craft lager

National Beer Day is celebrated in the United States every year on April 7, marking the day that the Cullen–Harrison Act was enacted after having been signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 22, 1933. This led to the Eighteenth Amendment being repealed on December 5, 1933, with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. April 6, the day prior to National Beer Day, is known as New Beer’s Eve.

Background
Upon signing the legislation, Roosevelt made his famous remark, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” The law went into effect on April 7 of that year in states that had enacted their own law allowing such sales. The beer could contain up to 3.2% alcohol by weight (or 4.05% by volume) compared to the 0.5% limit of the Volstead Act because 3.2% was considered too low to produce intoxication.

People across the country responded by gathering outside breweries, some beginning the night before. On that first day, 1.5 million barrels of beer were consumed, inspiring the future holiday. Today, April 7 is recognized as National Beer Day, and April 6 is known as New Beer’s Eve.

The Cullen-Harrison Act was not the official end of prohibition in the US (that happened on December 5, 1933, when the 21st Amendment was ratified). What the Cullen-Harrison Act did do was redefine an “intoxicating beverage” under the Volstead Act. As such, April 7 is a beer specific holiday and should not be confused with Repeal Day celebrated on December 5.

Recognition
National Beer Day was first celebrated in 2009 by Justin Smith of Richmond, Virginia. After much prodding from his friend, Mike Connolly, Smith started a Facebook page that was noticed by Colorado Beer Examiner, Eli Shayotovich. Smith’s promotion of the new observance day via various social media outlets was rewarded when the beer drinking app Untappd created a badge for National Beer Day that rewarded participants that checked a beer into the app on April 7. National Beer Day has since been trending on social media every year on April 7 using the hashtag #NationalBeerDay.

Source: Wikipedia

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In 1987, we originally hired Frank Appleton, a brewing consultant from Canada to help us establish the brewing component of our planned brewpub in Bend, Oregon. In addition to designing the equipment, and having it installed, he would formulate the first three beers in our line-up. Not knowing much about it in 1988, we wanted something light, medium, and dark. Frank came up with Cascade Golden Ale, Bachelor Bitter, and Black Butte Porter. Our first brewer, John Harris, then put his hand (and considerable skill) on the formulation and Black Butte Porter was born. However, it was not until sometime later that Black Butte Porter became our “flagship” beer. After a year or so, and out of necessity to keep the brewery going, we began to explore wholesale distribution. Thinking conventionally, we began with Cascade Golden Ale and Bachelor Bitter as being most adaptable to the limited palates of 1980’s drinkers. It just seemed like lighter colored beer would make sense.

Once while meeting with our distributor in Portland, Oregon, Jim Kennedy, he posed a question. He said, “You need to decide what you want to be as a brewery. Now, you can sell these lighter colored beers and carve out your small but reasonable slice of the very large, light colored beer-pie, competing with everyone for that slice. Or, you can sell Black Butte Porter and, although the dark-colored beer-pie is much smaller, you can own the whole thing”. I guess being a contrarian at heart, that proposition appealed to me. Although we had to sacrifice quite a bit to make that happen. You see, the path of least resistance for beer salespeople was certainly not in dark beer. Particularly when we had developed some really popular lighter beers like Mirror Pond Pale Ale. But we were committed. For the next few years, we kept the brakes on Mirror Pond and limited its market exposure to ensure Black Butte could gain a foothold in the market. It didn’t hurt that it was winning awards at a pretty good clip in those days. As a result, you could say we developed our second brand first, and we actually had two flagship brands with Black Butte and Mirror Pond sharing that distinction.
Black Butte Porter has continued to evolve, although our target flavors never really changed. But with growth naturally comes change. When we built our larger production facility in 1993, we installed a 50-barrel brewery. Later, we added a German-manufactured 150 barrel brewery that was much more efficient. Getting those two breweries to brew Black Butte Porter that tasted the same was quite the chore. But, we’re pretty stubborn, so four years later, we declared success and the legacy (and flavor) of Black Butte Porter could continue.

