Hood River, Oregon – pFriem Family Brewers, one of the most award-winning breweries in Oregon, announced today that the brewery’s beloved IPA and Pilsner will be available in cans beginning in early March throughout Oregon and Washington. Both beers will continue to be made available on draft and in bottles.
Josh Pfriem, Brewmaster/Co-Founder, said, “With great anticipation and excitement, we are proud to announce that pFriem beer will now be available in cans, which is the realization of a long-term dream of ours. In our uncompromising approach, driven by the desire to make the best beer possible, we welcome this next step on our exciting journey! We are looking forward to being part of many outdoor adventures, backyard barbecues, or any occasion that calls for sharing a can of pFriem with our friends and fans in the Pacific Northwest.”
Pfriem continued, “The cans will feature the pFriem bear, which has been the brewery’s mascot and a reminder to take what we do seriously, but never take ourselves too seriously. He’s also a reflection of the love we have of the outdoors and how lucky everyone at pFriem Family Brewers feels to call Hood River, Oregon home.”
“What better place for us to start our canning program, than with IPA and Pilsner, which are among our most popular styles.” continued Josh Pfriem. “These two beers also pair best with the wintertime and summertime activities that we at the brewery love to do with a beer in hand, so it was a pretty easy choice.”
The brewery has upgraded its facility and enhanced its infrastructure to make way for canning. The team expects annual barrelage for cans to be around 5,000 barrels in 2019. To meet that production level as well as to continue to grow its draft and 500ml bottle production, the brewery will be expanding its Hood River facility in 2019.
While IPA and Pilsner are definitely the first two styles pFriem will can, the company has indicated that in the current dynamic craft beer market it’s difficult to predict which future styles it will introduce and when. Producing over 100 unique beers every year, it’s easy for the company to imagine some of those coming to cans after it launches IPA and Pilsner. pFriem noted that the brewery will continue to express its wide variety and brand depth through its 500ml and 375ml bottles.
About pFriem Family Brewers
pFriem Family Brewers (pronounced “”reem”) is a Northwest, German, and Belgian inspired 15-barrel brewery and tasting room in Hood River, OR. Founded in 2012 by Josh Pfriem, Ken Whiteman and Rudy Kellner, pFriem has experienced incredible growth in its short six years and has earned prestigious awards, including being named GABF® 2018 Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year and numerous medals in national and international brewing competitions. Best known for artisanal beers influenced by the great brewers of Europe while staying true to homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest, pFriem craft beers are unmistakably unique in both flavor and balance. Visit pFriem online at www.pfriembeer.com, or onsite daily at 707 Portway Ave., Suite 101, Hood River, OR 97031.
COVINGTON, Kentucky – Braxton Brewing Co., a local brewery with national recognition, announced major development plans to expand its Covington, Kentucky headquarters. Coming the summer of 2019, the 5,000-square foot rooftop bar, along with increased production capacity, will allow for the brewery to produce up to 30,000 barrels and ultimately serve the rest of the states of Tennessee and Ohio. Not only will this $5 million expansion help Braxton reach even more craft beer lovers, but will also further support the community of Covington at large. Currently under construction, the rooftop deck will offer guests both an indoor and outdoor experience where they can enjoy Braxton’s renowned craft beer and the views of Covington and Cincinnati.
Covington was Braxton’s first home. While this expansion to the brewery’s headquarters cements the city as Braxton’s forever home, it also challenges industry standards. From Braxton’s establishment, it was a brewery intended to make a material impact on a very fast-growing industry. The entire story of Braxton Brewing Co. mimics the American Dream with a commitment to maintaining a fast paced, high growth and to creating something new and special. With that in mind, the Braxton Brewing Co. team carefully considered where it wanted to take its success in 2019. Those plans lead the company to an aggressive development plan, keeping it nimble enough to be proactive in the face of the industry’s unprecedented changes.
DURANGO, Coloarado — Last month Ska Brewing and Proximity Malt collaborated on a Dark Rye Saison, Green Silo Saison, to recognize their partnership. Named for Ska Brewing’s new green silo filled with Proximity Malt, this beer will be available in limited 12-ounce canned 6-packs on January 11.
