News

Mother Earth Brew Co. and Cordova Outdoors Release Roam Free IPA for America’s 250th Anniversary

June 22, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

Vista, CA & Nampa, ID – June 18, 2026 — Mother Earth Brew Co. has teamed up with Cordova Outdoors to launch Roam Free IPA, a special collaboration beer honoring America’s 250th anniversary and celebrating the freedom to explore the outdoors.

From campfires and lake days to road trips, tailgates, and backyard adventures, Roam Free IPA captures the spirit of American independence and the joy of spending time in nature. The partnership brings together two brands that share a deep appreciation for craftsmanship, adventure, and making the most of every outdoor moment.

A Natural Collaboration Between Beer and the Outdoors

“At first glance, a brewery and a cooler company might seem like an unusual pairing,” said Kamron Khannakhjavani, Director of Marketing for Mother Earth Brew Co. “But this collaboration wasn’t about combining recipes—it was about celebrating the experiences that great beer was made for. From campfires and lake days to tailgates and road trips, both brands share an appreciation for the outdoors and the moments that bring people together.”

Cordova Outdoors Director of Sales and Marketing Stevi Fanning added:

“Some things just belong together. Great beer and dependable coolers have been part of outdoor adventures for generations. Roam Free celebrates the freedom to explore, spend more time in the wild, and make memories with the people around you. We’re proud to bring together two Idaho brands in a collaboration that honors 250 years of American independence and the outdoor spirit that continues to define it.”

Limited-Edition Roam Free Coolers

To commemorate the collaboration, Cordova Outdoors is releasing a limited run of custom Roam Free 45-quart coolers. Featuring artwork inspired by the beer and the spirit of adventure, these coolers are available exclusively at cordovaoutdoors.com.

About Roam Free IPA

Brewed exclusively with 100% American-grown ingredients, Roam Free IPA is a modern West Coast-style IPA. It features a bold hop blend of Simcoe, Citra, Strata, and Idaho 7. Double dry-hopping delivers vibrant aromas, followed by bright notes of tropical passionfruit, lime zest, mango, papaya, and sticky pine resin. The beer finishes crisp and refreshing.

ABV: 6.7%
IBUs: 55

Roam Free IPA is now available in limited quantities on draft and in 16-ounce four-packs throughout Mother Earth Brew Co.’s distribution footprint.

About Mother Earth Brew Co.

Mother Earth Brew Co. crafts award-winning artisanal ales, including year-round, seasonal, and specialty offerings. With breweries in Vista, California and Nampa, Idaho, their beers are distributed across multiple states and internationally, setting a high standard for independent craft brewing.

About Cordova Outdoors

When your livelihood depends on your gear, reliability isn’t optional. Inspired by the demanding needs of commercial deep-sea fishermen, Cordova Outdoors builds tough, dependable products that help people stay out longer, explore farther, and make the most of their time outdoors.

For more information please visit https://www.motherearthbrewco.com/

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Tennessee Brew Works Expands Partnership with Tennessee State Parks: New State Park Variety Pack

June 22, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

Nashville- and Lenoir City-based Tennessee Brew Works, creators of the beloved State Park Blonde Ale, is deepening its commitment to Tennessee State Parks with an exciting new release. In celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, the brewery is introducing the State Park Variety Pack — a mixed 12-pack of Tennessee State Parks-themed 12 oz. craft beers. Just like the flagship State Park Blonde Ale, a portion of proceeds from every case sold will directly support Tennessee’s state park system.

What’s Inside the State Park Variety Pack?

The new variety pack highlights four standout Tennessee craft beers:

Fiery Gizzard Red Ale
Head of the Crow German-Style Bock Lager
Savage Gulf IPA
State Park Blonde Ale (the original fan favorite)

This carefully curated collection offers something for every craft beer enthusiast while spotlighting iconic Tennessee State Parks and trails.

Where to Find the State Park Variety Pack

Starting June 26, 2026, the State Park Variety Pack will be available at:

Most Tennessee State Parks with concession stands, including popular locations like Paris Landing State Park, Montgomery Bell State Park, and Fall Creek Falls State Park.

State park golf courses across Tennessee.

