A few exciting things came across my radar this week, so I thought I’d spread the word!
Ommegang’s newest Game of Thrones inspired beer has hit the streets! “Valar Dohaeris” – “All men must serve” – is a Belgian-style tripel ale…it will be available in 750ml bottles and on draft. You can also find it in a gift set with Ommegang’s 2014 release “Valar Morghulis” (“All men must die”) and collectible glass. My set is chilling in the fridge…but I’m still waiting for “All men must drink” – hopefully next year!
Stone Xocoveza is back! It was released on 10/3 and will be distributed in 12 oz. bottles and on draft around the country! Can’t wait to get my hands on this delicious “winter-spiced mocha stout” (translate = Mexican spiced chocolate stout) that was originally the recipe of Stone’s 2014 homebrew contest winner, Chris Banker! Cheers to Chris – and Stone!
Magic Hat released a special brew, “Belgo Sutra,” a belgian-style quadruple dark ale, brewed with figs and dates. According to Magic Hat, “Belgo Sutra honors Vermont CARES, non-profit organization working for and with Vermonters affected by HIV/AIDS.”
Sierra Nevada announced in an October 3, 2016 press release that it will release two new beers in the first quarter of 2017. “Sidecar Orange Pale Ale” and “Tropical Torpedo IPA.” Sidecar is described as “Made with orange peel and bold, citrus-heavy hops, this 35 IBUs and 5.3% ABV addition is a refreshing twist on the classic pale ale.” According to Sierra Nevada, “Tropical Torpedo is prime for new drinkers entering the craft beer market via the IPA style. ‘A lot of the excitement is coming from IPA styles utilizing intense aromatic hops that deliver notes of exotic fruits,’ says Brian Grossman, second generation brewer for Sierra Nevada. ‘The rush of hop flavor and lush aromas of mango, papaya and passionfruit awaken your senses with our most adventurous IPA yet.’ This IPA has no fruit added and weighs in at 6.7% ABV and 55 IBUs, making it a truly sessionable beer fit for a variety of drinking occasions.
River Horse Cranberry Sour is back! Starting this Friday, it will be available for purchase in 750ml bottles inthe River Horse tasting room in Ewing, NJ. Described as a “dry wheat ale is fermented with lacto and saccharomyces, then aged in oak barrels with brett and the best New Jersey cranberries to create a complex, tart, and refreshing beer for you to enjoy this season!”
For those of you who missed my Instagram post on September 10 – you have to check out Neal Brothers Kettle Chips. I had four flavors – Maple Bacon, Pink Himalayan Salt, Spicy Sirachup, and Montreal Steak Spice – and they were fantastic with amber ale from Indiana-based Oakenbarrel Brewing. They are perfect for nibbling during football games and can be found at Whole Foods Markets.
Ommegang and Anchor Steam wager on Baseball Wild Card Game – October 5, 2016 Press release:
Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY and Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, CA have agreed to place a friendly wager on the outcome of tonight’s MLB National League Wild Card game between the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. Sporting blue and orange, Ommegang President Doug Campbell challenged Anchor’s President Matt Davenport this morning on Twitter. Matt accepted, terms were drawn up, and a tweet-handshake sealed the deal.
The winner will send beer and a jersey of the winning team to the losing brewing, and the loser, decked out in said uniform, will serve the winning brewery’s beer in their tasting room. The losing brewmaster will also travel to the winning brewery to brew a collaboration beer in honor of the winning team and city. The beer will be available in time for Opening Day 2017.
“This game promises to be an epic matchup between two great teams and two great states,” says Campbell. “I look forward to seeing pictures of Matt serving our beer to Anchor fans in San Francisco. Here in Cooperstown, our roots run deep in both the national pastime and our home state, and we are exciting to raise our glasses to the Mets’ victory tonight.”
“Baseball and San Francisco have gone hand in hand for more than 100 years. With roots that date back to the California Gold Rush, Anchor has been intrinsically tied to the city, enjoyed by Giants fans for decades,” says Davenport, decked out in orange and black. “We look forward to sharing our beer with Ommegang fans in Cooperstown, as we send some tasty West Coast [read: Best Coast] brews to be enjoyed in their taproom. It’s an even year and we all know what that means.”
The Wild Card game will be played at Citi Field in New York City tonight, October 5, beginning at 8:08 PM EST. Regardless of the outcome of the game, the true winners will be fans of craft beer everywhere, who will get to taste a new collaboration beer from the two breweries regardless of who actually tastes victory this evening.
Have a great week!
Cheers!
The Brewholder
Copyright 2016 – all rights reserved