Black Butte continues to be our flagship. Even though beers like Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Fresh Squeezed outsell it. Black Butte is the best-selling porter in America and a significant point of pride for our team. It has successfully dispelled the misconceptions of dark beer. It is particularly successful at that task with novice craft drinkers. But, if we can get them to taste it, they are usually hooked! It has also spurred spin-offs like Black Butte Anniversary that is an imperial version of Black Butte Porter brewed for our company’s anniversary, but being barrel-aged and topping out around 11% alcohol with various added adjuncts like chocolate, chilis or coffee. We have also made a Black Butte Whiskey, with local distillery, Bendistillery. We make the wash for the whiskey using a variation of the Black Butte formula for that wash. Finally, we also do Black Butte3 where we use an imperial version of Black Butte Porter and age it in barrels that were used for Black Butte Whiskey.

Business consultants like to ask a question evaluating your business. That is, “what can you do your competitors can’t?” For me, the answer is clearly Black Butte Porter. The legend will continue. What we do with it next, well, stay tuned.

Written by Gary Fish, Founder of Deschutes Brewery

 

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CLEVELAND — Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) announces the release of new year-round Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat, a refreshing low calorie ale brewed with real citrus purée and peel.

Releasing March 1 throughout GLBC’s distribution footprint, Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat is a “better-for-you” Wheat Ale with just 105 calories, 4.0% ABV, a sessionable light body, and bursts of citrus aroma and flavor thanks to the addition of orange and lemon purée and peel. Crushworthy will release in 12 oz. Can 6-Packs and 15-Packs, and Draft.

Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat is GLBC’s first entry into the low calorie space, and joins the brewery’s growing portfolio of year-round offerings in cans. “We’re excited to bring another unique style to our year-round brand family,” says CEO Mark King. “Crushworthy is lighter, sessionable, and fruit-forward with a really delicious and crushable flavor. It fills a need for active and wellness-minded drinkers who don’t want to sacrifice craft, body, and taste when choosing a beverage.”

Crushworthy’s can artwork features a tattoo-inspired illustration of a juicy citrus heart by artist Sam Hadley, framed by bright yellow accents. The artwork speaks to Crushworthy’s playful and crushable nature, as the beer makes a perfect match for year-round recreation and relaxation.

Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat is available now in the GLBC gift shop and releases March 1 throughout GLBC’s distribution footprint in 12 oz. Can 6-Packs, 15-Packs, and Draft. Customers can also find Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat in GLBC’s new Gimme Five! Variety Pack 15-Pack, which features three of each of a mix of five refreshing beers: Dortmunder Gold Lager, Burning River Pale Ale, Great Lakes IPA, Hazecraft IPA, and Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat.

About Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) was founded in 1988 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway in Cleveland, Ohio. Independent and employee-owned, GLBC is known for its award-winning portfolio of fresh, balanced, and flavorful beers with names and artwork that tell stories of the Great Lakes region. Since its founding, GLBC has remained a principle-centered brewery with a “triple bottom line” philosophy, balancing financial responsibility with social and environmental responsibility.

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WOBURN, Massachusetts — Lord Hobo is proud to announce Juice Lord IPA as the newest member of their illustrious core lineup. With Juice Lord IPA, Lord Hobo has crafted a juicy, 6% IPA that expresses all of the best qualities of the style. Pillowy oats and pilsner malt provide a smooth canvas upon which they’ve painted a juicy and fruity masterpiece. Citra and Huell Melon hops combine to produce an easy-drinking IPA with the irresistible notes of citrus fruits and ripe melon. Lord Hobo President, Nathan Whipple, states: “Juice Lord IPA is a beer made for the modern IPA drinker who appreciates a smooth and sophisticated beer with well-balanced hop character. We are excited to showcase our softer side with this juicy offering”.

In April 2020, Lord Hobo announced a transformation of their logo and a new packaging design for their core lineup. The LHBCo crown transformed and aligned to a more dramatic location on the packaging with fresh bursts of new colors. Juice Lord completes the rebranded lineup, rounding out their hop-focused portfolio. “We had a lot of fun with this brand, bringing a new splash of color to our lineup. We’ve given this packaging more of a 80’s – 90’s feel to invoke an emotional connection to a wide range of our consumer base.” said Marketing Director, Aubree Karls. This beer will be available across Lord Hobo’s entire distribution footprint starting with a package-only release in early March, followed by draft in April 2021.