Both Tennessee Brew Works taprooms:
Nashville: 809 Ewing Ave.
Lenoir City: 200 East Depot Street

Supporting Tennessee State Parks Through Craft Beer

The Tennessee State Parks Conservancy serves as the official statewide nonprofit partner of Tennessee State Parks. It works with donors, businesses, and the state to fund essential projects that preserve natural landscapes, improve accessibility, and enhance visitor experiences for future generations.
Tennessee Brew Works has been a proud supporter since 2017, when the brewery partnered with the parks to create the State Park Blonde Ale. To date, this collaboration has raised nearly $70,000 to benefit key initiatives, including school field trip scholarships and park accessibility improvements.
“As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, Tennessee State Parks continue to show why they’re some of the most inspiring places in our state,” said Deputy Commissioner Brian Clifford. “We’re thrilled to partner with Tennessee Brew Works on this special release. Their creativity and commitment help us enhance these incredible parks so Tennesseans and visitors alike can enjoy them for generations to come.”

“Like so many Tennesseans, Tennessee State Parks hold a special place in our hearts,” added Christian Spears, founder and president of Tennessee Brew Works.

“Through these unique offerings, we will continue to strive for greater awareness and critical support for the Tennessee State Parks Conservancy, helping ensure that our treasured parks will be preserved and enjoyed.”

Plan Your Next Adventure

Whether you’re hiking the trails at Fall Creek Falls, enjoying a round of golf at Paris Landing, or relaxing lakeside, raise a cold Tennessee craft beer to the parks that make our state special.

Drink responsibly and support the preservation of Tennessee’s natural treasures with every sip.

Please visit https://www.tnbrew.com/ for more information

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Freedom Looks Like This: The Second Annual Juneteenth Unity Run/Walk at Esoteric Brewing

June 19, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

Cincinnati’s most inspiring Juneteenth event returns June 19th — and it starts and ends at the Queen City’s first Black-owned brewery.

On the evening of June 19th, 2026, something special is happening in Walnut Hills. Sneakers will hit the pavement. Music will fill the air. Black-owned businesses will line the streets. And cold, award-winning craft beer will be waiting at the finish line.

The Second Annual Juneteenth Unity Run/Walk is back — and it’s bigger, better, and more meaningful than ever.

What Is the Juneteenth Unity Run/Walk?
Hosted by Esoteric Brewing Co. in partnership with Run The Block and sponsored by Tri-State Running, Pig Works, and Hoka, the Juneteenth Unity Run/Walk is a free community celebration that blends fitness, culture, and freedom in one unforgettable evening in the heart of Walnut Hills.
This isn’t your average road race. It’s a statement. It’s a celebration. And it’s open to absolutely everyone — runners, walkers, and cheerleaders alike.

Event Details
📅 Date: Friday, June 19, 2026
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Location: Esoteric Brewing Co., 918 E. McMillan St., Cincinnati, OH 45206 (Corner of McMillan Street and Gilbert Avenue, Walnut Hills)
💰 Registration: FREE

Schedule
6:00 PM — Doors open, vendors, music
6:30 PM — Welcome and group stretch
6:45 PM — Run/Walk begins
After the finish — Afterparty with DJ AQ, fitness challenges, raffles, and celebration

The Route: Run or Walk Through Walnut Hills

The course winds through one of Cincinnati’s most historic and vibrant neighborhoods. Choose your distance based on your pace and your vibe:
🏃 Runners: 1.8-mile loop through Walnut Hills
🚶 Walkers: 1.4-mile walking loop — same neighborhood, same energy, your own rhythm

Both routes start and finish at Esoteric Brewing, so no matter how fast or slow you go, the party is waiting for you when you cross that finish line.

The Afterparty: Where the Real Magic Happens
Finish your run, catch your breath, and then dive into one of the best Juneteenth afterparties in the city:

DJ AQ spinning live — expect a mix that keeps the energy going
Fitness challenges for those who still have something left in the tank
Raffle prizes to keep things exciting
Black-owned vendors bringing their best products, art, and flavors
Dancing because freedom has always been worth celebrating out loud
Esoteric’s award-winning craft beer on tap — the perfect reward for a mile (or two) well run

Why This Event Matters
Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865 — the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It became a federal holiday in 2021, but Black communities have been celebrating it since June 19, 1866, when it was first called “Jubilee Day.”

A community run through Walnut Hills on that date isn’t just exercise. It’s a statement about who belongs in this neighborhood, who is building it, and who is celebrating its future. Every step on that route is a step forward — literally and symbolically.

And doing it with Black-owned vendors, Black community organizations, and one of the only Black-owned breweries in the state of Ohio as the anchor? That’s Juneteenth done right.

