Ninkasi Brewing Company has released Beer Run IPA at The Ninkasi Better Living Room to celebrate the Track & Field Olympic Trials in Eugene this June. This beer is the first of Ninkasi’s new Retro Tap series, where they’ll be brewing and releasing a beer from the Ninkasi vault once a month. These beers will be brewed on their 5-barrel pilot system and released exclusively at The Better Living Room.
“With our fifteenth anniversary in mind, we wanted to bring some Ninkasi cult favorites to share in The Better Living Room through our Retro Tap Series. Our most enduring fans can share pints and memories had with these classic beers in hand,” said Ninkasi Co-Founder and Head Brewer Jamie Floyd. “With the excitement of the Olympic trials returning to Eugene, we thought it would be perfect to bring back Beer Run, a beer we made for the running community as our first release in the Retro Tap Series. We will keep passing the torch, if you will, to a different classic beer to bring delicious memories back and into the next fifteen years.”
Originally debuted in 2016, Beer Run IPA was developed with the help of runners across the country. During development phases, a test batch of Beer Run IPA was brewed and featured at more than 25 community running events. Participants were asked to provide feedback and Ninkasi’s brewing team used it to craft the final recipe. Later in the year, the brewery partnered with nonprofit, TrackTown USA, to become the official beer of TrackTown USA for the 2016 Track & Field Olympic Trials. The beer was then released through Ninkasi’s distribution channels the following year in 6-packs.
The remainder of Ninkasi’s Retro Tap lineup will be slowly revealed, with teasers and announcements on The Ninkasi Better Living Room’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter throughout the coming months.
Ballast Point celebrates 25 years with a big ol’ mixed pack
To celebrate a quarter century of brewing, Ballast Point is releasing a new, limited-release 25th Anniversary Mix Pack. These beers embody the past, present, and future of Ballast Point with four classics that commemorate the journey along the way: Calico (Amber Ale, 1996), California Kölsch (German Style Pale Ale, 1996), Sculpin (IPA, 2005), and Big Gus (IPA, 2021). Ballast Point’s 25th Anniversary Mix Pack will feature 12, 12 oz. cans and will be available beginning mid-June initially in all Ballast Point tasting rooms and stores throughout Southern California.
- CALICO, Amber Ale (ABV 5.5%). The very first beer brewed on the original 15-barrel brewhouse at Home Brew Mart, Ballast Point’s ESB-inspired ale has seen a name and artwork change since it was first introduced in ’96.
- CALIFORNIA KÖLSCH, German Style Pale Ale (ABV 5.2%). A nod to the beloved German style, Ballast Point’s original Pale Ale is crafted with aromatic hops and rounded out with a blend of American and Munich malts. While California Kölsch is hopped like a lager, it’s fermented like an ale to create a smooth, bright taste that has a hint of honey up front and estery, banana notes.
- SCULPIN, India Pale Ale (ABV 7%). A blend of two near-identical homebrew IPA recipes originally named North Star IPA has since become a hallmark of the style. Named by resident artist Paul Elder over a few beers, Sculpin ended up being the apt name for the new West Coast-style IPA with the distinct bite.
- BIG GUS, India Pale Ale (ABV 6.5%). In honor of its 25th year of craft beer innovation in San Diego, Ballast Point added two new offerings to its year-round portfolio in early 2021: Big Gus and Wee Gus. The duo — a R&D hoppy lager and an IPA — mark the first additions to the portfolio since 2019.
Urban South collaborates with Son of a Saint program
Urban South Brewery collaborated with Son of a Saint on a new beer to be released last week. Building Lives is a fruited sour brewed with guava and banana, and the brewery’s release party allowed guests to learn more about the Son of a Saint program, which “strives to transform the lives of fatherless boys through mentorship, support, development, constructive experience and the formation of lasting peer-to-peer relationships.”
“I have been fortunate enough to participate as a mentor in the Son of a Saint program for over a year now, and the work they are doing is so impactful in our community,” said Alex Flores, Head Brewer for Urban South. “Our team is absolutely thrilled to offer up our skill set in order to support this amazing organization in any way possible.”
