Everyone has been talking about it all week: what beers will be the beers to know this week? Well, the time for talk is over. The votes are in! And we tallied every last one that we agreed with. Here are your beers to know this week.
Eagle Rock, Norwalk Brew House team with LA hip-hop artist to fight back (and give back)
Eagle Rock Brewery (ERB) and Norwalk Brew House (NBH) teamed up with legendary LA hip-hop artist, 2Mex, to release Love Fights Back; a collaboration beer with proceeds to support LA-based non-profit Urban Peace Institute. Love Fights Back — a delicious guava/mango blonde ale, accented with citrus zest — brings together three Los Angeles brands, leveraging craft beer and music in an effort to make a positive contribution to the fight for social and racial equality.
In the wake of the unjust murder of George Floyd, millions of Americans took to the streets in protest. Overwhelmed by the daily barrage of news coverage showing law enforcement unapologetically being violent against peaceful protesters; Norwalk Brew House founder, Ray Ricky Rivera, kept asking — “what can I do?”
Sharing his thoughts via email with ERB founders, Jeremy Raub and Ting Su, the two immediately reciprocated the sentiment and the idea to collaborate was born. ERB has long been established as a respected LA brewery whose dedication to community is at the company’s core. No stranger to supporting social causes, ERB’s values and high standards for consistently crafting quality beer makes them the perfect collaborator.
In his song, “Love Fights Back,” 2Mex poetically raps; “when all else fails, love fights back, when ignorance prevails, love fights back.” A mainstay in the LA hip-hop scene, 2Mex has never shied away from voicing his opinion on racial injustice. His theme of Love Fights Back fully captures what ERB and NBH set out to do.
Now available in 16 oz cans and 4-packs to-go, beer buyers will be able to download “Let’s Take a Walk,” a free song via QR code on the can label. Proceeds from this collaboration will support the Urban Peace Institute’s efforts to end systemic racism, re-imagine public safety, and promote community health. Label art designed by Fury Fellowship Creative Director, Jose Suaste.
Indeed Brewing has a new can design, distribution plan for Taiga IPA
Indeed Brewing Co. is releasing Taiga IPA in a newly designed printed can and expanding distribution in its second year. After a successful self-distribution run in 2019, Taiga IPA will be shipped across Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin in early November 2020 and available through January 2021.
Brewed with fresh Sultana hops, Taiga IPA delivers a cold snap of juicy pineapple aromas that mingle with notes of grapefruit, mango, and a healthy hint of pine. Bold and just the right amount of bitter with a hazy orange glow, this hop bomb is here for the long winter haul, with a few different brews scheduled throughout the winter to keep the freshest possible Taiga on shelves and taps.
“Taiga was originally conceived as a not-so-subtle homage to a certain ‘celebratory’ beer from a large California brewer, but with the twist of utilizing the newer Sultana hop variety,” says Head Brewer Dan Stavig. “Making Taiga adds complications to our brew day — converting our mash tun into a hopback is complicated — but the results are worth it. Using freshly processed Sultana hop bales rather than pellets add an intensity and impact that’s hard to acquire any other way. The malt backbone and cellar techniques will keep it tasting good for a few months, but, like any beer, drink ASAP for the biggest hop punch.”
The reconceived can artwork, designed by Chuck U, depicts the namesake taiga (tī-gə) — a subarctic forest dominated by conifers (e.g. spruce, fir, larch, pine) that begins where the tundra ends. These coniferous biomes house flora and fauna that have not just adapted to but come to thrive in this harsh climate.
Flying Dog celebrates fall with an apple pie
Inspired by the season’s best fruit-filled baked good, Flying Dog Brewery announced the release of Apple Pie, a Brewhouse Rarities Blonde Ale. This crisp, spiced brew starts shipping to distributors today. The idea for Apple Pie was pitched by a fall-loving, plaid-clad employee as part of the brewery’s Brewhouse Rarities program. Apple Pie also marks the final Brewhouse Rarities release for 2020.
Bursting with classic fall flavors like sweet baked apple and traditional warming spices, this 7.2% ABV blonde ale tastes like it came straight out of Grandma’s kitchen. Instead of using overly artificial flavors, Flying Dog’s innovative brewers used real apples and specialty ingredients like vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom to achieve an authentic flavor profile.
