Escondido, CA — When Fat Mike called up the guys at Stone Brewing, their first response was, “where’d you get my number and why are you calling at 3 a.m.?” Things progressed and a beer was brewed. The Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival kicks off September 16 in Tacoma, WA and Stone & NOFX Punk In Drublic Hoppy Lager has just hit stores in 12-ounce cans….although some stores took to a no nonsense DIY approach citing punk rock as their excuse, “You don’t control punk rock with arbitrary corporate release dates. The people get their beer when I say they get their beer.” So, OK. Rock on. Hopefully you’re well into enjoying your fresh hoppy lagers.
It took careful tact for the Stone Brewing team to successfully distract the HR department while recklessly welcoming Fat Mike to the brewery. After his collaboration with Stone’s brewers to dream up just the right punk rock libation, he pitched the hops and drank all the beers, ultimately resulting in Stone & NOFX Punk In Drublic Hoppy Lager, which – against all odds – is really f***ing good.
Stone’s Senior Innovation Brewing Manager Jeremy Moynier can better expand on that: “Crisp, clean and very refreshing. This beer is crushable, but not corporate, tasteless ‘crushable.’ It has a traditional pilsner aroma with malt and melon flavors leading into a medium bitter finish. We brewed with Magnum and Hull Melon, the latter of which is a newer hop variety out of Germany that results in classic pilsner qualities with a nice hoppy finish.”
When asked how Stone & NOFX Punk in Drublic Hoppy Lager tastes, Fat Mike says, “It’s something to wash the noise away.” However, other slogans offered by Mike that were quickly turned down by Stone included, “It’s the beer of champagnes” and finally, “They say you can’t get beer from a stone…oh shit, we just did!”
The collaboration isn’t just an excuse for Fat Mike to sport brewing clamps as handcuffs (although rumor has it he took full advantage of that opportunity). NOFX has announced the Punk in Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival stopping in Tacoma, WA, Boise, ID, Phoenix, AZ, Concord, Sacramento and Huntington Beach, CA. A Brew Ha Ha Production, the event will feature four hours of tastings of more than 100 craft beers followed by NOFX and alternating co-headliners Flogging Molly and Bad Religion. Goldfinger, Less Than Jake and Bad Cop/Bad Cop among others round out the epic festival lineup.
It wouldn’t be very punk rock of us to detail Stone’s roots in music, nor Fat Mike’s devout obligation to alcohol. We definitely don’t need to get into the serendipitous parallels of Fat Wreck Chords and Stone Brewing or Stone Distributing. So what’s left are a few facts to help thirsty punk rockers get their hands on the beer and drink it like a rock star.
QUICK FACTS
- Name: Stone & NOFX Punk In Drublic Hoppy Lager
- Web: StoneBrewing.com/PunkInDrublic
- Stats: 5.8% ABV, 47 IBUs
- Availability: Limited release in 12-ounce cans and draft
- Featured Hops: Magnum, Hull Melon
- National Distribution: AZ, CA, ID, WA
- Find Beer: find.stonebrewing.com
TASTING NOTES
- Appearance: Straw yellow and crystal clear with a white, fluffy head.
- Aroma: A beautiful pilsner malt nose with slight, classic pilsner sulfur notes, and fresh melon.
- Taste: Combination of malt and melon leading into a medium bitter finish. Pleasant melon and hop notes throughout.
- Palate: Crisp, clean and very refreshing. This has a light body which lends itself to multiple tastes and pints.
- Overall: What kind of beer do you want for an outdoor punk rock festival? This is it! Fat Mike got together with Stone Brewing to make something that’s crushable…. and crushable doesn’t mean “no flavor” or “boring.” Like Punk, it may seem simple but peel back the layers and you notice a lot is going on under those chords. Grab one and jump in the pit. Be yourself and be true to independence.
PAIRING NOTES
Take a break from the show. Remember to eat!
- Starters: Punk Rock on a hot day, Prosciutto-wrapped Melon Balls, those awesome hemp pretzels at Stone with Spicy Mustard, Beef Jerky, 5 Rolled Tacos with Guacamole, and of course
- Fair Food: Corn Dogs, BBQ Corn, and Australian Potatoes.
- Soups and Salads: Beer-Cheese Soup, Steak Salad, Larb, Taco Salad
- Main Courses: Elbow to the Face, Oki Dog, TJ Dog, Bratwurst, Fried Chicken
- Desserts: Yellow Cake with White Frosting, Funnel Cake, Bowl of Homemade Fresh Whip Cream, Apple Strudel, Skateboard Ride Home
ABOUT STONE BREWING
Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, the groundbreaking San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 9th largest craft brewer in the United States. Recognized as an award-winning, industry leader, Stone has been listed on the Inc. 500 | 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list 12 times, has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. The multifaceted company is the first American craft brewer to independently build, own and operate their own brewery in Europe (Berlin, Germany), and also opened a production brewery in Richmond, Virginia in 2016. Known for its bold, flavorful and largely hop-centric beers, Stone has earned a reputation for brewing outstanding, unique beers while maintaining an unwavering commitment to sustainability, business ethics, philanthropy and the art of brewing…and pledging to never, ever, sell out to the man. For more information on Stone Brewing, please visit stonebrewing.com or the company’s social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.