Beer Info

Beer News, Beer Releases and New Breweries

Archives for January 2023

Lawson’s Finest Debuts 2023 Beer Release Calendar

by

Lawson's Finest LiquidsWAITSFIELD, Vermont – Lawson’s Finest Liquids is giving craft beer fans reason to celebrate with today’s release of the iconic brewery’s 2023 distribution calendar. This year, Sip of Sunshine IPA, Little Sip IPA and Scrag Mountain Pils return as year-round distributions, with rotating specialty releases and brand-new beers to debut across Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Other specialty releases, including Brave Little State Pale Ale and Mad River Maple Ale, will be available year-round in Vermont.

Double Sunshine Ruby Red Grapefruit kicks off 2023’s specialty distributions this month. The beer is now available to bring a taste of summer to the Northeast until March. Five other fan-favorite specialty releases will follow throughout the year. Super Session IPA is available now through the summer. Kiwi, a Double IPA made with New Zealand hops will be available beginning in May. Scrag-arita (formerly known as Scrag Mountain Pils Salt and Lime), returns to the Northeast in July. Mad River Maple follows in September, with a barrel-aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout set to close out the year.

Rounding out the 2023 distribution calendar is the debut of several brand-new beers including an all-new year round IPA this spring. Meanwhile, recipe development is underway on three all-new specialty beers on tap for release later this year: a fruited Gose, a higher-ABV IPA and a nitro stout offering. Additionally, Sip of Sunshine IPA will be available in individual, 19.2 oz cans beginning in April.

“We’re introducing four new brands and bringing back some of our most sought-after beers as seasonal releases for the third straight year. We’re very excited to offer our fans such a wide variety of the finest, freshest beer in the Northeast all year long.” said Sean Lawson, CEO and founding brewer of Lawson’s Finest Liquids. “This year we’re bringing the most ambitious and diverse lineup of beers in our history to the Northeast.”

ABOUT LAWSON’S FINEST LIQUIDS

Lawson’s Finest Liquids crafts and delivers the finest and freshest beer possible to delight our fans and to cultivate healthy, vibrant communities through our Social Impact Program. The brewery is a values-driven business with a commitment to excellence, authenticity, community, sustainability and fun. Founded by Sean and Karen Lawson, the company boasts a growing collection of award-winning beers brewed with passion and precision including the renowned Sunshine family of IPAs. Beginning as a home-based 1bbl nanobrewery in 2008, Lawson’s Finest expanded production capacity in 2011 and 2014, growing to include distribution across nine states in the Northeast. In 2018, Lawson’s Finest opened its popular destination Brewery, Taproom and Retail Store in central Vermont’s Mad River Valley town of Waitsfield.

For More Information:
https://www.lawsonsfinest.com/beer/#release-calendar

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

Bent Water Brewing Releases Blast Off, its Annual Anniversary Beer, to Celebrate Seven Years

by

Bent Water BrewingLYNN, Massachusetts – This week, Bent Water Brewing Company, from Lynn, Massachusetts, announced that it will be releasing its annual anniversary beer, Blast Off, to celebrate the start of a new year and commemorate seven years of brewing.

Blast Off was one of the founding team’s original – and favorite – homebrewing recipes. Based on feedback from family and friends, the recipe was dialed up and put into cans to help officially commemorate the opening of the Bent Water facility in Lynn, back in 2016.

“We’re always pretty excited when Blast Off comes back,” said Drew Yeager, Head Brewer, Bent Water Brewing. “We don’t brew a lot of it, but it sells fast. Our loyal customers get excited that we still commit to an anniversary beer, since you don’t see as many breweries doing that anymore. It’s a nice way for them to celebrate with us. It also feels like a great way to kick off a new year and celebrate the successes of the past years and new experiences and success to come.”

Blast Off is a New England IPA brewed with Mosaic hops and the Falconer’s Flight hop blend to provide bold, tropical flavors. The addition of wheat during the brewing process provides a soft, full-bodied drinking experience.

About Bent Water Brewing Co.

Bent Water Brewing is a Lynn-based brewery that focuses on consistent, quality craft beers. Founded in 2015 by Massachusetts North Shore residents, Bent Water operates on a 30 BBL system and proudly utilizes Lynn’s superior water source. Bent Water Brewing distributes to Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida.