About Lord Hobo
Lord Hobo Brewing Company was founded in 2015 and strives to bring world-class beer to the Northeast and beyond! Now entering our 6th year, we are looking forward to continuing to bring innovative New England style beers to our thirsty and dedicated fans. Craft beer is the world’s most affordable luxury item and we’re determined to make sure excellent beer is within everyone’s reach to experience and enjoy daily. Like you, we celebrate life, work, loved ones, experiences, and are proud to be a small part in your own story.

Our brewery and taproom is located in Woburn, Mass. The taproom recently received an upgrade and expansion in July, adding a full kitchen and beautiful outdoor patio, increasing maximum seating to 472! In addition to the Woburn taproom and our Lord Hobo Cambridge bar, we also opened a new satellite location – an 18,000sq ft brewery and restaurant located in downtown Boston: Lord Hobo Seaport, which will be reopening Spring of 2021.

Lord Hobo beers are currently available in 12 states throughout the Eastern United States with 15 wholesaler partners.

 

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SAN DIEGO – Celebrating 25 years of craft beer innovation in San Diego, Ballast Point is pleased to announce the addition of two new offerings to its year-round portfolio: Big Gus and Wee Gus. Clearly different from anything Ballast Point has released before, the crystal-clear duo — a R&D hoppy lager and a clear hazy IPA — mark the first additions to the craft beer pioneer’s portfolio since 2019. Big Gus and Wee Gus hit off-premise shelves this month throughout Ballast Point’s distribution network in Southern California and Arizona in 12 oz. 6-pack cans, and is currently available on draft at all Ballast Point taprooms in San Diego, Anaheim, and Long Beach.

The journey to the “Brothers Gus” began several years ago as the brainchildren of the brewers at Ballast Point’s Little Italy R&D facility, where they brew more than 150 experimental recipes per year. Big ideas are typically born after a few beers, so the team sat down and came up with a fun challenge. “What if we made a clear hazy IPA?” As the rest of the industry was deep in the haze craze, the Ballast Point brewers bucked the trend by developing two beers that are clearly different from anything on the market. Ballast Point is well-known for brewing hop-forward beers – the Brothers Gus are no exception– but they are crystal clear by design.

“We always wanted to make a beer that looks different than it tastes,” said Aaron Justus, Ballast Point’s director of research and development. “That’s sort of the creative play with Big and Wee Gus. We sat around as a R&D team and thought ‘how can we make these beers as clear as possible? What kind of scientific processes can we do to ensure that clarity and how can we make them hoppy? They also had to be beers that we like to drink.”

Originally called Hop Soda due to its resemblance to tonic water, Wee Gus is what happens when you brew a beer that looks like an American Light Lager but is aromatic and flavorful with the late addition of hops – while also being crystal clear. The result is a bright and spritzy, easy-drinking 4.2% ABV hoppy lager. Wee in calories (95) – not in flavor – this crisp, bone-dry beer is brewed with German Bach lager yeast and dry-hopped with heaps of Northern Brewer and German Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops, giving it a refreshing undercurrent of lemon, herbal, and floral aromas with a hint of black pepper.

Big Gus is the bigger, bolder brother of Wee Gus and is what happens when brewers swim in the opposite direction of the haze craze. This behemoth is a crystal clear, extremely dry, and colossally dry-hopped 6.5% ABV India Pale Ale. Big Gus has the spine of a traditional IPA with a generous amount of American Amarillo, Cashmere, and handpicked Yakima Valley Mosaic hops and a delicate pilsner malt.

An unexpected added bonus: Both beers weigh in at under 150 calories each — Big Gus (145) and Wee Gus (95). The brewers bucked one trend and stumbled onto another.

As he has done for the past 25 years, Ballast Point’s resident artist, Paul Elder, brought the story of the art inside the can to life from sketch to full-color art on the outside. Wee Gus, a delicate, little fish in a big ocean full of scary danger, and Big Gus, a goliath of a grouper who rules the reef.

Big Gus:
Serving Facts: Serving size: 12 fl oz; Servings per container: 1; Amount Per Serving: Alcohol by volume: 6.5%; Calories: 145; Carbohydrates: 5g; Fat: 0g; Protein: 1.3g.

Wee Gus:
Serving Facts: Serving size: 12 fl oz; Servings per container: 1; Amount Per Serving: Alcohol by volume: 4.2%; Calories: 95; Carbohydrates: 3g; Fat: 0g; Protein: 0g.

