Fort Point Beer Co. is one of the relatively few craft beer companies that’s women-owned. The business is operated by Dina Dobkin (Chief Brand Officer) alongside her husband Justin Catalana (CEO). In the midst of the second Covid-19 lockdown, Dina kicked off a project to brew a beer with the women at Fort Point, helping them all to reconnect at a time of months-long isolation. This women brewers retreat of sorts resulted in Coven, a Rice Lager brewed with sage, lavender and citrus peel that will be the highlight of the brewery’s International Women’s Day.
Production manager Annie Rainey led the beer recipe development efforts, bringing together women from across departments to be a part of the process. Creating Coven took several steps, they tell us:
- Inspiration Hike – We started with a women’s team hike through our brewery’s neighborhood in the Presidio of SF (pictured above). We observed, tasted, and smelled many, many plants to find flavors and scents that inspired us, creating a mood board of qualities we wanted the beer to evoke.
- Blending Session – Annie created concentrated syrups of different herbs and led the women through a blending session, pairing these liquids with beers to hone in on the right flavor combination. Sage and lavender (scents we picked up on the hike) added just the right accent to a crisp rice lager.
- Pilot Batches & Taste Testing – Annie worked in a special hop blend from Pink Boots to the recipe (Pink Boots is an organization that supports women in the beer industry). We developed several pilot batches, taste testing them with our team so everyone could say what they liked (and what they didn’t). For the final version we added citrus peel, which contributed the pop of brightness we needed to get the beer just right!
Coven will be released on International Women’s Day, Tuesday, March 8th, on Fort Point’s webstore, Fort Point Direct. It will also be available in cans and on draft at their retail locations. Fifty percent of the proceeds from sales of Coven will be donated to Pink Boots. A small amount will be available at bottle shops, bars, and restaurants throughout California, with a focus on those that are women-owned.
From there and throughout the rest of March, Women’s History Month, Fort Point’s flagship beer hall’s guest beer list will be dedicated to local women-owned breweries.
Crux Fermentation debuts non-alcoholic hazy IPA
To keep up with demand from the fastest-growing segment in craft beer, Crux Fermentation Project has released its newest non-alcoholic beer: NØ MØ HAZY IPA. Crafted with traditional brewing ingredients so drinkers will find a similar flavor and mouthfeel, NØ MØ HAZY IPA features Pacific Northwest-grown BRU-1 and Sabro hops for big tropical flavors with hints of pineapple and coconut. The Hazy IPA follows the release of Crux’s first non-alcoholic beer just last year, NØ MØ IPA. Both “near” beers clock in at just 30 calories and under 0.5% ABV.
“NØ MØ is growing quickly as a brand for us as we work to provide alternative options to both our regional fans and taproom guests,” said Larry Sidor, Founder and Master Brewer at Crux Fermentation Project. “We have been experimenting with and perfecting our non-alcoholic recipe for years, and NØ MØ has only gotten better as we’ve continued to dial it in. Adding this new Hazy IPA to the NØ MØ family gives non-alcoholic drinkers a new flavor profile to explore.”
NØ MØ HAZY IPA and NØ MØ IPA are both distributed by Columbia Distributing and are currently available in 12-ounce six-pack cans throughout Crux’s distribution footprint in Oregon and Washington. Residents of Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona and Nevada can purchase NØ MØ online and have it shipped directly to their doorstep from the brewery.
Lord Hobo adds a Lager to their 617 lineup
Lord Hobo announced 617 Lager as the newest draft pick to their 617 lineup. This crisp golden lager diversifies their illustrious hop-centric portfolio. They have crafted it with a single hop and single malt to allow the beauty of those ingredients to shine through and finish clean.
“617 Lager has become a huge favorite at Lord Hobo,” says Master Brewer Keith Gabbett. “The clean maltiness and balanced bitterness let the noble hop character shine through making this lager incredibly easy to drink. We couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with everyone.”
The 617 brand emulates everything real about Boston. “We take pride in embracing our Boston roots with the extension of our 617 brand. It reinforces our sense of Boston identity and continues our love affair with the city.” states Marketing Director, Aubree Karls. As Lord Hobo continues to grow, adding an additional location in Boston’s Seaport this spring, their beverage selection follows with the extension of some of their more notable brands.
CraftHaus named official craft beer of BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400
Mint 400 officials announced that CraftHaus Brewery will return as the Official Craft Beer of the BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 in 2022. Six-packs of the Mint 400 Collector’s Edition Silver State Blonde Ale are available for online order and on-site pickup now, and will be served throughout the week of the Great American Off-Road Race, from the Mint 400 Off-Road Festival on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas to the start-finish line at Primm.
“We’re delighted to welcome CraftHaus Brewery back as the Official Craft Beer of the Mint 400 in 2022,” said Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli. “The Mint 400 Collector’s Edition Silver State Blonde Ale was a huge hit at last year’s race, and we’re excited to enjoy it once again with all-new collector’s packaging this year. Beyond making great beers, CraftHaus’ commitment to both enriching the local community and upholding the integrity of their industry are perfect fits for the Mint 400, which has long shared the same motivations toward off-road racing. We can think of no better partners than CraftHaus to honor those same commitments as we wait for racers at the finish with a cold Silver State Blonde Ale!”