For More Information:
https://www.bentwaterbrewing.com

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

Southwestern College Fermentation Science Program Students Collaborate with NOVO Brazil Brewing to Create Tzunúm Australian Pale Ale

by

NOVO Brazil Brewing CompanyIMPERIAL BEACH, California – Students from Southwestern College’s Fermentation Science Program have collaborated with NOVO Brazil Brewing Company to create Tzunúm, an Australian Pale Ale that is available on draft only at the brewery’s Imperial Beach location.

Tzunúm marks the first time students of the program have brewed outside of the classroom and in a professional brewery. The program started in Spring 2018 with a lecture class, and the first brewing lab was held in Fall 2019 with a small, five-gallon system.

Tzunúm, which is Mayan for hummingbird, was named by the students for its lightness and summer-y features. It has a light golden color, steady white head, and a 5.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). The beer is slightly hazy, and it features a citrus and fresh lime zest from a single hop of Wakatu.

“It was such a privilege to see the eager students get actual hands-on experience in a professional setting,” said NOVO head brewer Guilherme Hoffman. “It was a great, exciting moment for these beginner brewers, and I can’t wait to be a part of more projects with them.”

Only one keg was created in NOVO Imperial Beach’s nano brewery, and Hoffman expects sales of Tzunúm to not last through next week. The participating students were Amanda Esquivel-Chacon, Fred Hafer, Zackary Lieras, and Matthew Pineda.

“NOVO Brazil has been an amazing supporter and partner of our program, and we are very grateful for this amazing experience for our students,” said David Hecht, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at Southwestern.

NOVO Imperial Beach opened in November at the south end of San Diego Bay with views of the Coronado Bridge and downtown skyline in the distance. The restaurant features 64 taps, serving all NOVO beers and its other lines of beverages: NOVA easy kombuchas (hard and non-alcoholic), California Spritz beer cocktails, and hard seltzers.

NOVO is located at 535 Florence Street, just one mile off the I-5 freeway and less than 20 minutes from Downtown San Diego. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. Friday – Sunday and at 12:00 noon Monday – Thursday.

About NOVO

Founded by Tiago Carneiro, NOVO Brazil Brewing Company is an international, award-winning brewery based in Southern California and guided by its Brazilian soul. Perched in Chula Vista, the brewery thrives on its unique beer lifestyle, aptly represented in the brand’s colorful accents, masterful aromas, and thoughtful flavor compositions. Complete with an eye-catching tasting room brushed in a Brazilian-influenced aesthetic, NOVO has become a sought-after name in the California beer market.

For More Information:
https://www.novobrew.com

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

Forgotten Boardwalk Brewery Introduces Hopped Water!

by

Forgotten Boardwalk BreweryCHERRY HILL, New Jersey – Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing Co. is launching Hopped Water! – a non-alcoholic IPA alternative to dominate the thirst of hop heads everywhere. Brewed by infusing 100% real hops, Forgotten Boardwalk’s Hopped Water! showcases the Sultana hop, a Hopsteiner proprietary dual hop, giving way to a rip tide citrus wave of flavor, featuring a soft bitterness with refreshing berry notes that swim around the drinkers palate. A sparkling and bubbly carbonated NA beverage, Hopped Water! captures everything consumers love about craft beer without the calories, sugar, carbohydrates, gluten, or alcohol.

The inception of the new product came when Jamie Queli, founder and CEO of Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing, wanted an alternative for the days she was biking, hiking or kayaking, and looking for an NA option for these outdoorsy occasions. “I wanted all of the celebratory summit bubbles following these adventures, but sometimes I wasn’t in the mood for the ABV that came with it,” says Queli. “This is just another option for folks that want more choices in their NA selection. This is a classic story of merging two great loves: beer and NA seltzer.”

Those interested in trying Hopped Water! can find the bubbly delight featuring “All Bite & No Booze” at their Cherry Hill taproom, direct-to-consumer online, liquor stores or local bars and restaurants in the area. To find where Forgotten Boardwalk is available, folks can use the distribution finder here.

About Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing

Founded in 2012, Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing Co. makes rotating craft beer inspired by the fun, whimsy and history of the boardwalk.

For More Information:
https://hoppedwater.forgottenboardwalk.com/

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

Rick’s Near Beer Launches Rick’s Original Low-Strength Pilsner

by

Rick's Near Beer AUSTIN, Texas – Rick’s Near Beer launches with the release of its first near-beer non-alcoholic beverage, Rick’s Original. Rick’s Original is a crisp, clean, and refreshing low-strength Pilsner brewed with premium malted barley, fine American hops, and mountain fresh water.

