Widmer Brothers Brewing releases Alchemy Ale, conjured from unique hop blend

Craft Brew Alliance co-founder Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced a new addition to its core year-round lineup. It’s called Alchemy Ale, and this new brand is the brainchild of Widmer Brothers brewers, using a unique proprietary hop blend that comes from the magic and minds of folks like Brewmaster Joe Casey.

“Alchemy Ale is a great expression of brewing art and science,” said Casey. “We initially developed the Alchemy hop blend as a way to differentiate Widmer Brothers beers while managing variances in hop crops from year to year. While the Alchemy blend contributes to all of our beers in some way, no other beer in our portfolio showcases the complexity of flavors and aromas in hop blending better than its namesake, Alchemy Ale.”

The Alchemy hop blend is not new. It was developed by a local hop merchant and Widmer Brothers brewers in 2006 and has become a key ingredient in every Widmer Brothers beer. Since its development, the brewing team has experimented with a variety of recipes designed to showcase the unique characteristics of the super high alpha Alchemy hop blend. After exploring several recipes, hop additions and styles, the recipe for Alchemy Ale emerged as a favorite among Widmer Brothers brewers.

Alchemy hops are a blend of choice hops from the Pacific Northwest, hand-selected by Widmer Brothers brewers each year. After the annual selection of hops, they are blended during the pelletization process which creates a unique, blended pelletized hop exclusively for Widmer Brothers Brewing. This secret blend is the backbone for all Widmer Brothers beers and the magic behind Alchemy Ale.

“As brewers, we practice alchemy every day,” said Rob Widmer, co-founder of Widmer Brothers Brewing. “There’s a lot of ways to combine water, malt, hops and yeast to brew a great beer. With Alchemy, we really wanted to celebrate the brewing process; turning traditional brewing ingredients into liquid gold – and we’re really happy with the result.”

Alchemy Ale is now available year-round in markets across the country on-draught, in 12- and six-packs, and in 22-ounce bottles. Alchemy Ale can be found using the Widmer Brothers beer finder:widmerbrothers.com/find-beer. Widmer Brothers will be hosting a nationwide launch party for Alchemy Ale in 10 cities on April 19. For more info about Alchemy Ale Night, please visit the Widmer Brothers Facebook page: facebook.com/WidmerBrothersBrewing.

Alchemy Ale Specs:
Malts: Pale, Caramel, Munich, Vienna Extra Special
Original Gravity: 13.8 Plato
IBU: 40
ABV: 5.8%