Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Cabot Creamery say they have scientifically engineered the perfect beer to pair with sharp cheddar cheese (specifically Cabot Creamery’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar cheese), and it’s about time someone put science to good use.
Clocking in at 5.5% ABV, the aptly named Perfect Pairing is unfiltered and hop-forward with juicy, citrusy notes of grapefruit and pineapple. Beautiful hazy-golden in color, it features whey from Cabot Creamery, which contributes both a compelling body and subtle sweetness to the beer.
“The carbonation, light bitterness and balanced fruity flavors of The Perfect Pairing prepare and cleanse the palate in between bites of our creamy, tangy, bold Seriously Sharp Cheddar cheese,” said Maegan Olsen, R&D Food Technologist at Cabot Creamery. “The Perfect Pairing shares some of the same DNA as Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar, with the use of Cabot’s whey permeate as a unique ingredient to the recipe. The collaboration was a natural fit (and extremely fun!) as Dogfish + Cabot both take the time to lovingly craft their products starting with the magical process of fermentation.”
Hitting shelves from coast-to-coast this month, The Perfect Pairing will be available exclusively in Dogfish Head’s new Off-Centered Party Pack alongside 12oz cans of 90 Minute IPA, 60 Minute IPA and Blue Hen Pilsner. Recommended cheese pairings for each of variety pack’s beers are also included, courtesy of Cabot Creamery.
“Many folks think of pairing cheese with wine, but beer and cheese pairings can be just as complex and delicious,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Founder & Brewer. “We had a blast working alongside the folks at Cabot to create, from a sensory perspective, the perfect beer to pair with sharp cheddar cheese. With The Perfect Pairing, and Dogfish Head’s entire Off-Centered Party Pack, we want to open drinkers’ minds and palates to the intricacies of beer and cheese and introduce them to the culinary magic that can be found when you artfully combine the two.”
Lazy Dog Beer Club features university brew programs
Lazy Dog Beer Club, a quarterly membership subscription created by beer lovers, for beer lovers, sought out esteemed college university brew programs to help create the beers included in a quarterly release. The kit, dubbed “Mad Science,” includes an eight-pack of four unique 16-ounce beers, developed by four universities across the country and brewed in collaboration with Melvin Brewing. Lazy Dog Beer Club also donated to each of the schools for scholarships that will assist students pursuing careers in brewing professions.
Students utilized their brewing skills to create a recipe concept, brew a sample pilot batch, and consult with expert brew masters from major breweries. The students also worked with a professional illustrator to develop the can artwork and a beer name to match the theme.
The beers are packaged in a carrier that weaves in fun laboratory-themed inspirations. A zine provides an overview of each school and beer style, plus tasting notes, ingredients, and suggested pairings for each beer. The “Mad Science” kit is available to qualified Lazy Dog Beer Club members starting mid-August. It includes the following beers:
“Spark of Genius” Extra Special Bitter + Tea // ABV: 5.5% // IBU: 26 | Colorado State University’s Fermentation Science & Technology students created an extra special bitter ale with leaves of Earl Grey tea. The grist-English Pale malt, English Crystal 37, Munich and chocolate malts, plus the addition of English Earl Grey tea, bring a caramel sweetness and mild tannic bitterness to the beer. Colorado State University’s Fermentation Science and Technology four-year degree program launched in 2013.
“Liquid Gold” California Common // ABV: 5.1% // IBU: 31 | University of California, Davis, students presented a California common-style beer that is an amber-colored malty discovery with herbaceous-floral notes. The recipe is a hybrid beer experiment, brewed like an ale but with lager yeast. The name was inspired by the local history of the San Francisco region during the California Gold Rush. University of California, Davis, of course, has one of the oldest brewing programs in the U.S., and a well-respected national and international reputation.
“It’s ALIVE!” Single Hop IPA // ABV: 6.7% // IBU: 80 | The University of South Florida in St. Petersburg developed an East Coast IPA that has peppery-citrus notes, thanks to the use of a single hop: the almighty Zeus. This medium-bodied brew lab masterpiece has an approachable, full IPA taste. The University of South Florida’s Brewing Arts program started as a collaboration between local breweries and the professors at the school. The 23-week online program offers a Brewing Arts Certificate.
“Time Traveler” Dry-Hopped Belgian Ale// ABV: 7.9% // IBU: 35 | The Fermentation Science Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., paired medieval Belgian super yeasts from the 5th century with New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops from the 21st century to create Time Traveler, a dry-hopped Belgian ale. The pilsner and biscuit malts and corn sugar in the ingredients create a light, biscuity malt flavor with tropical fruit taste.
