Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and woman-owned, Brooklyn-based brewery TALEA Beer Co. are joining forces to scour Brooklyn in search of the best ingredients among the bounty of bodegas the neighborhood has to offer for a limited-edition collaboration beer. Ultimately, they hand-selected ripe cherries and pink peppercorns to concoct a sour ale cleverly named Bodegose (5.0% ABV).
Each brewery’s will have its own spin too: Dogfish Head’s version of Bodegose contains exotic guava; and TALEA is set to launch a variation brewed with mango, both rooted in a cherry and pink peppercorn base.
“I’ve had a blast working side-by-side with the team at TALEA and Dogfish Brewing Manager, Bryan Selders, to bring Bodegose to life. I homebrewed my first beer ever with overly ripe cherries that I purchased from a bodega in Manhattan, so this was a full-circle moment for me,” said Dogfish Head Founder & Brewer, Sam Calagione. “I’m even more excited to bring a taste of our off-centered experience in New York City to coastal Delaware.”
In honor of the release, Dogfish Head will host a New York City-bodega-inspired launch party at its Rehoboth campus on Oct. 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. complete with coffee pop-up, hot dogs and live music. Up in Brooklyn, TALEA will kick off the beer’s release at its Williamsburg taproom with a fun run on Friday, Oct. 21.
“Collaborating with Sam and his team is an honor. We’ve long admired Dogfish Head for their innovation and story-telling. It was a dream come true to work together on this project to create a sour beer that represents both the culture of New York City through the lens of bodegas and that fulfills our mission to brew easy-to-love beers,” says Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland, the founders of TALEA.
Lawson’s Finest Mad River Maple making its way across Northeast
Lawson’s Finest Liquids is making its classic Mad River Maple available across its entire nine state distribution area of VT, CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, and RI.
Mad River Maple is a robust, rich maple ale brewed with 100% pure Vermont maple syrup. At 8% ABV, the beer delivers a smooth, palate pleasing feel with a slightly sweet finish. The beer’s name pays homage to Green Mountain State’s legendary Mad River Valley, home to both Lawson’s Finest Liquids and some of the region’s most sought after maple syrup producers.
“Mad River Maple was originally inspired by an old English homebrewing recipe that calls for molasses as a sweetener,” explains Sean Lawson, CEO and Founding Brewer of Lawson’s Finest Liquids. “Instead, we load Mad River Maple with some of the region’s best, 100% pure Vermont maple syrup. The early addition of bittering hops balances out the sweetness, resulting in a complex brew with layers of flavor.”
Mad River Maple is the newest addition to Lawson’s Finest Liquids calendar of specialty distributions. The beer arrives following the introduction of Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ black IPA, Big Hoppy, both as perfect seasonal flavors for fall. Both beers are now available in 4-packs at retailers across the Northeast. To close out the 2022 specialty distribution calendar, Lawson’s Finest Liquids will reintroduce its celebrated annual Barrel-Aged Winter Lager later this year.
Flying Dog’s controversial Freezin’ Season is back
Hide the children: Flying Dog Brewery’s Freezin’ Season Winter Ale is returning to shelves. When you look at the packaging and brand name, it is hard to believe (IMO) that this was considered controversial, but it was. North Carolina censors banned the sale of Freezin’ Season in their state, but the dog fought the law and the dog won.
The brewery was notified that its label for Freezin’ Season – illustrated by world-renowned artist Ralph Steadman and depicting a cartoon character standing by a fire – was rejected by the Commission for, inexplicably, being in “bad taste”. This marked another censorship victory for the brewery. Before the brewery went to court in North Carolina, it won previous First Amendment cases in both Colorado and Michigan over beer labels.
This year, Freezin’ Season is hitting shelves in advance of Free Speech Week (Oct 17 – 23, 2022). This 7.4% ABV spiced winter ale works from the inside, ratcheting up your inner temps with each delicious sip of dark fruit flavors on top of a malty backbone. And with an aroma reminiscent of baked cherry pie, Freezin’ Season is the ideal beer for crisp air and impending seasonal affective disorder.
Lone Tree Brewing’s adjunct-less Vanilla Carmel Amber is back
It’s Vanilla Caramel Amber season at Lone Tree Brewing, where this autumnal favorite makes its return in cans for the sixth year. Look for this beer in canned 6-packs across Colorado and Kansas this season.
Originally developed on Lone Tree Founder John Winter’s homebrew system, this beer’s rich caramel and vanilla flavors are created with crystal malt and Madagascar vanilla beans— and no other adjuncts either. The base beer is a traditional American Amber with a good helping of hops to balance out the sweetness of the vanilla. This cold month staple is a drinkable 6% ABV. Vanilla Caramel Amber is available across the brewery footprint in Colorado and Kansas.
Ska Brewing’s cold weather seasonals (and snowboard) on the way
The leaves are turning and the beers at Ska Brewing are getting darker in color. It’s officially autumn in Southwest Colorado, marked by the release of Ska’s two cold month seasonals: Mexican Style Lager Dark and Euphoria Pale Ale.
2022 marks Euphoria Pale Ale’s sixteenth year in a can. This winter ale’s story begins at Purgatory Ski Resort for which the recipe was originally crafted, and travels to Silverton, Colorado where the brewery teams up with Venture Snowboards to create a custom, Ska-themed snowboard each year. The brewery will announce this season’s snowboard giveaway details on social media.
Mexican Style Lager Dark hit Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango last week and is now available across its United States distribution footprint. Ska first introduced this dark lager in cans in January of 2021 to round out the winter months with a dark variant of the famed summer seasonal Mexican Logger. It’s a smooth and slightly sweet beer that’s balanced with mild bitterness, subtle caramel flavors, and a touch of roast on the finish.
Award winners Neshaminy Creek, Dock Street combine awesomeness on Bone Roaster
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. has won multiple GABF medals for Croydon Is Burning Smoked Lager, while Dock Street Brewery has taken medals for Man Full of Trouble Porter. With their powers combined, these two Eastern Pa. breweries came up with Bone Roaster Smoked Porter (ABV of 5.7%).
Fermented with the yeast strain, Darkness, Bone Roaster has a complex aroma layered with wood smoke, chocolate, and freshly baked bread. This medium-to-full-bodied porter possesses a rich malt character, deep smoky notes, and a clean, bone-dry finish with a haunting whisper of English hops. Bone Roaster will be available at all three Neshaminy Creek taprooms in Croydon, Dublin, New Hope, and Dock Street South on Washington Avenue in Philadelphia, with limited distribution throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland to follow.
“The fun thing about this business is getting to share the finished product with friends so it’s even better when your friends are involved in the entire process. They’re bringing their unique skills and points of view to make a richer, tastier experience and sometimes things get a little nutty,” says Owner and Lead Brewer, Rob Jahn.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.