Hip-hop duo Run The Jewels and Brooklyn Brewery are teaming up for a new collaborative beer dubbed 36” Chain, set to drop in August, but they are kicking things off with a contest for fans to help design the label art. The prize packages available for the winning design and runner ups include cash, a VIP brewery tour, RTJ & Brooklyn Brewery merch, and tickets for upcoming shows. The beer will be available at Un the Jewels’ run of five live concerts that month.
“It’s been a great experience cooking up this beer concept with Killer Mike and EL-P,” states Brooklyn Brewery’s James Beard Award-winning brewmaster Garrett Oliver. “These guys think about their music exactly the same way that I think about beer. Sure, it should be fun, but it should also carry real meaning and an almost talismanic power. We mean to conjure some straight-up magic.”
States EL-P, “On our unexpected journey into the craft of brewing, we’ve been fortunate to work with an amazing community of artists & enthusiasts from all over the world, and we couldn’t be more excited about our new collaboration with the good people at Brooklyn Brewery. From the moment we talked to them it was clear that they truly care about what they are doing and they really get where we are coming from. This one is going to be special.”
The duo like to give back to the communities where their beers are made, so in keeping with that, a portion of proceeds from the sale of 36” Chain will be donated to the Red Hook Art Project, (R.H.A.P). The organization’s mission is “rooted in the conviction that creative self-expression is a transformative experience that enriches individuals and communities” and RTJ couldn’t be happier to help support their journey.
Run the Jewels is actually working on a beverage empire. This was mentioned more as a footnote in the press release, but is fascinating: they will be launching BaRTJ, a direct-to-consumer ordering service from their dedicated beverage site later this month. In addition to their many beer collaborations to date, their current portfolio also includes hard seltzer & coffee, and later this year the group will be releasing their own proprietary beer as well as spirits, ready-to-drink canned cocktails & more.
Voodoo Ranger deploys Juice Force into year-round lineup
New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger, the No. 1 craft IPA, is really a brand unto itself at this point. The latest Voodoo Ranger variant – Juice Force IPA – is a fruit forward Hazy Imperial IPA that is being added as a year-round, permanent addition to the brand family. This combo of Hazy and Imperial combines the strength and punch of a high 9.5% ABV beer with the drinkability and amazing flavor expected from a much lighter IPA. The two typically don’t coexist
Off to a soaring start, Juice Force is already a top five selling beer for the Voodoo Ranger brand, and the highest rated for the brand ever on Untappd. Voodoo Ranger expects Juice Force to become a top five single serve craft item within just a few months of the launch.
“The feedback we’ve received on Juice Force so far has been nothing short of incredible,” said Dave Knospe, Voodoo Ranger Brand Manager. “Beer drinkers, retailers, and distributors are hitting us up daily demanding more. It’s well exceeded even our highest expectations.”
This American-Style Imperial Hazy IPA features aromatic hops, fruit forward flavors, and low bitterness. Brewed with Mexican orange, mango, and passion fruit, Juice Force boasts a remarkably light body given the ABV.
“When the brand team asked the brewing team to deliver a highly drinkable IPA at 9.5% ABV, I knew we were in for a challenge,” said Dave Glor, Brewer and Raw Materials Specialist. “But after some initial trial and error, we delivered an absolutely fantastic powerhouse Hazy Imperial IPA that we aptly named Juice Force.”
Harpoon Brewery with a hat trick of Boston Bruin collabs
Three is a magic number in hockey – three periods per game, three rounds of playoffs before the cup, three goals per hat trick, and now a third collaboration between Boston’s Bruins and Harpoon Brewery. B’s defenseman and Charlestown native, Matt Grzelcyk, joins Charlie Coyle (Weymouth native) and Chris Wagner (Walpole native) to brew this season’s limited-edition beer: Hometown Hat Trick.
A team effort brewed up by Wags, Coyle and Grizzy, this Triple Dry-Hopped Pilsner is loaded up with three times the regular amount of dry hops for a full-on hat trick of flavor. The 5.22% ABV beer is the perfect toast to Boston hockey as the team continues its run for the cup. For every case sold, a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Corey C. Griffin Foundation, which provides financial support to Boston non-profits focused on underprivileged youth and those with medical challenges.
“I’ve enjoyed my fair share of different kinds of beer but being involved in the brewing process was a whole new experience. Partnering with the Harpoon team has been a bucket list item, and Wags and Coyle have been super helpful showing me the ropes. Plus, it gave us a new way to give back to the community all three of us grew up in,” said Grzelcyk.
Harpoon Hometown Hat Trick is the third and final installment in a line of annual collaboration beers with Massachusetts hockey players, making it fans’ last chance to stock up on ice cold beer brewed by their favorite players on the ice. Harpoon Don’t Poke the Bear – a black and gold-en ale – was first introduced in 2020, followed by Harpoon Don’t Poke the Bears – a black and gold pilsner – in 2021.
Anchor Brewing shows off its dry-hopping wisdom with West Coast IPA
Following its seminal 125th anniversary year, San Francisco’s pioneering Anchor Brewing Co. continues its spirit of innovation in 2022 with the release of its new West Coast IPA. Rolling out this month nationwide, the bold and bright West Coast IPA joins Anchor’s year-round portfolio of beers which includes last year’s releases, Tropical Hazy IPA and Crisp Pilsner.
“Our West Coast IPA is a celebration of our Bay Area roots, and Anchor’s long history with dry hopping,” says Assistant Brewmaster Dane Volek, who leads Anchor’s innovation team. “We’ve been experimenting with variations at Public Taps, our taproom in San Francisco, and perfecting our version of this respected style to land on this vibrant and balanced beer.”