The Host: Esoteric Brewing Co.
If you haven’t been to Esoteric yet, Juneteenth is the perfect excuse to change that.
Founded by Brian Jackson — Cincinnati’s first Black craft brewer and a former MadTree brewer — and co-owner Marvin Abrinica, Esoteric opened in September 2020 as the first minority-owned brewery within Cincinnati’s city limits. It occupies a beautifully restored corner of the art-deco Paramount Building in Walnut Hills, a landmark originally built in 1931 that Esoteric helped bring back to life.

The brewery’s philosophy is simple and ambitious: craft beer should be as elegant as fine wine, brewed with pure ingredients sourced locally and grown organically. The results have earned national recognition:

Eclipse (American Specialty Wheat) — 🥇 Gold Medal, 2025
Oracle (American Fruit Wheat, POG) — 🥇 Gold Medal, 2024
Luminati (Munich-Style Helles) — 🥈 Silver Medal, 2024
Oracle (American Fruit Wheat, Mango) — 🥉 Bronze Medal, 2024

Whether you reach for the Lotus IPA (fruity and refreshing), the Karma DIPA (smooth double IPA without the bite), or the beloved Nirvana Belgian Quad (silky, complex, 10% ABV), you’re drinking something made with intention and pride.

The Community Behind the Run
The Unity Run isn’t just Esoteric’s event — it’s a community effort that reflects exactly what Juneteenth is supposed to feel like.
Run The Block brings the running culture and community organizing energy. Tri-State Running and Pig Works — the Cincinnati running institution behind the Flying Pig Marathon — bring their race expertise and commitment to accessible fitness. Hoka brings the footwear credibility. And Walnut Hills brings the heart.

This is what cross-community partnership looks like when it’s done right: a Black-owned brewery, Cincinnati’s beloved running community, and a neighborhood full of people who believe that movement and celebration go hand in hand.

How to Participate
Registration is completely free. Whether you’re a seasoned 5K runner, a casual evening walker, or someone who just wants to show up and soak in the energy, there’s a place for you here.

Visit esotericbrewing.com to register and get the latest event updates.

Make a Night — or a Weekend — of It

Esoteric’s Juneteenth weekend doesn’t stop with the Unity Run. On Saturday, June 20th, the brewery teams up with Tapped Entertainment for the Black Excellence Business Expo — a free, public networking event spotlighting local Black talent, vendors, creatives, and entrepreneurs from across the Tri-State area. A full weekend of Black excellence, community, and great beer awaits.

The Bottom Line
The Second Annual Juneteenth Unity Run/Walk is one of the best events in Cincinnati this summer — and it’s free.

It’s a run and a party. A history lesson and a street celebration. A craft beer destination and a community gathering. It’s Juneteenth the way it was always meant to feel: joyful, communal, and forward-looking.

Show up at 6 PM. Stretch at 6:30. Run (or walk) at 6:45. And then raise a glass to freedom.
Esoteric Brewing Co.
918 E. McMillan St., Cincinnati, OH 45206
Walnut Hills — Corner of McMillan & Gilbert Ave.
esotericbrewing.com

Registration is free. All are welcome. See you at the starting line.

Dow Ale(1790-1992) – The Rise and Fall of Dow Ale: Quebec’s “Beer That Kills” and a Forgotten Chapter in Canadian Brewing History

May 20, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

In the rough-and-tumble world of Canadian beer, few brands ever achieved the mythic status of Dow Ale in Quebec. For generations, this rich, malty ale was a workingman’s staple, especially in the historic streets of Quebec City. Its story stretches back to the 19th century when William Dow, a Scottish immigrant, established his brewery in Montreal. By the early 20th century, through mergers and acquisitions, Dow had become part of National Breweries, one of Quebec’s brewing giants.

By the 1960s, the company’s flagship lineup included Dow Ale (the runaway bestseller), Kingsbeer lager, Champlain Porter, and Dow Porter. In Quebec City especially, Dow Ale wasn’t just beer — it was culture. Locals drank it by the dozen, and the brand enjoyed fierce loyalty.

