blend with fresh beer)
Yeast: California Ale
Availability: July-September
Series: Infamous Series
Formats: Draft and 22oz bottles (Bottles sold only at Speakeasy’s Tap Room)
Distribution: California and a limited number of states (TBD)
Courtesy of Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

About Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

In 1997 a wily band of bootleggers led by homebrewer Forest Gray were inspired to bring their exceptional brews from the underground to the masses, defiantly producing small batches of beer in a secret warehouse in San Francisco. Starting with a single, iconic beer, Prohibition Ale, Speakeasy now brews a wide array of acclaimed beers including Big Daddy IPA, Payback Porter, Double Daddy, Scarface Imperial Stout and many more, which are distributed across the entire West Coast and other major U.S. markets.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

HOTLIPS & Migration Release Second Annual Collaborative Radler

PDX Radler is a blend of HOTLIPS Blood Orange Soda and Migration’s PDX Kölsch

Portland, Ore. (June 14, 2016) - HOTLIPS Soda and Migration Brewing are teaming up for the second consecutive year to produce PDX Radler, a limited-edition summertime brew. This collaborative beverage features Migration’s bright, crisp PDX Kölsch blended with HOTLIPS Blood Orange Soda. The brew is available on tap at all six HOTLIPS Pizza locations.

The PDX Radler is a continuation of the rotating series of Radler-style beverages that HOTLIPS has produced in partnership with local breweries. The PDX Radler will be on tap while the supply lasts at all six HOTLIPS restaurants in Portland. Additionally, it will be featured at the Portland Beer Week/HOTLIPS Hawthorne Block Party on June 18th.

“There’s no pairing quite as perfect as pizza and beer,” said David Yudkin, co-owner of HOTLIPS Pizza + Soda. “We’re always looking for new ways to innovate with our fellow Portland artisans, and Migration Brewing has always been a great partner with great beer.”

Migration’s PDX Kölsch is clean and crisp, an exceptional session beer showcasing two hop varieties combined with a diverse grain profile and a slightly lemony finish. HOTLIPS’ Blood Orange Soda is bright and brisk with soft bubbles, and not too sweet. The combination of the two is refreshing, bright and citrusy, and perfectly suited for sipping all summer long.

“This Radler is pure Portland,” said Eric Banzer-Lausberg, co-owner of Migration Brewing. “We love the idea of joining beer from Northeast Glisan with soda from Southeast Hawthorne into one refreshing, enjoyable brew.”

Courtsey of Hot Lips Pizza & Soda

ABOUT HOTLIPS PIZZA + SODA
Founded in 1984, HOTLIPS is a Portland family-owned business and a respected, iconic local brand. Currently employing 160 people in six pizza restaurants, a commissary kitchen, a craft soda-brewing operation and a full calendar of off-site and catering events, HOTLIPS demonstrates a long-standing dedication to sustainability, quality, innovation and community leadership. HOTLIPS is passionate about great food and drink, the power of community and the bounty of the region’s harvest. www.HOTLIPSPizza.com

Courtesy of Migration Brewing Co

About Migration Brewing:
Migration Brewing in Portland, Oregon has a passion for building community around great craft beer. Since opening in 2010, Migration Brewing has believed in the artisan craft of brewing fresh, well-balanced ales and respecting the heritage of great beer, while embracing the innovation that comes from an ever-evolving industry. Migration Brewing is located at 2828 NE Glisan Street. www.migrationbrewing.com

Left Hand Brewing Announces Cans for Winter 2016

Courtesy of Left Hand Brewing Co
LONGMONT, CO • June 15, 2016 – Can you believe it? Colorado’s 4th largest brewery, Left Hand Brewing, famous for its pioneering line of Nitro bottles, is debuting cans in 2016! Partnering with one of the leading canning line manufacturers in the world, KHS, Left Hand’s new thirty-head volumetric filler will be arriving early fall. “We are beyond excited to allow our fans the ability to take our beers more places than they can currently. And by working with KHS, it allows us to continue to produce world-class, quality beer,” comments Chris Lennert, COO.

Plans are in motion for three of Left Hand’s beers to be canned in 12oz six packs this coming winter including: 3x GABF Gold Medal winning and 2016 World Beer Cup gold medal winner Fade to Black – a foreign export stout, Extrovert - their new American IPA, and Milk Stout - the brewery’s famous sweet stout. Additional beers, including several new additions, will be available in 2017. 

In congruence with the brewery’s commitment to quality, Left Hand has designed a canning line with automated volumetric filling, to ensure low oxygen levels and consistent fill heights. “We’ve built a reputation for quality over the years and wanted to ensure those same standards were built into the design of our canned beer” shares Allison Martz, Project Manager. Left Hand Brewing has broken ground on their future canning space at their 1265 Boston Avenue production facility in Longmont, Colorado. Rollout of Left Hand cans will begin in the fourth quarter with plans to distribute to the brewery’s 36-state footprint.

Courtesy of Left Hand Brewing Co

About Left Hand Brewing Company
Celebrating twenty-two years of brewing a well-balanced portfolio of craft beers, Left Hand Brewing Company is located at 1265 Boston Avenue in Longmont, Colorado. Left Hand is one of the most honored and recognized breweries in the state, with over 27 Great American Beer Festival medals, 11 World Beer Cup awards, and 9 European Beer Star awards. Famous for their Nitro series, Left Hand Brewing established America’s original Nitro bottle with their popular Milk Stout Nitro. Left Hand’s collection of perennial and seasonal beers are available in 36 states & DC. Employee Owned, Righteously Independent.  Distribution:  AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI