With more than 150 breweries now licensed in Maine, it’s becoming increasingly important for each Maine brewery to differentiate their brand. So, why are 52 Maine brewers teaming up to release the same beer, with the same name, all across the state and beyond?
“This beer is a celebration of the collaborative spirit that has kept Maine brewers strong throughout the pandemic,” said Sean Sullivan, executive director of the Maine Brewers’ Guild. “So many people have discovered craft beer in the past five years, and what they love about it is the way we all work together. When we all brew the same recipe, it keeps that spirit alive and supports our industry.”
Now in its second year, the Collaboration IPA also helps support the Maine Brewers’ Guild, the nonprofit that serves the craft beer industry in Maine. In 2020, 44 breweries participated, raising $27,000 to directly support the Guild. This year, the Collaboration brew is expected to raise nearly $34,000.
“We chose to brew the beer to support the Maine Brewers Guild and the entire Maine brewing community,” said Jamie Blood, founder of Corner Point Brewing in Kittery. “Without all the guidance, support, and insight from the other brewers; as well as the support of the best guild around, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love for a living!”
The industry’s collaborative spirit spreads beyond taprooms and to the entire supply chain, with hop growers and maltsters donating ingredients to make Collaboration IPA v2 a reality. Crosby Hop Farms of Oregon and Yakima Chief Hops of Washington, along with two Maine-based maltsters – Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon, and Maine Malt House in Mapleton donated the hops and malt needed to brew the IPA. A New Hampshire based label company; Amherst Label stepped in to help brewers reduce costs for printing their labels.
“We love doing the MBG Collab for a couple reasons,” said Gale White, founder of Lubec Brewing. “While we brew a lot of different styles of beer, the MBG Collab is way outside our comfort zone in terms of hops variety and quantity. Our regular customers love being introduced to the “radical” beer styles of southern Maine and our visiting customers find comfort in a really hoppy IPA.”
And while the recipe is the same, each Collaboration IPA v2 will have its own unique taste, as many brewers add their own twist to the recipe. For example, Foundation Brewing Co. used the basic recipe but fermented the beer using lager yeast. Woodland Farms Brewery is brewing a non-alcoholic version. Bateau Brewing in Gardiner split the batch, fermenting one with a traditional IPA yeast, and the other with a yeast that produces lactic acid to make a sour IPA.
The Maine Brewers’ Guild Collaboration IPA v2 will be available on draft, in cans, and bottles from over 50 breweries throughout February and March. Maine Beer lovers can drink easy knowing that proceeds will directly support the Maine Brewers’ Guild and craft beer community.
New Realm Brewing has two core additions
After months of innovation and taproom trials, New Realm Brewing is launching two new beers to join the company’s core brand lineup. Haze Dipper and Tropic Dream are two very different ales with two very different sipping destinations. Haze Dipper is a Juicy Hazy Pale Ale brewed “with a unique combination of American and Australian hops, giving Haze Dipper a complex and fun hop presence,” notes Mitch Steele, Co-Founder and Brewmaster of New Realm Brewing.
“Australian Vic Secret Hops provide this beer with some lime character, as well as tropical fruit, floral, and spice notes. Comet is an old-school, almost forgotten classic American Hop that is loaded with citrus and pine character. Finally, we amped up the hop profile by combining these two hops with Citra. The result is an irresistible beer with glistening tropical fruit notes and celestial sweet orange marmalade aromatics.”
Tropic Dream is a Fruited American Wheat Ale brewed with both pale and wheat malts. What makes Tropic Dream complete is its delicious blend of all-natural blood orange, passion fruit and guava juices. Tropic Dream’s slightly tart and smooth finish will set beer lovers palates afloat on the high seas headed someplace both exotic and sunny.
Urban South has a Mardi Gras question for you (and the answers)
Are you sidewalk side or neutral ground side? Urban South Brewery won’t make you choose – you can enjoy both. New Orleans’ largest craft brewery is kicking off Mardi Gras season in style with the release of three specialty beers this month:
- Neutral Ground IPA: This year’s Neutral Ground IPA is fruited with juicy guava and hopped with Talus and Idaho Gem hops. The perfect parade sipper.
- Sidewalk DIPA: The extra-hoppy double IPA returns with aromatic waves of stone fruit and fresh-squeezed orange juice thanks to Cashmere and Nectaron hops.
- King Cake Milkshake Sour: A fruited sour with cinnamon, vanilla bean and cream cheese, this beer is the perfect, decadent Mardi Gras treat. Balanced with just the right amount of tartness to match the creamy sweetness of the warmer flavors.
All three beers are currently available on draft and in cans at Urban South’s Tchoupitoulas Street taproom while supplies last. King Cake Milkshake Sour is also on shelves throughout Urban South’s distribution footprint in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.
Bay Area Brewers Guild teams with direct-to-consumer retailer for series of mixed packs
The Bay Area Brewers Guild and Half Time Beverage partnered to launch a series of unique guild-curated mixed packs to celebrate California craft beer and the robust Bay Area craft beer scene. This partnership with a national direct-to-consumer retailer means the Guild will be able to showcase its membership of independent and world-class craft breweries to beer lovers within and outside of the Bay Area.
The initial pack, out now, spotlights SF Beer Week, the internationally renowned craft beer celebration currently running through February 20. The exclusive official SF Beer Week Mixed Pack is available through Half Time, shipping to 33 states, and features rare one-off releases, brewery collaborations, and beers from highly sought after breweries.
The SF Beer Week Mixed Pack contains twelve beers in which 16 brewers from the Bay Area Brewers Guild had a hand, including three one-off official SF Beer Week collaboration beers, each brewed by a team of member breweries using ingredients from Admiral Maltings and sporting labels designed by Barretto-co.
- Temescal Brewing – Intrinsic, a West Coast IPA enhanced with New Zealand Phantasm and featuring experimental and cryo hops, and an official SFBW collab brewed with Headlands Brewing Co. and Del Cielo Brewing Co.
- Devil’s Canyon Brewing Co. – Pure Harmony, a Cold IPA made with local honey, and an official SFBW collab brewed with ShaKa Brewing Co. and Brewing With Brothas; the label also features famed SF street artist fnnch’s iconic honey bear
- Cooperage Brewing Co. – Hop Drip, a Sour Fruit IPA and an official SFBW collab brewed with Adobe Creek Brewing Co. and Parliament Brewing Co.
- Humble Sea Brewing Co. – Ocean Party, a Dual Stage, Double Dry Hopped ‘Foggy’ IPA
- Fort Point Beer Co. – Prime 5, a Double IPA, brewed as a stand alone collaboration with HenHouse Brewing Co.
- HenHouse Brewing Co. – Weekly Beer Name Generator, a Doppelbock
- S27 Alehouse & Brewery – Belgian Experimental Series #1, a Saison featuring Belgian hops, grains and yeast, but dry hopped with German Saaz for a twist
- Gilman Brewing Co. – Maison de Campagne, a French Farmhouse Ale
- Original Pattern Brewing Co. – Smoked Coffee Porter featuring coffee from Timeless Coffee, plus a bonus brew, Hella Hallertau Blanc, a Helles Lager
- East Brother Beer Co. – Red Lager, a Vienna-style Amber Lager, plus Oatmeal Stout, a bonus brew featured in virtual cheese pairings
CraftHaus Brewery debuts official UNLV beer and hands-on lab for students
CraftHaus Brewery is brewing the official beer for UNLV, Rebel Spirit, Golden Ale, releasing on February 25. Brewed all year round with pride by UNLV Hospitality College Alumni, Wyndee Forrest, Dave Forrest, and head brewer Cameron Fisher, Rebel Spirit will be available at all games held at Thomas & Mack for all fans to enjoy. A portion of the proceeds will be gifted to the University.
“We are honored to represent our alma mater with Rebel Spirit,” said CraftHaus Brewery owner Wyndee Forrest. “The journey has come full circle with learning the skills to prepare us to run our own business, to now operating CraftHaus Brewery for the last seven years. It’s now time for us to give back to our University.”