About Ballast Point Brewing Co.
What started in 1996 as a small group of homebrewers who simply wanted to make great beer evolved into the team of adventurers known today as Ballast Point. A pioneering brewery born 25 years ago within the hallowed, hopped walls of San Diego’s Home Brew Mart, the complete art of the craft swims in the DNA of Ballast Point and informs both what’s inside and on the can.

On March 2, 2020, Ballast Point officially returned to its iconic independent roots under the new ownership of San Diego-headquartered, Kings & Convicts Brewing Co., and continues to be an internationally recognized leader in the industry with 6 taproom locations in California and Chicago. From bringing a hoppy twist to a porter or adding four types of malt to its amber ale, to creating the breakthrough gold-medal winning Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point is known for adding its touch and asking if there’s a better way. Ballast Point brews over 50 styles of beer with an emphasis on R&D and innovation and is distributed in select markets across the US and internationally. For more information, visit www.ballastpoint.com.

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KIHEI, Hawaii – Maui Brewing Company announces their latest release, Hazy Big Swell India Pale Ale which will be available for a limited time. The full-bodied hazy rendition of MBC’s flagship IPA is double dry hopped with Citra, Chinook, Simcoe and Mosaic hops.

MBC’s Lead Brewer, Dana Fleming stated, “The goal when designing this beer was to maintain the hop character of the original Big Swell, but lose the bitterness. We did this by selecting only the juiciest of the hops used in the original recipe, and by eliminating early hop additions. The result is a haze bomb with huge grapefruit, pine and stone fruit aromatics!”

Offering an unfiltered (hazy) deep gold appearance and a fuller creamier mouthfeel, the aromatic island IPA is bursting with grapefruit, pine and tropical fruit character. Like the flagship, Hazy Big Swell clocks in with 6.8% ABV and 70 IBUs.

Hazy Big Swell is currently available on draft or in to go 4-packs, crowlers or growlers at all Maui Brewing Company locations. It will also be made available across the islands and in select mainland markets where independently owned Maui Brewing Company craft beer can be purchased. Not in your area? Visit the website for a listing of online distributors who can send direct to consumers.

MBC is a fiercely local company and has remained steadfast regarding local production. The MBC team are stewards of their communities and the ‘aina, and curators of the craft beer way of life. Their beers have been recognized worldwide for quality and innovation. For more information, visit MauiBrewing.com or follow @MauiBrewingCo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About Maui Brewing Company

Founded in 2005, Maui Brewing Company is Hawaii’s largest craft brewery, operating 100% in Hawaii. MBC is based on Maui, with its production brewery, full-service restaurant and tasting room in Kihei, as well as restaurants in Lahaina (Maui), Kailua (Oahu), and Waikiki (Oahu). Maui Brewing Company is available in 20 states, 1 district, and 3 international countries with more areas to follow. For more information visit https://mauibrewingco.com/

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ST. PAUL, Minn. – After a year characterized by change, Summit Brewing Company is beginning 2021 with welcomed regularity. Summit Twenty-One IPA and Summit Mixed Pack IPA Edition will be returning as the spring seasonal and spring variety pack respectively.

Summit Twenty-One IPA made its debut in January 2020 as Summit’s new spring seasonal. The West Coast IPA replaced Summit Maibock, which had held the seat for nearly 30 years. Created through meticulous collaboration of Summit’s seven brewers, each contributing one hop and one malt variety, Twenty-One boasts huge aromas of citrus and pine. Spicy and bitter flavors combine with an effervescent mouthfeel to create a dry and clean finish. Despite potential trepidation from longtime fans, the vibrant new IPA was a huge success.

“Choosing to bring in a new beer for the spring seasonal in 2020 was a very tough decision. Summit Maibock, which previously held this spot in our calendar, was a long-time favorite of Summit fans. But, from a previous run of Twenty-One we knew fans were looking for more of this beer and we knew there would always be opportunities for Maibock in the future,” Director of Sales Brandon Bland said. “The spring window was the perfect length to discover if we had something big in Twenty-One. And, we did. Twenty-One outsold Maibock 3 – 1 in most markets. Plus, we still were able to bring Maibock back briefly on a special limited edition run in 2020! Given the immediate popularity of Twenty-One, as well as consumer’s desire for the IPA style, it made sense that our Mixed Pack IPA Edition also saw incredible sales in its first year, too.”