Founded by Certified Cicerone Josh Hare, the entrepreneur behind Texas-based beverage brands Hops & Grain Brewing and Pint & Plow Brewing, Rick’s Near Beer is on a mission to normalize non-alcoholic beer.

“We want to redefine how we think about drinking non-alcoholic beer. NA options should be so good that they become a part of our normal drinking routines, not something that we only reach for when we’re cutting back or drying out,” says Hare. “No beer should be labeled a sacrifice.”

Rick’s Near Beer is a complement to alcohol, giving beer lovers something non-alcoholic to reach for, and look forward to, morning, noon, and night. Coming in at less than 0.5% ABV, Rick’s Original is refreshing, consistent, and exciting.

“Rick’s is a beer you can take to your kids soccer games, pack in the cooler for that long road trip to see family, enjoy during a Monday morning meeting, or share with a friend while you’re standing in line to vote” says Hare. “All the times you want a beer but can’t have one.”

Order six-packs of Rick’s Original ($10) online and keep an eye out for Rick’s Near Beer in the beer aisle of retail stores throughout Texas in early 2023.

About Rick’s Near Beer

Rick’s Near Beer is the beer to grab morning, noon, and night. Launched in 2022 by Certified Cicerone and beverage entrepreneur Josh Hare, Rick’s Near Beer and its flagship Rick’s Original are low-strength options to keep the good times rolling.

For More Information:
https://drinkricks.com

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

New Sarum Brewing Company Joins Bevana

by

SALISBURY, North Carolina – New Sarum Brewing Company, the popular North Carolina brewery whose beers have won medals at the world’s two most prestigious competitions, will be joining beverage platform Bevana to grow its distribution and reach new customers across the country. Long a feature of the southern craft beer scene, the company will be placing its focus firmly on growth and on continuing the innovation that has led to it being one of the region’s most awarded producers.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be joining the Bevana Family! This partnership is built on quality, comradery and innovation, the same foundation that we built our company on from the very beginning,” said Andy Maben, founder of New Sarum. “Their vision and team of craft beer gurus are going to do wonders to bring our brand to a new audience of craft beer lovers. We’ve always taken pride in our high standards, while continuing to facilitate customer education and adapting to the ever-changing craft beverage market. This is the next step in our journey, and we’re excited to get going!”

Bevana will help to manage the distribution for New Sarum, giving the brewery the ability to focus its resources and efforts on continuing to foster the creativity and quality that earned it medals at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, the two most highly-regarded competitions in the industry. Its core lineup, anchored by Hurley Park Blood Orange Wheat Ale and Old Stone House IPA will be joined by new and returning entries in the popular Griffin series, including the standout People’s Elbow, a Hazy IPA brewed with Coconuts and Lactose. New creations will be available both in retail establishments and in their Salisbury, NC taproom on a regular basis, carrying on the tradition of exciting innovation that customers have come to associate with the company.

New Sarum will additionally see expanded distribution through Bevana’s platform, which is designed to help the industry’s most exciting breweries to cut through the complex and often contradictory wholesale landscape to put the focus back on the customers. With their help, New Sarum will be able to not only access new markets and retail outlets, but connect more directly with the craft beer drinkers that continue to seek the highest quality beers available.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to know the folks over at New Sarum for years, and they really are a craft beer drinker’s dream brewery in so many ways,” explained Aaron Gore, Bevana’s Senior Director of Business Development. “As the industry has gotten more competitive, however, breweries like New Sarum have been increasingly trapped between a rock and a hard place of trying to just get their beer into the hands of customers. We are excited to be able to help navigate the difficult waters of distribution alongside them, so that instead of everyone worrying about the logistics of how we get these things into peoples’ hands, they can just focus on making the best quality beer possible. That’s what this industry was always supposed to be about.”

New Sarum’s beers will also be offered through Bevana’s online shop, where all of the platform’s beverage partners may be ordered and shipped directly to customers’ homes or businesses. With the ability to deliver beer to customers in forty-two states, it helps beverage makers and drinkers cut through the noise and the barriers that stand in the way of enjoying the best drinks that the world has to offer, regardless of location.

About Bevana

Bevana is a platform that connects artisan beverage makers with eager customers that they would otherwise be unable to reach. We find the best brewers on the planet and focus on managing the logistics of how they get their beer into the hands and mouths of drinkers, so that they can focus on the quality and innovation that built the industry. Enjoy the best beers in the world, without limitations.