The craft brew is only one element of the partnership as the brewery will be available as a working lab for hospitality undergrads to have a hands-on experience in operating a brewery. Students will learn sensory analysis, operating a service industry based business, brewing process, and how to be stewards to the local community.
“This partnership with CraftHaus Brewery underscores the college’s focus on practical learning and our growing emphasis on beverage operations,” said Dean of the UNLV Harrah College of Hospitality Stowe Shoemaker. “The fact that our CraftHaus partners—as UNLV alums—are investing in the next generation of industry leaders really shows our students what the Rebel Spirit is all about.”
Indeed Brewing’s Hurricane-inspired ale
Indeed Brewing Company is releasing a Hurricane Cocktail-Inspired Fruited Ale this week — a nod to Pat O’Briens scrappy libation that mixes together rum, passion fruit syrup, and lemon juice. The Hurricane has the reputation of supercharging a good night in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Brewed with cane sugar in the boil, passion fruit puree in the fermentor, and a dose of Hurricane-flavored essence in the bright tank, our cocktail-inspired malt beverage is sweet yet boozy, doing its namesake proud.
“This beer is made in the fashion of the famous Hurricane cocktail from New Orleans. We threw a bunch of dehydrated orange peel into the whirlpool and lots of passion fruit puree at the end of fermentation for a super fruity, tart, and sweet beer. To help boost the gravity of this beer, we also threw in some raw cane sugar as a nod to the rum in the drink. The result is a bright orange liquid that, despite its higher levels of alcohol, goes down as easy as the signature cocktail,” says Patrick Nickelson, Head Brewer, Indeed Milwaukee. “Instead of serving this in red solo cups and sending you out onto the streets of Walker’s Point, we are releasing 750ml bottles on the Saturday before Mardi Gras so you can pop open a bottle on Fat Tuesday, cut up a king’s cake, buy a dozen paczki, and join a second line. Pairs well with Professor Longhair, boudin, and beignets.”
Urban Artifact releases year-round fruit tart seltzers
After a successful year of limited-releases, Urban Artifact announced the year-round release of their Fruit Tart Seltzers. Focused on using only real fruit, each Fruit Tart Seltzer has no flavorings or sweeteners. Available now are Cranberry & Grape, Orange Creamsicle, and a Variety Pack also offering Black Cherry and Strawberry & Lemon. The Fruit Tart Seltzers will be available all year at Urban Artifact’s taproom 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. They dove headfirst into the fruit niche, now using more real fruit than any other brewery in the world. The brewery resides in Cincinnati’s Northside neighborhood; operating out of the historic St. Patrick’s church facility with a taproom, event space, live music venue, and radio station. The brewery is focused specifically on owning the fruit beer/seltzer market – offering retail distribution in 12 states and shipping direct to 10.
Mother Road Brewing celebrates star gazing with Lowell Lager
Mother Road Brewing Co. teamed with Lowell Observatory on the limited-edition Lowell Lager. Custom-brewed for gazing into the cosmos while enjoying a distinguished beer, Lowell Lager celebrates Flagstaff’s stellar astronomical history.
Much thought went into formulating a formula to reach the widest crowd while celebrating the 3rd Annual I Heart Pluto Festival. Lowell’s crew showed up at Mother Road for an epic brew day, with respect paid to past achievements in astronomy while looking forward to new horizons. A true co-creation of recipe, design and starry-eyed inspiration, building community one pint at a time is enhanced by scientific breakthroughs for the masses.
“Lowell Observatory is excited to once again partner with Mother Road on a specialty brew for the I Heart Pluto Festival,” said Lowell Observatory Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Dr. Danielle Adams. “This is a delightful collaboration between two community-minded organizations that honors Flagstaff as the Home of Pluto.”
As part of Lowell’s 3rd Annual I Heart Pluto Festival, the team created a Mexican-style lager brewed with pilsner, Vienna and a dab of honey malt. There’s flaked maize for notes of masa, tortilla chips and a slight sweetness. Traditional German Tettnanger coupled with trending Lemondrop and Cascade hops provide a hint of lemon and spice to all the malt-focus. At 4.1-percent ABV and 21 IBUs, it’s ready to sip, share and slake your thirst for connection.
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