People often ask me, “Chris, if you’re a hop-less beer, what are you?” And then I say. “Um… I am gruit?” And then suddenly there is canned laughter from a place I can’t identify. I try to figure it out, but I can’t move. Nothing can. Everything in the frame has frozen, even the idiot talking to me with that dumb look on his face. Then, suddenly, a message appears out of the ether, scrolls atop us all and heads up into the heavens. I take this as a sign that the end is near. To whomever I offended with this lede: I’m sahti. And now, a word from our beers to know this week.
Schlafly brew brews a sour gruit in a gin barrel
Schlafly Beer is introducing a new beer in the “From The Ibex Cellar” series: Gin Barrel Sour Gruit (6.5 percent ABV). With a taste of tart, spice and an assertive arrangement of botanicals, the latest release showcases an innovative take on an ancient brewing process — a beer without hops. After brewing, the gruit is aged in gin barrels in the Ibex Cellar, the exclusive room beneath the historic Schlafly Tap Room in downtown St. Louis. Schlafly’s From The Ibex Cellar Gin Barrel Sour Gruit is available now at the Schlafly brewpubs (Schlafly Tap Room and Schlafly Bottleworks) as well as in very limited release across Schlafly’s distribution.
A combination of juniper, marigolds, chamomile and lemon and orange peel help form the foundation of the brew. These spices and botanicals are added to the mash and at the end of the boil to showcase the best blend for the overall flavor profile. After the gruit has been brewed, it ages in gin barrels for nearly four months, infusing spice and warm notes of vanilla, caramel, oak and smoke into the brew.
“Our brewing team takes the unique flavor profile a step further by aging the gruit. This is the first time that we’ve experimented with aging in gin barrels, and the complementary botanical notes in the spirit of gin make for a perfect vessel to age the beer with a similar flavor profile,” said Founding Brewer Stephen Hale.
Odyssey Beerwerks readies its Fluffy Pumpkin Porters
Odyssey Beerwerks has been fluffing your pumpkin since 2013. On Friday, August 30, Fluffy Pumpkin Toasted Marshmallow Porter returns, along with its bigger, badder, whisky-barrel-aged Imperial version. Fluffy Pumpkin Porter is brewed with roasted pumpkins, select seasonal spices, vanilla and marshmallow, bringing campfire treats right to your pint. The Imperial version, aged in whiskey barrels and weighing in at 10.5 percent ABV, sips extremely smooth and gets you in the mood for cooler evenings gathered around the fire with friends.
In addition to the draft release, Fluffy Pumpkin will be available in 12-oz six-pack cans, and Imperial Fluffy Pumpkin will be available in both 22-oz bombers and in 16-oz four-pack cans. The 16-oz cans are new this year and are the first in a late summer/fall lineup of seasonal beers to be offered in four-packs from Odyssey Beerwerks.
Reed’s Ginger Beer now certified Ketogenic
Reed’s, Inc. announced that its latest product innovation, Reed’s Zero Sugar Ginger Beer, has joined sister brand Virgil’s Zero Sugar and is now Certified Ketogenic. Reed’s new Zero Sugar products offer those following the popular Keto diet an all-natural, zero sugar ginger beer that is made with real ginger, and a lot of it. Reed’s Zero Sugar Ginger Beer is all-natural, using a proprietary sweetener blend combined with fresh organic Peruvian ginger to deliver Reed’s trademark flavor.
“Ginger has so many health benefits and can be easily incorporated into your daily nutrition routine. Reed’s is a simple and delicious way to do just that. and now with their new all-natural zero sugar line people can also get thousands of milligrams of fresh ginger without added sugar,” said Registered Dietitian Maya Feller whose recipe for Ginger Beer Escovitch is a flavorful, Keto-friendly spin on a Caribbean classic.
Heavy Seas Beer with the best named beer of the week: Dat Booty Doe
Heavy Seas Beer is excited to announce the next release from its 15 Barrel Brewhouse, Dat Booty Doe, an Oktoberfest-style lager. This beer was brewed in collaboration with radio hosts, Reagan and Bethany, from Mix 106.5 FM’s “The MIX Morning Show” and will be exclusively available in four-packs of 16-oz cans and on draft in the Heavy Seas Taproom at the brewery on Friday, Sept. 20. A portion of all draft beer sales during the release event and sales of Dat Booty Doe four-packs will be donated to the Maryland Food Bank.
““What’s great about fall? Sure, there’s football, leaves changing and cooler weather, but,my favorite thing is the return of malty beers. And, the style of beer I like best to ease into autumn is a traditional German Oktoberfest,” said Heavy Seas Brewmaster Christopher Leonard. “We’ve brewed one that is even a bit maltier than you might normally find, with loads of bready, biscuity Munich malt, and balanced with just the right amount of Noble European hops [Hallertau in particular]. At 5.5 percent ABV, it provides just the right amount of flavor and drinkability. Prost.”
Sheetz with a limited-edition blueberry beer brewed by Evil Genius Beer Co.
Sheetz, a major Mid-Atlantic restaurant and convenience chain, announced the release of Project Brewberry Muffinz, a new, limited-edition blueberry craft beer brewed in partnership with Evil Genius Beer Co,. Following the success of Sheetz’s first-ever craft beer release in May, the new beer is a light-bodied blonde ale infused with Sheetz’s Shweetz blueberry muffins. Sixteen-oz four-packs of Project Brewberry Muffinz beer will be available statewide including in Altoona, Erie, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Pittsburgh, State College and York, retailing for $7.99 per four pack. A small batch craft beer, Project Brewberry Muffinz will be available while supplies last and will not be restocked once sold out.
“Evil Genius Beer Company is incredibly excited to partner with Sheetz on Project Brewberry Muffinz,” said Evil Genius Beer Partner and Cofounder Trevor Hayward. “As is Evil Genius tradition, we’ve taken a traditional style and turned it on its head by adding Sheetz delicious blueberry muffins while brewing the beer. The results speak for themselves with an aroma that will remind you of fresh blueberries, and a taste that you make you want to head to your local Sheetz for one of their scrumptious blueberry muffins.”
Boomtown Brewery with the best art of the week
Boomtown Brewery has released its latest can art collaboration with Joetamponi to create Superturbo — and to borrow a retro word — the results are sick. This multi-talented artist is originally from Italy, but has long been in love with California and it shows in his can design. Bright, bold and slightly offensive, it’s a flashback to the 90s but is infinitely better with the flavors bubbling inside.
Underneath its skin, Superturbo packs a punch of lychee, melon and citrus. It will be a Hazy DIPA (clocking in at a weighty 8.4 percent) concocted of Cryo Mosaic, Mosaic, Citra, Vic Secret, and A. Queen hops. The beer will be available on draft and in a can on Saturday, Aug. 24. So, get ready to travel back in time and enjoy the citrusy flavors this IPA has to offer.
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