St. Louis, MO – With the proliferation of grapefruit showing up in beer, consumers may be surprised to hear the brews on store shelves feature grapefruit juice, concentrate, and/or artificial flavorings—until now. Schafly Beer introduces Grapefruite IPA, fermented with all-natural grapefruit purée. Dry-hopped with American-grown Citra hops, this brisk and approachable IPA presents layers of refreshing aromas and tart flavors, available year-round starting mid-December with full distribution by January.
“We want people to know this is a true fruit beer, not a fruit-flavored beer,” Schlafly Ambassador Brewer Stephen Hale says. “We’re experienced in using purées of real ingredients, like in our Raspberry Hefeweizen and our Pumpkin Ale. One of our core disciplines at Schlafly is a dedication to ingredients to ensure our beers are free of additives and artificial flavors.”
Schlafly worked in partnership with Oregon Fruit Products to create a special grapefruit purée made with whole fruit—rind, pulp, and all—and no added sugar, flavorings, or extracts. The brewers combine pounds of the purée with each batch of wort to allow the natural sugars to ferment out, leaving the tropical characteristics of grapefruit.
In addition to the American-grown fruit, the beer is also brewed with a collection of American hops (Citra, Cascade, and Chinook) for their distinct citrus and floral attributes and an American ale yeast that brings a layered fullness to finished product. Grapefruit IPA features 40 IBUs and 5% ABV for a distinctive and boldly flavored India Pale Ale with a crisp hoppiness.
Grapefruit IPA is the first new release to the company’s year-round offerings since 2007. Another success of Schlafly’s small-brew system, the beer’s inaugural batch debuted on draft only at the Schlafly Tap Room and Bottleworks brewery-restaurants in June and quickly sold out.
Grapefruit IPA can be purchased at the Tap Room or Bottleworks locations or in six-packs ($8.99) across the brewery’s distribution region. The beer can also be enjoyed on draft at the Schlafly Tap Room or Bottleworks, as well as select on-premise locations. For more on Schlafly Beer’s distribution and Grapefruit IPA, visit the brewery’s website.
About Schlafly Beer
Founded in 1991 by Tom Schlafly in St. Louis, Schlafly Beer is the largest locally owned and independent craft brewery in Missouri, proudly offering more than 50 unique styles of craft beer. The celebrated brewing company continues to define craft with a dedication to sourcing the best ingredients, supporting local sustainability and community efforts whenever possible, and delivering a superior beer experience from year-round to limited-edition styles. In 2014, Schlafly Beer’s production of 60,000 barrels of beer took place between its two brewery-restaurants, Schafly Tap Room(2100 Locust St.) in downtown St. Louis, and Schafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave.) located in Maplewood. The Schlafly Tap Room was the first new brewpub to open in Missouri since Prohibition and is housed in a restored wood and brick building on the National Historic Register. Schlafly Bottleworks offers free weekend tours every Friday, Saturday, andSunday from 12-5 p.m. on the hour, and every half hour on Saturdays. Schlafly Tap Room offers free brewery tours every Sunday. For a full listing of Schlafly Beers and for more information on distribution, visit the brewery’s website.