Harpoon goes no-alcohol for Open League
Harpoon Brewery, maker of fan-favorite Rec. League, is adding to its League Family with the launch of its first non-alcoholic hazy IPA: Open League. Brewed with juicy tropical hops and recreation-minded ingredients, Open League is a light and refreshing beverage at only 35 calories and less than 0.5% ABV per serving.
Made for those who want to beat the buzz while still enjoying the taste of a refreshing, hop-forward beer, Harpoon’s newest year-round offering is brewed with some of the same better-for-you ingredients as Rec. League, like toasted buckwheat, chia seeds, and sea salt for electrolytes. Whether finishing up a summer hike or just wanting to enjoy a night out without the morning-after hangover, Open League is a light yet flavorful beer open for everyone* to indulge in – and fans can still reach for a can of its 4% ABV counterpart, Rec. League, for those moments that call for a little celebration with traditional beer.
To celebrate the launch of Open League, Harpoon is inviting fans to join them for a free fitness event hosted by Eliza Shirazi of Kick It by Eliza. Kick It With Eliza @ Harpoon will take place at the brewery on Sunday, August 28th at 10AM, offerings folks a morning of Kickboxing, Boxing, Rhythmic Components, and a Meditative Cool Down.
Urban South’s Lime Cucumber Gose keeps racking up awards
Urban South Brewery’s Lime Cucumber Gose won a gold medal in the Vegetable Beer category of the 2022 U.S. Open Beer Championship. This is Lime Cucumber Gose’s third time being recognized in the U.S. Open Beer Championship, the second largest annual beer judging competition in the United States. The beer has also received gold medals at the 2021 Can Can Awards and the 2020 Great American Beer Festival.
Lime Cucumber Gose is Urban South’s take on the traditional German Gose: an unfiltered, kettle-soured wheat beer with kosher salt, key lime and cucumber juice. The beer launched in 2017 as a taproom-only offering, and later expanded into limited distribution as one of Urban South’s seasonal summer beers. In 2021, Lime Cucumber Gose officially became part of Urban South’s core lineup as a year-round offering in full distribution.
This year, breweries sent more than 9,000 brews representing over 150 styles of beer to be judged in the U.S. Open Beer Competition. Lime Cucumber Gose won in the Vegetable Beer category, recognized for its evident vegetable flavor not overpowered by hop aromas.
Neshaminy Creek Brewing brings back fan fav, debuts Young Pumpkinstein for fall
Neshaminy Creek Brewing announces the return of fan-favorites Punkless Dunkel and Young Pumpkinstein. Punkless Dunkel is a Dark Wheat Ale with Pumpkin and Spices. Starting with an imperial version of a retired brew, Dunks Ferry Dunkelweizen, as the base, pumpkin puree along with more than a dash of all the classic pumpkin pie spices is added right into the kettle. Dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice all pair perfectly with the banana esters and spicy clove notes imparted by the yeast during its vigorous fermentation. The rich malty body, somewhat sweet character, and warm finish make Punkless Dunkel the go-to brew as Autumn comes into view.
Neshaminy Creek Brewing is debuting Young Pumpkinstein, a medium-bodied Märzen-Style Lager with a
toasty malt character brewed with allspice, candied ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The beer recalls
freshly baked bread and ginger snaps – a fall favorite around the brewery. The bright pumpkin spices and
classic German hops, Herkules and Hallertauer, compliment the Young Pumpkinstein’s dry finish and
5.2% ABV.
“Pumpkin beers have become a standard now for every brewery so we decided to put the Creek’s spin on
traditional pumpkin, and thought why not make ours unique and exciting?” says Head Brewer, Jason
Ranck. “It is always astounding to see the support and craving for these fall-forward beers well before the
leaves start to turn.”
Flying Dog collabs with Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey for two specialty products
Flying Dog has joined forces with Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey to create two new specialty products as part of The Osopher project, a commemorative release to celebrate the founder of both companies, George Stranahan, who passed away in 2021. Both versions of The Osopher go on sale this month.
Flying Dog visited the archives to bring back Road Dog Porter, the first beer George ever created for the brewery. They brewed an imperial version of the beer before it was aged in 10 year-old Stranahan’s whiskey barrels and bottled in a 750ml format. The barrels were then shipped back to Stranahan’s where they barrel-aged the oldest whiskey Stranahan’s has ever put in a bottle. The result of this process is the creation of two limited edition beverages that have taken on unique and delicious flavor profiles from their shared casks.
And the name ‘Osopher’? That comes from George and his constant thirst to learn and do new things. From Flying Dog’s CEO Jim Caruso: “George was a man of many talents, he considered himself a ‘pilgrimosopher,’ so The Osopher speaks to the idea that you can pursue anything if you’re just crazy enough to try it.”
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