Customers in forty-two states can order all of their favorite Bevana beverages online for delivery directly to their door. Free shipping is available on all orders over $65.

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

Dust Bowl Brewing Launches The Gold 1 Blonde Ale

by

TURLOCK, California – Dust Bowl Brewing Co. kicks off the new year with the release of The Gold 1 Blonde Ale in six pack / 12oz. cans. The packaged offering comes on the heals of the draft introduction in the fall of 2022.

At 4.5% ABV, the year-round, core beer adds another easy-drinking option to Dust Bowl’s extensive portfolio. Brewmaster, Don Oliver, shares, “This is a crisp beer for everyday drinking. It’s very approachable and great for social settings. The Gold 1 provides a great option for those that seek a lighter style craft beer.”

The Blonde Ale recipe, in fact, won a gold medal at last year’s California State Fair Commercial Craft Beer Competition, which helped set the stage for an extensive marketing campaign to roll out The Gold 1. Retailers will be supported with a range of merchandising items, including farming and outdoor lifestyle imagery, display materials, coasters, glassware and more. The packaging features a bold, simple approach to catch consumers’ attention. The beer name and colors embark on a California vibe in poppy gold and blue.

“We’re excited to launch The Gold 1,” comments Marc Jalbert, Director of Marketing & Sales. “We believe the beer has a lot of potential for our wholesalers. The Blonde Ale category is a popular one among craft beer drinkers, and we’re confident The Gold 1 will resonate with these discerning consumers. Our packaging and marketing support are designed to grab their attention in a straightforward way. We know once they taste the award-winning liquid, they’ll be back for more.”

The Gold 1 joins a robust portfolio of beers and seltzers, including 14 year-rounds and a steady stream of packaged specialty releases. Dust Bowl products are distributed throughout California, its home state, as well as Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Arizona. The brewery also operates three taprooms in California, including its flagship taproom adjacent to the brewery in Turlock, the Tap Depot in the popular destination of Monterey and its latest location, the Old Town Tap House in Elk Grove, just south of Sacramento. A fourth taproom is slated to open in the San Francisco East Bay city of Livermore later this year.

Dust Bowl Brewing Co

Dust Bowl Brewing Co. produced its first beer in May 2009. The company is owned by Brett and Karen Tate and Brett and Camy Honoré, who became the Tate’s business partners in 2010. The company built and moved its production to a 30,000 sq. ft. brewery and taproom, located in Turlock, California, in June 2016. Dust Bowl Brewing Co. beers are available in 5.2 and 15.5 gallon kegs along with selected styles in 22 oz. and 12 oz. bottles and 19.2 oz., 16 oz. and 12 oz. cans. Distribution includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont. Dust Bowl Brewing Co. achieved Regional Brewer status in 2020 with an annual production of over 16,500 barrels and produced over 21,000 in 2021. In 2022, Dust Bowl Brewing Co. was named “Brewery of the Year” by the highly regarded California State Fair Commercial Craft Beer Competition. The craft brewery showcases a wide variety of its beers and seltzers at its taprooms, the Brewery Taproom located in Turlock, California, the Tap Depot in Monterey, California, and the Old Town Tap House in Elk Grove, California.

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

River North Brewery’s Super Stout Party Returns This January

by

DENVER, Colorado – Every January, River North Brewery throws a party in celebration of stout connoisseurs everywhere. The brewery will be hosting Super Stout 2023 on January 28. This year’s celebration will feature TWELVE different stouts at its Washington Street taproom, as well as an additional half-dozen options at its RiNo taproom on Blake Street. Fan favorites such as Stout and About, Double Avarice, and the award-winning Mr. Sandman will be tapped, plus several new flavor variants created just for the celebration.

The elusive Anniversary 10 Triple-Barrel-Aged Stout, a 22% monstrosity, will be tapped at 1 pm. Other stouts rounding out the draft list will include the 2022 Barrel Aged Double Avarice, and vintage 2019 Shadowman, along with toasted marshmallow and blueberry Mr. Sandman variants.

There will also be a sneak preview of the Anniversary 11 Imperial Stout, which will be officially released next month on February 18th for the brewery’s 11th Anniversary Bash. This much-anticipated brew is not to be missed and is even more intense and complex than any previous stout River North’s mad scientist brewers have yet devised.

The brewery’s Blake Street taproom lineup includes half a dozen more rare and roasty varieties. Most notably, Barrel Aged Nightmare Fuel, the brewery’s beloved coffee stout – only released once a year – will be tapped right at opening.

