Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s new limited-edition Cryo Fresh Torpedo Wet Hop IPA (7% ABV) is the first-ever nationally distributed beer to feature Yakima Chief Hops’ proprietary (and very cool) Cryo Fresh hop technology.
Cryo Fresh Torpedo freezes hops in time. It’s like a Zack Morris time out, but for hops. This is great because hop flavors and aroma are most intense right when they’re picked and then fade fast. The innovators at Yakima Chief Hops isolate pure lupulin from just-picked wet hops and store it at subzero temperatures. This yields hop field freshness at anytime.
“This is the closest you can get to walking the fields, picking a hop, and rubbing it in your hands and smelling it,” says Sean Lavery, Sierra Nevada Technical Innovation & Brewing.
Sierra Nevada worked closely with Yakima Chief Hops as they developed the YCH 301 Trial hop product. This special hop blend delivers extreme notes of passion fruit, citrus and harvest magic.
It’s alive! Beer-wine hybrid coming via Fort Point, Broc Cellars
San Francisco-based Fort Point Beer is launching a beer-wine hybrid, Nouveau, created in partnership with Broc Cellars on Nov. 2 in 16 oz 4-packs online for $17 and in select stores, bars, and restaurants for a limited time.
“This partnership between two beloved Bay Area brands has been years in the making and is something that we hope becomes an annual tradition,” the Fort Point team tells us.
Inspired by the harvest season and the California Nouveau that flows shortly after, Nouveau is a bright, bubbly Farmhouse Ale that combines quintessential style elements from each producer. Broc chose and sourced the grapes, selecting Zinfandel grapes from Ricetti Vineyards in Mendocino to add punchy, juicy flavors, while Fort Point fermented the ale with our “house” Bière de Garde yeast to ensure a refreshing, well-structured body.
It’s back! Anchor Brewing is ready to release Christmas Ale
Each year, the brewmasters at Anchor Brewing Co. craft a new secret recipe and bottle the limited-edition Christmas Ale with a different festive hand-drawn tree label. Like last year, a portion of all sales benefit One Tree Planted, a non-profit dedicated to global reforestation planting millions of trees across 43 countries.
“Holidays at Anchor Brewing are always a special time to reflect on our history and the pioneering spirit that inspires our innovation,” says newly anointed Brewmaster Dane Volek. “Our incredible brewing team crafted a Christmas Ale that truly captures the essence of the holidays. We’re excited for fans to celebrate the season with us.”
So, what’s under the tree this year? The 48th annual Christmas Ale showcases notes of orange, honeysuckle, toasted malts, and eucalyptus. Structured with botanicals and pleasantly herbaceous hops, this rye-forward brew finishes with a touch of spice like the warming bitter-sweet notes of an Italian digestif. Anchor Brewing’s recently retired Brewmaster Tom Riley drove the creative direction for the spiced red rye ale as the grand finale to his storied 38-year tenure at the iconic San Francisco brewery.
This year’s hand-drawn label features a Blue Gum Eucalyptus tree, a nod to Mary Ellen Pleasant – a 19th-century San Francisco entrepreneur, financier, abolitionist, and civil rights activist.
It’s a winner! Again! Ritual Brewing still hyped on GABF gold
Ritual Brewing Co. took home yet another Gold Medal for their Big Deluxe Imperial Stout at the Great American Beer Festival.
“We are honored to once again to win one of the most coveted awards in American brewing,” said Steve Dunkerken, Ritual’s Co-Founder. “This is the second Gold Medal for Big Deluxe and an acknowledgement of the great team we have at Ritual.”
That’s in addition to wins at the California State Commercial Beer Competition, the Los Angeles International Beer Competition, the San Diego International Beer Competition and many others. This award-winning limited release Imperial Oat Stout is out now on draft or in bottles to-go at Ritual’s brewery in Redlands, Calif., their web store, and at specialty retailers throughout Southern California.
It’s a facelift! Pure Project teams with Tioga-Sequoia on beer and Joshua Tree cleanup
Pure Project is collaborating with Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co. on a hoppy lager and the awesome Joshua Tree Facelift, the first-ever cleanup event by the Yosemite Climbing Association and Friends of Joshua Tree in Joshua Tree National Park.
Hoppy Lager is brewed with Riwaka, Citra, & Centennial Cryo Hops. It is a refreshing and balanced accompaniment to days spent enjoying nature. This medium-bodied brew delivers bright aromas of clementine, pineapple, and pine to the nose, and flavors of lemon bar, kiwi, and resin to the palate — its clean taste reminds us of the importance of keeping our beautiful planet clean, and encourages the pickup of litter in our national parks, natural areas, and beyond.
It’s a game time! Second Chance partners with San Diego Gulls
Second Chance Beer Co. partnered with the San Diego Gulls, the minor league affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks, to create Gulls Blue Line Blonde Ale for the 2022-23 season at Pechanga Arena. The light, crisp American Blonde Ale (4.8% ABV) will be available at the team’s home opener tomorrow.
The beer, which has a hint of malt, is also available on tap and in cans at both Second Chance taprooms in Carmel Mountain and North Park. The can is wrapped in a distinct blue color and features iconic Gulls imagery. The wordmark “Gulls” pays homage to the first version of the team that debuted in 1966 in the Western Hockey League. The blue line in hockey is the start to a team’s offensive zone.
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