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Beer News, Beer Releases and New Breweries

Spencer Mapes

Bent Water Brewing Releases Common Hope for Parkinson’s Awareness Month

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LYNN, Massachusetts— Bent Water Brewing Company, the award-winning brewery from Lynn, Massachusetts, this week will release Common Hope, a dry-hopped pilsner created to raise funds and awareness for research dedicated to ending Parkinson’s Disease.

The initiative, first launched in 2022 by Bent Water, was conceived as a nationwide collaboration that drew breweries from all over the country to participate, many of them with personal stories about Parkinson’s.

“Common Hope is incredibly important to us,” explained Aaron Reames, Co-founder and President, Bent Water Brewing. “Parkinson’s has affected multiple family members and friends of the brewery, including some people I’m very close with. Several of us have always spent our own time and money to help aid Parkinson’s awareness and research, but Common Hope has become a way for us to take a bigger, more formalized, step towards fighting this disease.”

This is the second year that Bent Water has committed to brewing Common Hope and donating a portion of proceeds from the sale of the beer to benefit Team Fox, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) grassroots fundraising community. It is a partnership between like-minded organizations that both sides are proud to continue.

“Our community of Team Fox supporters continuously inspire us with the many ways they creatively aid in Parkinson’s research,” said Maci Hanson, Associate Director of Team Fox at MJFF. “Today we’re getting closer than ever before to better treatments and cures that people and families urgently need. None of this is possible without the active support of our community, including our friends at Bent Water Brewing who share our common goal and hope for a world without Parkinson’s disease.”

Although Common Hope is a joint effort led by Bent Water Brewing and Team Fox, several of the breweries that participated in last year’s collaboration have already indicated that they will be brewing the beer again in 2023, increasing the amount of good that the beer will be able to do.

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 30BBL system and proudly utilizes Lynn’s superior water source. Bent Water Brewing distributes to Massachusetts, Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

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Public Coast Brewing Co. Introduces Special Spring Releases

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CANNON BEACH, Oregon— Public Coast Brewing Co. has re-released two of its “special release” beers: Uncle Fred’s German Wheat and Stackstock Candy Cap Stout and added the latest collab beer with Big Dog’s Brewing Co.: Violent Violet Blueberry Double Hazy IPA respectively. Only available for a limited time, the three beers each provide a refreshing taste of the bounty of Oregon as we head into the spring and summer months.

“We’re excited to bring back two very special fan favorites and a new collab beer this season,” said Will Leroux, Public Coast’s head brewmaster. “Uncle Fred’s German Wheat beer, brewed in honor of our friend, Fred Bowman, is refreshing and full bodied, with just a dash more clove and banana than your mother’s famous muffins. Violent Violet lives up to its name, packed with fruity tartness which allows the fruit to shine through and pair well with the malts and slight bitterness. And our Stackstock Candy Cap Stout continues to be a crowd pleaser for mushroom foragers, foodies, and craft beer drinkers alike.”

Uncle Fred’s German Wheat beer, a 5.0% ABV, is brewed with at least 50 percent malted wheat and also includes lemon drop hops. This style of beer will be light in color and typically carries notes of banana and clove. Uncle Fred’s is an easy drinker, highly carbonated, bubbly, and refreshing.

Violent Violet Blueberry Double Hazy IPA is as luscious as it sounds, a 8.2% ABV, it’s a stronger take on a regular IPA – amplifying it with a bigger malt and hop profile. This beer contains fresh blueberries paired with extra hops and extra malt, which means it’s pretty EXTRA – extra fruity, extra hoppy, and extra hazy.

Stackstock Candy Cap Stout, a 5.8% ABV, highlights the bounty of the land by infusing a stout beer with Candy Cap mushrooms, the hidden gem of the Pacific Northwest. This beer contains notes of roast chocolate, coffee and dark fruit with the subtle taste of umami from the mushroom. Think maple, caramel and pralines – like a sticky bun.

All three releases are for sale on-tap and in cans at Public Coast’s brewpub in Cannon Beach.

About Public Coast Brewing

Located just 70 miles west of Portland in Cannon Beach, Ore., Public Coast Brewing is named after the only true public coastlines in America: the Oregon Coast. The brewery features a 10bbl Brewhouse with two 30-barrel fermenters, two 20-barrel fermenters, and four 10-barrel fermenters. Public Coast Brewing also offers fresh and delicious fare from local farms and ranches, including their own farm, for adults and children alike. Boasting a large pet-friendly patio, large community-style outdoor fire pit, and an open brewhouse easily viewed from the bar, Public Coast Brewing offers a relaxed and welcoming spot for the whole family.

