Sales of ready to drink (RTD) beverages shot up like a ready to drive rocketship last year. According to NielsenIQ, off-premise RTD cocktail sales in the U.S. grew by 126 percent in 2021. According to IRI, premixed cocktails and spirits-based seltzers accounted for just over $1 billion in off-premise sales last year. In Colorado last year, pre-mixed RTD Cocktails experienced 118 percent growth and slightly over $13 million in sales.
Aurora, Colo.’s Dry Dock Brewing Company is releasing an innovative line of cocktail-inspired canned beverages.
“Docktails were developed to speak directly to consumer trends and the popularity of the beyond-beer category,” says Ryan Call, Dry Dock Sales Director. “They give us the ability to sell a canned cocktail in any retail location across the state, and a way to differentiate our portfolio through really bold flavor combinations. I know I can’t wait to have these in my fridge at home.”
The brewery’s new Docktails come in three “classic, but with a twist” flavors — Strawberry Basil Daiquiri, Cucumber Margarita, and Paloma — and are made with real fruit juice and natural flavorings, and a fermented corn sugar base.
“For cocktail lovers,” says Dry Dock co-founder Kevin DeLange, “Docktails are a flavorful and convenient craft option they can enjoy anywhere, especially outdoors, with no glass required. And because these are fermented beverages and don’t include distilled spirits, consumers can buy Docktails in grocery and convenience stores where spirits-based products can’t be sold.”
Docktails clock in at 9.5% ABV and are sold in four packs of 12-ounce cans, at a suggested retail price of $10.99.
“This is one of the most innovative creations we’ve done at Dry Dock,” says Dry Dock co-founder Michelle Reding, “Docktails are unlike anything being made in Colorado, and they’ve taken us way beyond the ‘beyond beer’ segment we set out to explore. They’re in a canned craft niche of their own.”
Urban South – HTX is set for St. Patty’s
Urban South – HTX is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at its Sawyer Yards brewery and taproom with two new beer releases. Both beers will be available on draft and in cans at the Houston taproom while supplies last.
Sur Urbano Verde – Green Mexican Lager – A St. Patrick’s Day version of the beloved Sur Urbano Mexican Lager. This crisp lager is exemplified with hues of radioactive green, but is still easy enough to drink all month long.
Green Light – Dry Irish Stout – The St. Patrick’s Day edition of the fan-favorite Blue Light stout series, Green Light is Urban South’s take on the iconic Irish stout. Malty sweetness meets hoppy bitterness, balanced with notes of coffee and chocolate.
Tröegs’s LolliHop is ready for a big-time release
Tröegs Independent Brewing announced the release of LolliHop, a soft, citrusy and slightly hazy Double IPA with notes of pear, citrus and a hint of melon. The inspiration for LolliHop begins in the hop fields of Yakima Valley, Washington, during the brewery’s annual pilgrimage to this hop-growing hotbed. Like many of its limited releases, LolliHop worked its way through the brewery’s small-batch Scratch Series, starting with an IPA hopped with Citra and Mosaic. The addition of Azacca provided the finishing touch on the hop combination for LolliHop.
“There’s only a handful of beers that have an ‘a-ha’ origin, and LolliHop is one of them,” says John Trogner, Tröegs brewmaster and co-founding brother. “Hop selection is key in finding the right Citra hops, and we build upon that with Azacca’s bright pear and melon notes.”
For the backbone, LolliHop utilizes Pennsylvania-grown rustic pale malt and a portion of wheat and oats to lend a silky, smooth texture with a touch of haze. The whimsical label art was created by Baltimore, MD-based artist and Art of Tröegs alum Devin Watson.
Urban Artifact adds to year-round Fruit Tarts lineup
Urban Artifact‘s Teak is a new year-round addition to their lineup of Fruit Tarts. Teak casts a high-level spell with the perfect marriage of tropical fruit and beer; the American Fruit Tart is packed with real pineapple, pink guava, and lime. The new beer will be available all year at Urban Artifact’s taproom and online store, as well as alcohol retailers across their distribution footprint.
Urban Artifact has focused on brewing world-class Fruit Tarts since 2015, showcasing their signature beer style – the Midwest Fruit Tart. The Cincinnati brewery is “focused specifically on owning the fruit beer/seltzer market – offering retail distribution in 12 states and shipping direct to 10.”
Hi-Wire Brewing set for spring time, sunny day sipping
That happy warmth brought on by sunny springtime days draws near, and with it comes two new Hi-Wire Brewing beers made for sipping in the sun.
Hi-Wire’s brand-new spring seasonal release Easy Pitch IPA comes in at a crushable 5% ABV and 55 IBUs. This addition to the brewery’s ‘Pitch Family’ of IPAs is full of tropical and lemon-lime notes from Citra and Cashmere hops. It’s bright, hoppy, and balanced with a modest hop bite and light malt bill. Easy Pitch IPA hits shelves starting at the end of March and will stick around through July 2022.
Hugs on the Beach Fruit Tart Ale (5.5% ABV) is inspired by the infamous cocktail of a very similar name. This is the second edition in Hi-Wire’s new Fruit Tart Series that embraces larger than life fruited sour ales brewed for sun-soaked days spent imbibing poolside. In crafting this exhilarating blend of big and bright flavors, 100 pounds of peach, cranberry, and tangerine along with optimal additions of vanilla and lactose go into every barrel.
DC Brau debuts barrel-aged doppelbock known as The Legislator
For the 10.5% behemoth that is The Legislator, DC Brau brewed a doppelbock and aged it in barrels imparting the prevailing dark stone fruit and toffee notes with a warming oaky finish. Robust notes of raisin, fig, toffee and subtle cocoa compliment subdued plum and prune flavors as well. Light carbonation and balanced hop bitterness lend to a silky smooth mouthfeel. It features Super Saazer hops and a malt bill of German Pilsner, Carafa II, Caramunich III, Melanoidin and Dark Munich.
Scott Davidson says
They are delicious too!