“We are honored to represent The Mint 400 again for another spectacular race,” said Wyndee Forrest, CraftHaus Brewery Co-Owner and Founder. “This partnership is extremely special to us because of The Mint’s quintessential Las Vegas history. We aim to do our town proud and have all off-road race fans enjoy a taste of Vegas.”
Narragansett Beer readies Pink Boots Double Pockets for International Women’s Day
Founded in 1890, Narragansett Beer is a staple within the New England community – always having been “made with honor” and proud of the Ocean State they call home. While heritage and tradition play a large role in the brand’s story, ‘Gansett is proving to be more than just your standard Lager, pairing heritage with innovation to create new and exciting craft styles at their Providence brewery spearheaded by head brewer Lee Lord.
“It’s been awesome to explore the local history of brewing and utilize all the tools available within our brewhouse to merge tradition with innovation,” Lord says. “We love brewing throwback beers as a way to honor ‘Gansett’s heritage while also being able to play with new and unique tastes.”
In the coming couple weeks, Narragansett will launch two new releases including the Hanley Peerless Ale, a traditional English Style Pale Ale that pays homage to Rhode Island’s rich brewing history, and Pink Boots Double Pockets, a double IPA available online for pre-order on March 8th just in time for International Women’s Day.
Braxton Brewing debuts easy-drinking IPA with redesigned HQ
Cincinnati’s Braxton Brewing Co.‘s new Switch is a beer crafted without pretension to make IPA’s accessible and enjoyable for the average drinker. Alongside Braxton’s Garage Beer, “the everyone’s, everywhere, everyday beer”, Switch is expected to be the brand’s standout IPA for year-round enjoyment.
“Creating and releasing Switch is something we’ve looked forward to for a while. We can’t wait for the Braxton consumer to fall as much in love with our new everyday IPA as they have with our other beers,” says Jake Rouse, Co-Founder and CEO of Braxton Brewing Co. “We’ve brought everything we love about Braxton Brewing into the process for Switch – it’s unpretentious and delicious. It feels like there’s no better time to introduce this newest offering than by also inviting taproom guests to the reveal of our reconstructed taproom in Covington.”
Braxton’s Switch IPA was celebrated at the reveal of Braxton’s refreshed and redesigned headquarters during a tapping party on Feb. 26. The newly renovated Covington taproom is more inclusive of the brewing process. The garage inside the taproom has been redesigned with guests in mind, increasing seating capacity, opening up the space and putting the beer front and center.
Indeed Brewing’s Giant for a Day harkens to your favorite double IPAs
Indeed Brewing Co. is introducing a new core beer to its lineup, Giant for a Day Double IPA. In beer years, a double IPA is ancient. Older and wiser, Giant for a Day Double IPA dips into the rosy depths of nostalgia to create a familiar, friendly beast of a beer— one to sip on while making tall tales even taller. Drawing from the magnificence of the mighty redwoods, which grow at a slow and stately pace but are constantly in upward motion, GFAD taps into the roots of craft brewing while launching us all forward.
“When we first began talking about making a Double IPA, we all started reminiscing about the first time we tried our favorite DIPAs—Hopslam, Abrasive, Enjoy By, Pliny the Elder—and how much the DIPA nostalgia mirrored the time which we first fell in love with craft beer. I think a lot of us have moved to drinking more Pilsner and Pale Ales, but we got excited about making a DIPA again,” says Ryan Bandy, Sales Director, Indeed Brewing Company. “Giant for a Day is West Coast in style—bright and bitter, loaded with one of our favorite old-school hops (Simcoe) combined with a massive dry hop of new-school hops that we’ve been digging (Lotus and Idaho 7). We hope you grab a six-pack and reminisce about craft beer memories while drinking a fresh DIPA.”
Giant for a Day features artwork by local Minneapolis artist Chuck U. “We wanted the brand and can art to lend itself to how ‘big’ of a beer was inside all while being inviting and evoking charm and nostalgia at the same time,” says Andy Kiekhafer, Creative Director, Indeed Brewing Company. “Giant for a Day double IPA is our uplifting, friendly, reminder that life’s big moments are what matter most.”
Shiner and Poteet Texas combine forces with Strawberry Blonde
Shiner, Texas is known for beer; Poteet, Texas is known for strawberries. This spring, the best of both worlds have come together in one tasty beer. Now available nationwide is Shiner Strawberry Blonde (4.3% ABV), brewed with juicy, homegrown strawberries from the strawberry capital of Texas and a mix of pale and wheat malts for a crisp finish. It’s ripe for the drinking.
- Malt: Malt Premium Two Row Malt, Munich Malt, Caramel Malt, Wheat Malt
- Hops: Nugget
- Yeast: Lager
- Ingredients: Poteet, Texas Strawberries from Jim Collums Farms
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