About Public Coast Farm

Oregon’s historic Route 26, known to Portlanders as the Sunset Highway, has welcomed generations of families traveling to and from the coast on its forested byway. Now Public Coast Farm sits on that very route, straddling West Dairy Creek at the base of the Coastal Range, on a 40-acre site lush with blueberry bushes, beehives, fruit orchards and hops. The farm is fertile ground for the farm’s sister properties – the Stephanie Inn and Public Coast Brewing Co. – each of which incorporate Public Coast Farm’s fresh ingredients into delicious dishes and seasonal beers.

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Jackie O’s On Fourth Announces Grand Opening

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jackie O’s Brewery is incredibly excited to announce that on Friday, May 5th, we will be celebrating the grand opening of our brand new facility: Jackie O’s On Fourth! Located at 171 North Fourth Street in Downtown Columbus, Jackie O’s On Fourth is the final product of years of careful design, construction, and renovation. Hand-in-hand with our design partners at Astra Studios and Design Collective and our construction partners at Lincoln Construction, we have worked tirelessly to transform this location from the inside out and we can’t wait to welcome the entire Columbus community to enjoy the big city Jackie O’s experience we’ve dreamed of for so long!

John Clift, General Manager of Jackie O’s On Fourth, stated, “We are beyond proud to grow Jackie O’s presence in Columbus, Ohio. We greatly appreciate the support and enthusiasm from the community on this massive project.”

Jackie O’s On Fourth boasts an impressive array of attractions to enjoy including a 6000 sq ft indoor public space featuring booth, table, and bar seating for up to 80 people, a concrete bar fitted with 30 draft lines, a retail store, and a second floor private indoor event space capable of hosting parties of up to 120. On Fourth will also feature on-site parking for 20-30 vehicles as well as a sprawling, 8000 sq ft, two-story patio featuring a bar on each floor, two fire pits, mixed seating for up to 300 people, and a gorgeous view of downtown Columbus!

In keeping with our core mission of “sustainably crafted with purpose,” On Fourth’s patio will be accented by a cornucopia of plants, vines, and trees fed by an 1800 gallon retired fermenter turned rainwater collection tank to create a verdant oasis right in the middle of Downtown! 32 solar panels, thus far, have also been installed onto the roof, our facilities have been fitted with the ability to harvest our own fermentation-generated CO2 to push our beer, and artwork created from found and repurposed materials will be featured throughout the space.

We are absolutely thrilled to also announce our partnership with two amazing restaurants that will bring delicious and iconic culinary options to our On Fourth patrons. Bagel Street Deli, an Athens institution, will be opening its food cart on our patio space to offer a delectable selection of their quintessential bagelwiches. And, opening in June, from the Columbus Sultans of Sandwich, Wario’s Beef and Pork, comes a vibrant new concept offering a phenomenal menu that gives a colorful nod to Midwest traditions as well as the nostalgic fast food joints of yesteryear.

Initially, Jackie O’s On Fourth will be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays beginning May 5th (3pm – 11pm), May 6th (3pm – 11pm), and May 7th (11am – 5pm) and will steadily be adding days and hours of operation as we move into the summer months. Additionally in July we will start procedures to begin operation of our 15-barrel brew house with plans to brew a lineup of exciting beers unique to Jackie O’s On Fourth!

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Belching Beaver Brewery Adds Terpene-Focused Tropical Terps IPA To Core Lineup

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OCEANSIDE, California— Oceanside’s Belching Beaver has added a core beer to its lineup called Tropical Terps IPA, a re-release of the brewery’s Dam Good Decade Terps IPA from its 10th anniversary celebration in October 2022. It is the company’s first core beer that uses terpenes, which are aromatic compounds naturally found in citrus fruits, pine trees, hops, and cannabis.

Tropical Terps IPA has a 6.6% alcohol-by-volume (ABV) and includes Simcoe, Mosaic, Strata, and Citra hops. Terpenes bring to the juicy IPA new flavors and aromas that are unattainable from hops alone, featuring tropical notes of melons, mango, guava, and pineapple. The terpenes used for the beer were not derived from cannabis.

