San Francisco, CA –Today, Anchor Brewing Company announces the release of the eighth brew in their Zymaster® Series, Luxardo® Cherry Ale (6% ABV).
Luxardo® Maraschino Cherries are a far cry from the neon red orbs that insinuate their way into mundane mixed drinks. Their deep ruby-black color, ripe cherry flavor, and rich fruit aroma make Luxardo Cherries an ideal garnish for a truly artisanal cocktail and now, for the first time, craft beer.
“Our newest Zymaster certainly does not resemble the sweet, bright red Maraschino Cherries found on a sundae,” said Anchor Brewmaster Mark Carpenter. “Luxardo Cherries have an incredible, rich flavor that isn’t overly sweet, which we were able to capture in the beer. The syrup from Luxardo Cherries was poured into the beer’s mash, and then we aged the beer with the cherries during a secondary fermentation in the cellar. The sugar from the cherries is fermented out so the ale is crisp rather than sweet, but the cherry flavor remains. The end result is a beautiful ruby color, dimensional flavor, and distinct fruity aroma.”
In addition to aging Zymaster No. 8 on a bed of Luxardo Cherries, the brewers used a combination of 2-Row Pale, Munich, and Patagonia malt, and Northern Brewer and Goldings hops. The result is a uniquely complex brew that offers the perfect balance between sweetness and tartness with a depth of flavor, tantalizing aroma, ruddy complexion, and a luxuriantly dry finish.
Anchor Brewing’s Zymaster Series is a unique series of beer which features extraordinary ingredients, innovative techniques, and unusual flavors. Zymaster No. 8: Luxardo Cherry Ale follows the seventh Zymaster iteration; Potrero Hill Sour Mash IPA.
Anchor Zymaster No. 8: Luxardo Cherry Ale will be available for a limited time in California in 22 oz. bottles and on draught in select restaurants, bars, and at the Anchor Brewing Taproom in San Francisco starting May 2015. Find this brew near you using the Anchor Beer Finder.
Learn more about Anchor Brewing at www.anchorbrewing.com.
About Anchor Brewing Company
Anchor Brewing Company’s roots date back to the California Gold Rush making it one of America’s oldest breweries. Its Anchor Steam® Beer is San Francisco’s original since 1896. In 1965, Fritz Maytag acquired and revived the struggling brewery at a time when mass production of beer dominated and seemed unstoppable. Maytag started a revolution in beer that originated today’s craft beer movement. An undisputed icon, Anchor is America’s first craft brewery where beers are handmade in our traditional copper brewhouse from an all-malt mash. At Anchor, we practice the time-honored art of classical brewing, employing state-of-the-art methods to ensure that our beers are always pure and fresh. We know of no brewery in the world that matches our efforts to combine traditional, natural brewing with such carefully applied, modern methods of sanitation, finishing, packaging and transporting. See what we are brewing today at www.anchorbrewing.com.
About Anchor Brewing Zymaster® Series
Zymaster® is a new word coined by Anchor Brewing to describe a brewmaster with hands-on experience throughout the a-to-z process of creating a new beer, from the research and selection of the raw materials and development of a recipe to brewing, fermentation, cellaring, and finishing. Harvest One American Pale Ale is the fifth addition to the Zymaster® Series, a unique series of beers from Anchor Brewing, rooted in its exceptional respect for the ancient art and noble traditions of brewing, featuring extraordinary ingredients, innovative techniques, and unusual flavors.
About LUXARDO® CHERRIES
LUXARDO® is Italy’s premier cherry producer, creating The Original Maraschino Cherries, Amarascata Jam, Sour Cherry Syrup, as well as a Cherry Liqueur and the famed Maraschino Liqueur. Founded in 1821 by Girolamo Luxardo, the company is still family-owned and managed by the sixth generation of the Luxardo Family. Based in Torreglia, located in the Veneto Region in northeastern Italy, the Luxardo family cultivates around 30,000 of their exclusive Marasca Cherry trees, a proprietary varietal of sour cherries. For more information, please visit http://www.anchordistilling.com/brands/luxardo