“The flavors in this seasonal specialty are perfectly balanced to fool your tongue into believing it’s the real thing,” said James Maravetz, VP of Marketing at Flying Dog Brewery. “Apples are such a quintessential fall flavor, and now you can have all of the crisp, apple flavor you love without paying to spend hours picking your own.”
Rogue Ales & Spirits hypes Santa’s Private Reserve
This holiday season, Rogue Ales & Spirits and the one and only Santa Claus are releasing a Peppermint Bark Milk Stout as the 2020 edition of their much-anticipated Santa’s Private Reserve. This rich and warm stout is a confectioner’s dream and a must for any holiday celebration.
“Santa’s vision for this year’s Private Reserve came to him in the candy cane forest where he was busy harvesting peppermint bark to make one of his favorite treats,” says Rogue Brewmaster, Joel Shields. “He called us and ecstatically blurted out, “Peppermint bark milk stout!” We knew exactly what he meant and got right to work brewing up our 2020 Santa’s Private Reserve. Santa was elated with the results, and we think you will be too.”
Peppermint and dark chocolate are prominently displayed on the nose and carry through to the very last drop. The refreshing peppermint and velvety dark chocolate taste like the holidays in a glass. This beer is the full package and is certain to brighten up even the worst days of winter.
“I always look forward to my annual trip to Newport, Oregon to brew our annual Santa’s Private Reserve,” says Santa Claus. “This year’s Peppermint Bark Milk Stout is a real treat that pairs perfectly with my favorite sugar cookies.”
Coin Toss revives Burnside Brewing’s Sweet Heat Repeat
Coin Toss Brewing is bringing back Sweet Heat Repeat today, a beer originally brewed by the now defunct Burnside Brewing Co. Sweet Heat Repeat is an American-style wheat ale brewed with apricot puree then dry hopped with imported Jamaican Scotch Bonnet peppers. Reminiscent of a Caribbean chutney, Sweet Heat Repeat has a subtle tartness from the fruit, slight spiciness from the peppers, and a fruity aroma (4.9% ABV).
Coin Toss head brewer Chip Conlon, who formerly brewed this beer for Burnside Brewing, gathered together earlier this month with former Burnside Brewing brewmaster Jason McAdam and former Burnside director of sales Kristin White to collaborate on the reboot.
According to Conlon, “It was a blast getting together with some of the old team and re-creating a brew that many beer lovers still remember fondly. Plus, we get to introduce our customers at Coin Toss to a fun new beer that we know they’ll enjoy!”
Wild Leap’s hydroponically grows the fresh hops in Three Harvest Double IPA
Wild Leap’s Three Harvest Double IPA returns with a fall crop of hydroponically grown Cascade hops, fresh off the bines. Three Harvest is Wild Leap’s collaboration with hydroponic hop farm, Extreme Green Farms Auburn, Alabama. The fall release of Three Harvest Double IPA (8.2%) hits shelves today.
Three Harvest is an off-season Fresh Hop Double IPA. Named for the amount of harvests the hydroponic crops are capable of producing each year, the Cascade hops featured in this beer are harvested just days before the ale is brewed. Timing with each harvest is critical, as the hops need to be harvested, transported and introduced to the kettle as soon as possible.
“Working with hydroponic hops is a fun challenge for us. We’re learning the in’s and out’s of the hydroponic hop world from someone extremely knowledgeable in the craft,” says Chris Elliott, Wild Leap’s Chief Brewing Officer. “Ralf DuToit, Head Hop Farmer at Extreme Green Farms, is a hydroponic guru. Working alongside him on Three Harvest, we’ve gained hard-to-find experience using fresh hops and we’ve only just gotten started.”
Wild Leap’s collaboration with Extreme Green Farms began over a year ago. DuToit approached the Wild Leap crew with a hop project he had been working on—growing hydroponic hops—in hopes they would be up for experimenting with a small batch. With so few hydroponic hop farms in the U.S., the Wild Leap crew jumped on the opportunity and hit the ground running.
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