“We received so many compliments last year from the initial batch of Brewmaster Troy Smith’s new brand that we decided to make it a part of our core,” said Co-Founder and CEO Tom Vogel. “Troy and his team are always pushing the boundaries of beer and they love creating new and amazing styles like with Tropical Terps. He not only designed the beer, but the label as well. This really is a game changer. I am sure we will see more terpene-focused beers throughout the country in the years ahead.”

Tropical Terps IPA is available on draft and in six packs of 12-ounce cans at Belching Beaver’s four San Diego County locations: Oceanside Brewhouse, Vista’s Pub980 and Tavern & Grill, and North Park Tasting Room.

“We are not the first brewery to do this, though not many have tried,” Smith said. “Since beer has been around for thousands of years, we are always trying to push the limits of what defines a good beer. Showcasing something new and innovative is the goal, and I believe both hard-core and casual beer drinkers will enjoy our latest creation that has flavors they may have never tasted before.”

Belching Beaver beers are distributed to 12 states outside of California, including as far away as Wisconsin and Texas. Head of Production and Quality Manager Thomas Peters, who joined the brewery in 2013, oversees all beer production at the company’s Oceanside manufacturing facility and four brewery/retail locations.

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Alaskan Brewing Announces Alaskan Distilling Company Expansion with RTD Canned Cocktails

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JUNEAU, Alaska— Alaskan Distilling Company is the latest innovation from Alaskan Brewing Company. For nearly forty years Alaskan Brewing Company has been devoted to the art of creating the finest craft beer and is now introducing a selection of craft cocktails to their lineup starting this April.

The Juneau-based brewery started its distilling journey in 2019 with a small batch process focusing on long-standing distilling traditions. “We have always tried to put a little bit of Alaska in the bottle and a little bit of Alaska on the bottle. One thing that we all revel in is the quality of life that this place presents and represents. So for us, we want to make beverages that reflect that sort of feeling and character,” said Alaskan Brewing Company Co-founder Geoff Larson. Alaskan Distilling Company is introducing the Alaska market to their Solstice Vodka Lemonade, Musk Ox Vodka Mule, and Rainforest Gin & Tonic.

Alaskan Distilling Company is running a combination still that can operate both as a pot still and 12 plate column still. This distilling setup will allow the distillery to produce a full range of spirits like whiskey, vodka, and gin in the future.

Seven times distilled, and carbon-filtered Alaskan Distilling Ultra-Pure Pristine Vodka is used in the Solstice Vodka Lemonade, which produces an exceptional neutral flavor. The Solstice Vodka Lemonade is Alaskan Distilling’s most complex mix of ingredients, highlighting wildflower honey and fruit-enhanced lemonade resulting in a flavorful and balanced cocktail.

To achieve an approachable yet distinct lingering ginger heat in the Musk Ox Vodka Mule, Alaskan Distilling produced and blended two different vodkas: Ultra-Pure Pristine Vodka and an Intense Fresh Ginger Vodka.

Finally, the Rainforest Gin & Tonic showcases a gin specifically designed for Alaskan Distilling’s canned cocktail, as well as a house-made spruce tip tonic water. The spruce tip tonic water helps create an exceptionally dry and crisp cocktail since it is made with half the amount of sugar of most commercial tonic waters.

The trio of Alaskan Distilling Company products has on average one-third to half of the amount of sugar typical canned cocktails have without sacrificing depth of flavor. For example, in the Solstice Lemonade, “Sweetness comes from the fact that you might catch a little bit of honey character. Well, the honey does have a sweetness, but it also has an aromatic quality which elicits an expectation of sweetness,” said Larson.

To achieve high flavor with lower sugars, Alaskan Distilling Company relied on complex ingredients like Gustavus spruce tips, rose hips, cardamom, orange peel, and fruit juices like cranberry, raspberry, grapefruit, black and tart cherry, and more.

“The overall impact on the flavor is multi-dimensional. When you sit down and enjoy one of our canned cocktails, your attitude and where you are affects what you perceive in the beverage. This is because of the many different layers of flavor that we’ve incorporated,” said Larson.

Solstice Vodka Lemonade, Musk Ox Vodka Mule, and Rainforest Gin & Tonic are gluten-free and have an eight percent ABV. The canned cocktails will only be available in Alaska starting this April. To find Alaskan Distilling Company canned cocktails near you visit our Beer Finder.

In addition to producing world-class beverages, Alaskan Brewing Company strives for innovation through progressive programs like employee ownership and a commitment to environmental stewardship.

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