West Coast IPA is crafted at Anchor’s iconic brewery in San Francisco, using time-honored dry-hopping techniques perfected over the past fifty years. Anchor was the first craft brewery in modern times to revive the century-old method with its 1975 release of Liberty Ale. The first modern American IPA brewed post-prohibition and the first modern American beer to use single-hop and dry-hopped techniques, Liberty Ale is credited as the beer that started the IPA revolution.
With its nationwide debut this spring, West Coast IPA celebrates the evolution of Anchor’s dry-hopping processes, as well as the brand’s trailblazing history that continues to inspire beer trends and styles today. The 7.0% ABV IPA is brewed with a combination of Nugget, Citra, Sultana, and Cascade hops, imparting aromas of mandarin and grapefruit zest, along with fresh pine. The result is a refreshing ale bursting with bold citrus flavors, robust hops and a smooth mouthfeel ideal for enjoying with friends during weekend adventures or a sun-filled day at the beach.
Non-alcoholic
Hoplark 0.0 has zero everything
Hoplark, trailblazer of hop-forward non-alcoholic craft beverages, debuted Hoplark 0.0, the beer industry’s first non-alcoholic craft brew with zero calories, zero alcohol, zero sugar, zero carbs, zero gluten, and zero added flavors of any kind. Hoplark 0.0 Citra, the first product in the new line, is available now – bringing double-dry hopped flavor to craft beer lovers amidst a new era of drinking.
Starting with Citra Hops, each brew in the Hoplark 0.0 line will be crafted with no alcohol, no or low calories, no or low sugar, and no gluten. Thanks to Hoplark’s revolutionary proprietary process, each non-alcoholic brew made results in a delicious, flavor-forward, and healthy craft brew.
“We know how much people love beer but want more options when it comes to drinking, or not drinking,” says Dean Eberhardt, co-founder and CEO of Hoplark. “Whether you’re wanting to avoid the next day’s side effects or are focusing on your health, Hoplark 0.0 is for everyone. Half of Americans now say they’d like to drink less alcohol. I’m proud to give consumers another choice with Hoplark 0.0 which offers the flavorful hoppy taste of a craft beer, but without the alcohol, calories, or sugar. Now with the launch of Hoplark 0.0, the world’s best non-alcoholic beer isn’t a beer.”
Partake Brewing takes hazy IPA non-alcoholic
Partake Brewing, announced today its new limited-edition release, Hazy IPA. Hazy IPA bursts with flavor, offering a generously dry-hopped taste while low on bitterness. Each sip is juicy and smooth with notes of ripe apricot, sweet mango, and luscious berries. Hazy IPA is fit for everyday enjoyment with only 25 calories, 4g carbs, and 0g sugar.
“We are excited to further expand upon our range of offerings with the introduction of the limited-edition Hazy IPA,” said Ted Fleming, Partake Brewing Founder and CEO. “The goal of every Partake beer that we craft is to create an inclusive drinking experience that offers a truly great-tasting beer you can enjoy for any social occasion. We hope to delight beer lovers with this new launch and continue to surprise them with a string of delicious flavors to come throughout the year.”
Hazy IPA joins Partake’s non-alcoholic beer lineup of Pale, IPA, Blonde, Red, Dark, Peach Gose, and limited editions Radler & Lime. Consumers consistently seek out Partake for its exceptional taste, unmatched calorie count (10-30 calories per can), and vegan all-natural ingredients.
Cereal killers for St. Patrick’s Day
Crooked Hammock
Crooked Hammock is releasing Savagely Delicious on March 17, a triple IPA brewed with Lucky Charms cereal. Free first tastes will be available, along with food specials and live entertainment from local trio Lunch Dog. The winner of the Lucky Chance Cornhole contest will receive a pot of gold in the form of a Crooked Hammock Brewery Yeti cooler filled with Hammock goodies.
City Star Brewing
City Star Brewing in Downtown Berthoud, Colorado, will be hosting their annual Lucky Charms Beer Flight, an event featuring five magically delicious beers brewed with fun ingredients and natural adjuncts to achieve a rainbow of color. In this craft beer climate where brewers are pushing envelopes of styles and what can go in beers, the City Star brewhouse dove into the task of crafting a line-up of outlandish brews that Lucky the Leprechaun would enjoy. Adjuncts range from hibiscus, passionfruit, cucumber, carrot juice and even a bit of glitter.
Ska Brewing releasing a Raspberry rendition of True Blonde Ale
Just in time for the turn of the season, Ska Brewing presents a fruited rendition of its oldest and most decorated recipe, True Blonde Ale. Raspberry Blonde will tap for the first time at Ska on Friday and cans hit shelves across Ska markets this week.
“Our last several big can releases might suggest otherwise, but we experiment with more than just hops,” jokes Ska CEO Dave Thibodeau. “In this case we’ve been excited for this fruit addition in our beloved True Blonde Ale, which goes as far back as the brewery does.”
True Blonde Ale was Ska’s first brewed, tapped, and canned recipe. Over the years it has earned two World Beer Cup awards and a Good Food Award from the Good Food Foundation. It has also been recognized at the Colorado State Fair, the LA County Fair, the European Beer Star awards, the Australian International Beer Awards, and the L.A. International Beer Competition. Most recently True Blonde was awarded a 2021 Great American Beer Festival medal in the English Ale category, bringing this beer’s GABF award count up to five.
Raspberry Blonde is crafted with subtle Cascade hop additions that balance the zest of the fruit in the recipe. At 5 percent ABV, it belongs in Ska’s wheelhouse of light-bodied easy drinking ales and lagers like the classic Colorado Mexican-style lager, Mexican Logger, and its Grapefruit sister Rue B. Soho, Thibodeau adds. “It’s a colorful beer with vibrant, bright flavor notes.”
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