The Green Silo Saison was created by a conference call between the great minds of Ska Brewing, Proximity Malt, and Steve Dresler— a retired brewmaster from Sierra Nevada. Dave Kuske, Proximity Malt’s VP of Operations, described the recipe development process: “We wanted to think outside the box and showcase the spicy notes and characteristics of our chocolate rye with a brown Saison.”
Here are the 2018 Top 50 Abbey Quadrupel/Abt Ales Rated By Ratebeer.com. Abt, or quadrupel, is the name given to ultra-strong Trappist and abbey ales. The name Abt was pioneered to describe Westvleteren and the beer that would become St. Bernardus. Quadrupel was pioneered by La Trappe. Abts are the darker of the two, with more rich, deep fruity notes. Inspired by the Trappist brewers of Belgium, a Quadrupel is a Belgian style ale of great strength with bolder flavor compared to its Dubbel and Tripel sister styles. Typically a dark creation that ranges within the deep red, brown and garnet hues. Full bodied with a rich malty palate. Phenols are usually at a moderate level. Sweet with a low bitterness yet a well perceived alcohol. Neither have much in the way of hop, and both are very strong and malty. Though both are bottle-conditioned, abts trend more towards yeastiness. For the current top 50 Abby Quadrupel 
Portland, ME – For the first time in its 24-year history, Allagash White is going into a can. Starting this February, Allagash White will be released in four-packs of 16 oz. cans.
DURANGO, Colo. — Ska Brewing has teamed up with Snowdown, Durango’s premier winter celebration, to create a sure-fire cure to your cabin fever. Snowdown Comic Excelsior-Style Amber Lager will be available in the Durango area on draft and in limited 6-packs of 12 oz. cans beginning Friday, January 4.
ATHENS, GA – Creature Comforts Brewing Company will launch the 2019 campaign of its flagship community outreach program, Get Comfortable, on February 6. Starting with the 2019 campaign, the program will begin partnering with another brewery each year to release a collaborative beer to generate funds for the campaign. In the 2019 Get Comfortable season, Creature Comforts will partner with Russian River Brewing Company.
GREELEY, CO – Wiley Roots Brewing Company announced today that the brewery will celebrate the completion of construction on their 2018 expansion with their largest beer release to date, releasing five limited cans starting at 12pm on January 18, 2019.
MONTGOMERY, Ala.— Last month, Alabama Brewers Guild members from across the state gathered at Common Bond Brewers in Montgomery to create their annual collaboration beer, “Bitter Constituent,” an American-style India Pale Ale. A one-time, special recipe developed by Guild member sand made with five different hop varietals, Bitter Constituent (ABV 7.5 percent) will be available to the public exclusively at Common Bond Brewers beginning on Saturday, Jan. 12. Limited availability at select Alabama craft beer outlets will be announced at a later date. The release party at Common Bond begins at 3 p.m. and will include the opportunity to meet craft brewers from around the state and to win brewery gear in a door prize raffle. The event is free and open to the public, with the Guild collaboration beer available for sale on draft in the taproom and in on-demand, to-go packaging.Bitter Constituent is the fifth release in the Guild’s Capital Series of annual collaborations designed, in cooperation with the Alabama Bicentennial Commission, to celebrate each one of Alabama’s five historic capitals, culminating with Montgomery in 2019, the 200th anniversary of Alabama’s statehood. Prior collaborations paid tribute to St. Stephens (2015); Huntsville (2016); Old Cahaba (2017); and Tuscaloosa (2018). In addition to cooperation with the Bicentennial Commission, the Guild worked with a number of sponsors to develop Bitter Constituent, including Baker Street Digital, Country Malt Group, Crowler Nation, Resource Label Group, White Labs and Yakima Chief Hops.
The Virginia Beer Company ended 2018 on a high note, receiving a European Beer Star Award for its Elbow Patches Oatmeal Stout recipe in the worldwide Dry Stout category!