In addition to being in its own packaging, the popular new brew will once again be one of the four IPAs included in the Summit Mixed Pack IPA Edition. Also a huge success in its first year, the hopped-up variety pack is returning with the same great flavors, including Summit Elderflower IPA. The complex IPA with notes of lavender, honeydew and bubblegum will return for a limited time only within the variety pack. Three 12oz cans of each Summit Sága IPA, Summit Slugfest Juicy IPA, Twenty-One and Elderflower IPA will grace shelves in mid-January.

Summit Twenty-One IPA will be available starting February in 6- and 12-packs of 12oz cans and on draught. Summit Elderflower IPA is available now, but only within the Mixed Pack IPA Edition. Find Summit products near you using our online beer finder: summitbrewing.com/beer-finder.

Summit Twenty-One IPA

Alcohol by Volume: 7.0%
IBUs: 70
Original Gravity: 15ºP
Color: Pale Straw Golden Sunrise (7 L)
Hops Utilized: Eukanot, Azacca, Simcoe, Amarillo, Chinook, Calista and Columbus
Malts Utilized: Rahr Pale malt, Simpsons Golden Promise, Simpsons Maris Otter, Patagonia Pale malt, Weyermann acidulated malt, Briess aromatic malt, and Moravian 37
Yeast: West Coast IPA

Summit Elderflower IPA

Alcohol By Volume: 6.2%
IBUs: 41
Original Gravity: 14º Plato
Color: Goldenrod (12 L)
Hops: Rakau, Bru I, Moteuka
Malts: Pale malt, Moravian 37, Carapils, Malted wheat, Simpson’s Dark Crystal
Yeast: Ale

About Summit Brewing Company

Founded in St. Paul, Minn. in 1986, Summit Brewing Company has a long-standing history of crafting award-winning ales and lagers. Summit has stayed close to its roots, serving the Upper Midwest. Summit’s beers are currently available in five states including Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Summit produces seven year-round premium craft beers, four seasonal beers and numerous limited-release beers throughout the year. Since its inception, the brewery has been a consistent pioneer in the craft beer movement, blending traditional brewing techniques with experimental ingredients to create tried-and-true brews. For everything Summit Brewing, visit summitbrewing.com.

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HERSHEY, Penn. — Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the release of its new IPA for spring, Joyous. The beer joins the brewery’s popular Hop Cycle line-up of seasonally rotating IPAs. The muse for Joyous is a fresh and bright yeast strain called Hothead Kveik.

Its vibrant tropical profile harmonizes with a combination of aromatic Citra, Sabro and Azacca hops to evoke soft notes of tangelo, juicy papaya and subtle coconut. Joyous is the first Hop Cycle beer to emerge from Tröegs’ Scratch Lab, a new 3-barrel BrauKon nano brewhouse designed to replicate the temperature controls, pressure and geometry of the 15-bbl Scratch system and 100-bbl production brewhouse.

“With the Scratch Lab, we can break up 15-barrel brews into nano batches,” says Brewing Manager Tim Mayhew. “That allows us to test things like dry-hop combinations and yeast strains side-by-side. We used to wait weeks between batches.”

Joyous IPA is available on draft and in 12-ounce bottles and cans everywhere Tröegs beer is sold. To learn more about Joyous, including a virtual tasting of the beer, please read the full story on our blog. For media inquiries, please email Jeff Herb, Marketing Communications Coordinator, at jherb@troegs.com.

About Tröegs Independent Brewing:

Tröegs Independent Brewing was founded by Chris and John Trogner. Since 1997, the brothers have been handcrafting world-class beers that combine traditional brewing techniques with the eclecticism of new American brewing.

Available in 10 states in the Mid-Atlantic, Tröegs is known nationwide for its Perpetual IPA, award-winning Troegenator Double Bock, highly-desirable seasonal releases like Nugget Nectar and The Mad Elf, and brewery-only beers like the Scratch and Splinter series.

Our brewery in Hershey, Pennsylvania provides guests with a complete brewing experience. The brewhouse is located in a 5,000 square foot tasting room that opens onto a beer garden. Visitors are able to observe the brewing process firsthand, and take a self-guided tour along a window-lined hallway for a close-up view of the entire brewery.

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