Super Stout is a celebration of all the stouts River North crafts throughout the year and provides a unique opportunity to riff on a few classic stouts with new, experimental flavors, adding to the midnight malty mayhem. Both taprooms will have a food truck onsite for the event.

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

Sonder Brewing to Open Second Taproom Location

by

MASON, Ohio – Mason, Ohio-based Sonder Brewing will soon open a second taproom location off I-75 at Union Center Boulevard. The new craft beer and kitchen destination will be located adjacent to Holtman’s Donuts and across from Topgolf Cincinnati at 9558 Civic Center Boulevard, West Chester, Ohio.

“We have searched for the right location for about two years,” states Justin Neff, President and CEO, “and we love the space and overall opportunity that this location offers us.” When Sonder was driving home deliveries during the Covid shutdown, they found that residents in the West Chester area were big fans of Sonder beer. Now, these consumers will be able to enjoy a Sonder experience in their backyard. Additionally, The West Chester property can be seen from both north and south bound I-75, which helps reinforce the Sonder brand visibility and awareness as they expand distribution further into Ohio and Kentucky.

The brewery will be calling their West Chester location Sonder Taphaus and Kitchen, and will offer more of an adult bar and event space than their current Mason Taproom and Beer Garden while still being family-friendly. There will be room for private parties and corporate reservations. The Taphaus will feature Sonder draft options and package-to-go beer plus a well-curated selection of wine, bourbon, and food.

“Our whole team loves the idea of building a food menu that fits the Uniquely Crafted excellence we boast in our beers,” says Director of Strategic Planning & Partnerships Haley Shutter, then jokes, “Cheese curds? You Betcha!” as a nod to their top selling Hazy IPA and her Wisconsin heritage. The Sonder kitchen at West Chester will have a simple, flavorful menu of shareables and seasonal items along with vegan and gluten free options–and, yes, a kids menu. Patrons will be able to easily order food from the bar or from a walk up counter where they will also pick up their orders.

Coming soon! Sonder plans to add to their story by opening the Taphaus location some time in 2023. Renovations of the space will commence as soon as permits are approved. The interior will have a similar feel to the current Mason location–comfortable, yet casual and welcoming with excellent Sonder beers and food.

The Sonder Brewing production facility and Mason Taproom and Beer Garden are located at 8584 Duke Boulevard in Mason, Ohio. The Mason location is just 1 mile off I-71. Sonder offers a portfolio of beers ranging from its top selling You Betcha! Hazy IPA and Voss Kolsch to award-winning seasonals and barrel aged beers.

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

Thorn Brewing Co. Kicks Off New Beer Series With Local Artists

by

SAN DIEGO, California – Thorn Brewing Co. is excited to announce the kick-off of a brand new series of hazy IPAs that highlights local San Diego artists.

“San Diego is home to so many amazing artists,” Thorn CEO, Marc Martin explains. “So for our Shades of Haze series, we reached out to local artists from each of the neighborhoods where we have tasting rooms. Each artist created a beer label for us and we will be hosting a release event featuring their art for each beer release.”

The first artist in the series is Hector Villegas, a first-generation Chicano from the historic neighborhood of Barrio Logan. His artwork is a blend of Mesoamerican glyphs, textiles, and 3D geometry that he calls “Neo-Mexika.”

“The Barrio Logan Art Scene is rooted in working-class Chicano culture,” Villegas shares. “It’s relentlessly resourceful and always the vanguard of new, exciting art forms. The art scene here has established artists as well as youth and up-and-coming folks. Venues and galleries come and go but there is always a pulse of artists making sense of the world through the Barrio lens. I encourage folks to suit up and show up to Barrio Logan to enjoy the scene. As long as you come here with respect, you’ll love the energy and vibe of this community.”

Villegas artwork adorns The Portal Hazy IPA can that’s releasing on Saturday, Jan 21st. Thorn Brewing Barrio Logan is hosting a release party to celebrate with food, live music, local vendors, and limited edition screen printing onsite.

Find The Portal Hazy IPA throughout San Diego starting on January 23rd!

About Thorn Brewing Co.

Thorn Brewing Co. started out in 2012 in North Park as Thorn Street Brewery where it became known as San Diego’s ultimate neighborhood brewery. The Barrio Logan location opened in 2017 and produces beer on a 30-barrel system, and Thorn Mission Hills opened in 2019.

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.