Oskar Blues brews an ode to the flapjack
Oskar Blues Brewery debuted Death By Flapjacks English Porter (6.5% ABV), the second entry of 2021 in their series of over-the-top Death By beers inspired by cult classic Death By Coconut Irish Porter. A gulp of Death By Flapjacks hits you with a huge maple wake up call, jacked up on syrupy goodness. Smooth vanilla, lactose, and a subtle hint of nutmeg complement the honey and crystal malts in this English Porter to provide the pancake-like vehicle for massive maple flavors. The addition of fresh lemon peel gives a quick palate reset so you can take another crack at this short stack flapjack brew.
“Brewing a pancake beer makes it all the more socially acceptable for me to never turn down a beer with breakfast when it’s offered,” said Juice Drapeau, head brewer for Oskar Blues Brewery. “The lactose and maple combination makes Death By Flapjacks a completely unique drinking experience great for early mornings and late nights or when late nights become early mornings.”
Tröegs Brewing fan favorite Nimble Giant now available
Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the release of its beautiful and balanced Double IPA, Nimble Giant. One of the brewery’s most-loved beers, this once-a-year release rivals its iconic holiday ale, Mad Elf, for the excitement it generates each year.
Nimble Giant came up through the brewery’s small-batch Scratch Series, starting with an experiment with Mosaic hops. After about half a dozen test batches, the Tröegs brewing team landed on a hop combination everyone loved – Mosaic, Simcoe and Azacca – and never looked back. In the end, Nimble Giant is rife with notes of grapefruit, pineapple and honeysuckle. Clocking in at 9% ABV, this deep orange double IPA is balanced by a backbone of pilsner and Vienna malt. It’s a big beer that goes down easy.
Mass. Bay Brewing teams with Olympian Ashley Wagner to promote body positivity this summer
According to a new national survey from Arctic Chill, 41% of Americans are more focused on taking care of their body as a result of the pandemic. To promote the power of body positivity and life-balance and help others on a path to self-empowerment, Mass. Bay Brewing’s Arctic Chill has announced a new summer-long partnership with figure skating champion and Olympian Ashley Wagner.
As an athlete performing at the elite level for more than a decade and a vocal advocate for body positivity, Wagner understands more than anyone how outside voices, and our own internal monologue, can impact the way we feel about ourselves and our body. To bring greater awareness to this issue, Arctic Chill and Wagner are helping raise funds for the Movemeant Foundation, a national charity that works to make fitness accessible, fun and empowering, while shifting the conversation away from weight loss and typical beauty ideals to one of body positivity. A portion of all proceeds from all Arctic Chill sales now through August will be donated to the organization.
“After competing as a figure skater for so long, it took me time after retirement to realize that skating was something I did, not who I was – I had to find comfort in my body and rediscover my confidence without a full face of makeup or intense training regime,” said Wagner, three-time national figure skating champion and Winter Games bronze medalist. “At the same time, I didn’t want to restrict myself with what I put in my body, but rather eat and drink in a mindful way that is sustainable long-term. I’m so excited to be partnering with Arctic Chill not only because I love their hard seltzers, but because of their commitment to empowering men and women alike to feel good in their bodies.”
“Arctic Chill was made to be a beverage you could feel good about drinking. We want to help our fans maintain a sense of balance when they are drinking that doesn’t sacrifice fun or flavor,” said Jon London, Chief Marketing Officer at Mass. Bay Brewing Company, maker of Arctic Chill. “Partnering with Ashley to support the Movemeant Foundation allows us to make a real impact, and Arctic Chill is proud to be supporting their mission of promoting body positivity and inclusion through wellness.”
The donation will go to the Movemeant Foundation’s Wellness for All grant program. With the goal of making fitness more accessible for everyone, the grants from this program are offered to females, women of color entrepreneurs, and organizations committed to making health and wellness inclusive to female BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities.
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