News

Oskar Blues Brewery and Hotbox Roasters have collaborated to introduce a national, limited release brew that packs a roasted coffee punch – Hotbox Coffee Porter. Hotbox Coffee Porter (6.4% ABV/30 IBUs) has a malted base extracted from English and German roasted and caramel malts, and is comprised of flavors like roasted nuts, crème brûlée, cocoa and caramel.

Founders Brewing Co. has announced today that it will introduce Azacca IPA, an IPA using just one, relatively new, experimental hop, as the first seasonal offering of 2016. Azacca IPA is brewed exclusively with Azacca hops, a special variety grown by Yakima-based Roy Farms. Named for the Haitian god of agriculture, the Azacca hop variety is distinguished by intense, tropical fruit notes. Azacca IPA includes a touch of caramel malt to provide a sweet backbone to the citrus, mango and orchard fruit flavors in this 7% ABV beer.

Anchor Brewing Company announces the return of Anchor Winter Wheat™, a classic winter warmer brewed with malted barley and five varieties of wheat.

Anchor has been making wheat beers since the summer of 1984. In the winter of 2014, Anchor introduced their first dark wheat beer with the debut of Anchor Winter Wheat (7% ABV). For the second year, Anchor Winter Wheat joins Anchor Christmas Ale as a beloved and highly anticipated winter seasonal offering.

Upslope has transformed their popular Christmas Ale into a wild version of the holiday classic. Aged for 10 months in Leopold Bros. Maryland-Style Rye Whiskey barrels and their house sour culture, the Belgian-style spiced dubbel Wild Christmas Ale is a complex yet balanced blend of holiday spices, dark cherry caramel and whiskey-spiced oak. Mildly tart due to the Brettanomyces, this ale also boasts a slight chocolate finish and notes of candied orange. At. 9.2% abv, Upslope’s Wild Christmas Ale is sure to bring you warmth and cheer this holiday season.

Second Self Beer Company is expanding its production output and facilities, including a new tasting room. The Georgia craft brewery opened in Atlanta in fall 2014, and due to demand, its beer production has been at capacity since March 2015.

Green Flash Brewing Company is celebrating its hoppy roots with the final release of the 2015 Hop Odyssey series, the boldly hoppy Segal Ranch Session IPA, and the debut of its 4th annual Hop Odyssey series— a national beer program that focuses on exploring new hop varietals, fresh combinations and innovative brewing methods. Hop Odyssey 2016 is comprised of three pale ales that showcase carefully selected hop varieties from around the world, an ode to Green Flash’s dedication to brewing adventure.

The Silver Valley’s premier craft brewer, Wallace Brewing Company announces its first spirit & wood infused ale. Starting today, Wallace Brewing is proud to release a rum infused one-off of its Vito, a toasted oak aged version of its 2015 NABA Bronze Medal Strong Ale.

For many, California has been the epicenter of craft brewing innovation for the last few decades, especially where hop-centric beers are concerned. So in an effort that spans the state and is decades in the making, Stone Brewing Co. has joined forces with the iconic, Northern California-based Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which together have a combined 50+ years of brewing experience. The result: Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA (NxS = North by South). Beginning today, the latest Stone Collaboration beer—a barrel-aged IPA blended with a fresh, dry-hopped batch of the same IPA—will begin rolling out in 22-ounce bottles and on draft to select retailers in markets where Stone beer is sold.

New brewery, LO-Fi Brewing, soon will start pumping out hand-crafted beers from a former car dealership in North Charleston. LO-Fi has partnered with Lee Distributors and will begin distribution throughout the Low Country of South Carolina in January 2016.

Devils Backbone Brewing Company is excited to announce that in January, it will debut its annual Adventure Pack Collaboration Sampler. For the 2016 pack, Devils Backbone reached out to five brewing friends to help them craft a collaboration adventure including: the hop-centric NoDa Brewing Company from Charlotte, NC; a leader in the craft cream ale category, Sun King Brewery from Indianapolis, IN; Surly Brewing Company from Minneapolis, MN, which Beer Advocate Magazine named “Best Brewery in America;” Thunder Road Brewing Company, making its northern hemisphere debut all the way from the land down under, Australia; and the brewing brothers of Wicked Weed from Asheville, NC.

Today, Dos Equis announced an historic, multi-year agreement with ESPN to become the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff (CFP). The sponsorship deal further establishes Dos Equis’ standing in sports, giving the brand a strong platform to drive fan engagement in one of the country’s most exciting and growing franchises. Through the sponsorship, Dos Equis will leverage the CFP on ESPN to bring unparalleled and interesting experiences to help fans “Stay Thirsty” throughout the college football season and Playoff.

Professionals in New York State’s craft beverage industry can expect to be a lot more connected by this time next year, with the launch of Source NY in 2016. The Carey Institute for Global Good received $259,339 in grants to create Source NY, an online platform to connect farmers, craft beverage producers and other industry service providers across the state. The grants include an Empire State Development Corporation Craft Beverage Marketing Grant and a USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant.

The craft beer scene is moving rapidly… think about the changes even since Global Warmer first hit the scene in 2013. But much of winter beer has stayed decidedly stuck in its tracks (frozen, if you will). Big sticky sippers dominate this time of year, oftentimes with spices. And hey, they have their time and place. But how about something you can slam all winter long?

Crafted for Community, the Deschutes Brewery Street Pub kicked off its first year with a bang, raising a total of nearly $400,000 for charity in seven cities. At each stop, the brewery partnered with a local charity and donated 100 percent of proceeds to help that charity achieve its mission. With an estimated 60,000 beer fans who turned out to drink 892 kegs of damn tasty beer, the Street Pub is collectively one of the largest beer parties of the year.