GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Founders Brewing Co. announced today that it will reintroduce Black Rye, a dry-hopped dark ale brewed with copious amounts of rye malt, as a seasonal release in January 2015 with availability through March. Black Rye will be available throughout Founders’ distribution footprint both on draft and in 12 oz. bottles with a suggested retail price of $10.99 per 4-pack.
Founders brewed Black Rye for the first time in 2006—it was available for less than a year, but it developed a cult following. And the brewery decided to reach into their recipe vault and bring it back for 2015.
“Because of how quickly the craft beer enthusiast community has grown, most people drinking craft beer and even Founders beer today have never tried Black Rye,” said Dave Engbers, co-founder and vice president of brand and education at Founders Brewing Co. “Officially, this beer is a re-introduction. But for most, it’s a new Founders beer.”
Black Rye is a perfectly balanced blend of German- and American-grown hops, premium 2-row barley and heavily kilned rye and wheat malts. There’s no category that can contain it—it’s a true Founders original.
“Black Rye is one of those beers that we kept coming back to in our conversations about new releases,” said Jeremy Kosmicki, Founders’ brewmaster. “There are so many craft beers out there, but this one has its place because there’s nothing else quite like it.”
Black Rye will kick off the Founders’ seasonal calendar in 2015, with availability from roughly January to March, dependent on distributor shipments. It will be released in the brewery’s taproom on draft and in bottles as of January 2015. Founders’ other seasonal releases in 2015 will be Rubaeus, from April to September, and Breakfast Stout, from October to December. The brewery’s full 2015 availability calendar will be announced later this year.
About Founders Brewing Co.
Established in 1997 by two craft beer enthusiasts—Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens—with day jobs and a dream, Founders Brewing Co. brews complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics and tons of flavor. Founders ranks among the top 30 largest craft breweries in the U.S. and is one of the fastest growing. The brewery has received numerous awards from the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival, and RateBeer and BeerAdvocate users often rate its beers among the best in the world. Located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild and the Brewers Association. For more information, visit foundersbrewing.com.