Then came the tragedy of 1966.
That year, hospitals in Quebec City began seeing a disturbing pattern: middle-aged men, most of them heavy daily beer drinkers, arriving with severe heart problems — specifically, a type of cardiomyopathy marked by irregular heart rhythms and, in many cases, fatal outcomes. Roughly 20 to 25 men died. While not every victim drank Dow, the majority did. The brand’s strong presence in the provincial capital made the connection impossible to ignore.
In an attempt to show good faith and calm public fears, Dow made a fateful decision: it ordered the destruction of its entire remaining inventory of Dow Ale at the Quebec City brewery. What was meant as reassurance backfired spectacularly. To the public, dumping the beer looked like an admission of guilt. Overnight, Dow Ale earned the grim nickname “la bière qui tue” — the beer that kills. The phrase still echoes in Canadian brewing lore today.

The Cobalt Mystery
Medical investigators never found conclusive proof that Dow Ale directly caused the deaths. However, many experts pointed to cobalt sulphate, a compound some brewers added in tiny amounts during the 1960s to improve foam stability and create that perfect, lasting head. Heavy drinkers in Quebec City were consuming enormous quantities of beer — often a dozen or more pints daily. Dow, it later emerged, appeared to have used significantly higher levels of cobalt than other breweries (some accounts suggest up to ten times the typical amount).
The condition became known in medical circles as “Quebec beer-drinkers’ cardiomyopathy.” Once Dow and other brewers stopped using cobalt, the cluster of cases vanished. The incident remains one of the most unusual and tragic episodes in North American brewing history.

The Long Decline
Sales of Dow Ale collapsed after the scandal. In 1972, the brand was sold to Molson Breweries in Montreal. Molson kept brewing it for another two decades until the early 1990s, but it never regained its former glory. The 1987 merger of Molson with Carling O’Keefe (the final evolution of the old National Breweries empire) effectively marked the end of Dow as an independent force.

A Surprising Culinary Legacy
Even in its darker chapters, Dow left behind an unexpected bright spot in Quebec’s food culture.

In the 1950s, long before the current wave of beer-and-food books, the legendary Quebec culinary authority Jehane Benoit worked with Dow Brewery. Benoit, who had trained in Paris under the famed gastronome Édouard de Pomiane, created promotional recipes and authored a cookbook titled Cooking With Dow. Though some recipes were her own inventions, the book stands as an early champion of beer in Quebec cuisine — proving that the idea of beer-based gastronomy in la belle province didn’t start in the 21st century. It was already happening in the kitchens of the 1950s, thanks to one of Canada’s greatest food writers and a now-infamous ale.

Today, Dow Ale is remembered as both a beloved classic and a cautionary tale. Its story is still discussed by beer historians, homebrewers, and anyone fascinated by how one chemical, one marketing decision, and one tragic coincidence can forever change a brand’s destiny.

The ghost of “la bière qui tue” still lingers in Quebec’s rich brewing heritage — a reminder that even the most legendary beers can have a dark side.

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Take A Hike IPA: The Refreshing Beer That Celebrates Ohio Trails and Supports State Parks

May 1, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

If you love crisp hops after a day on the trail, there’s a beer brewed just for you — and for Ohio’s incredible state parks. Take A Hike IPA from Nocterra Brewing Co. is more than a great craft beer; it’s a delicious way to give back to the outdoors you enjoy.

What Makes Take A Hike IPA So Special?
This bold American IPA clocks in at 6.5% ABV and 55 IBU, striking the perfect balance between approachable and hop-forward. Brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops, every sip bursts with vibrant citrus, tropical fruit, and stone fruit notes layered over subtle pine and floral undertones. It finishes crisp and refreshing — exactly what you want after hiking, paddling, or simply soaking in a sunset at an Ohio state park.

Whether you’re cracking one open at a trailhead picnic or enjoying it on the porch of a state park lodge, Take A Hike IPA feels like liquid motivation to get outside.

A Beer with a Purpose: Partnering with Ohio State Parks
Nocterra Brewing Co. didn’t just name this beer “Take A Hike” for the fun pun. Since 2021, their Take A Hike program has used rotating beers (including this flagship IPA) to raise funds for local nonprofits — over $85,000 and counting.

In 2025, the partnership leveled up. Nocterra teamed up with the Ohio State Parks Foundation and Great Ohio Lodges to brew Take A Hike IPA specifically in support of Ohio’s nine beautiful state park lodges and the lands they protect. A portion of every sale at the lodges goes directly to the Foundation, helping fund trail maintenance, educational programs, conservation projects, and the “Enhance. Preserve. Protect.” mission that keeps Ohio’s parks thriving for generations.
You’ll find Take A Hike IPA on draft and in cans at every Great Ohio Lodge location — from Hocking Hills to Salt Fork, Shawnee, and beyond. It’s also poured at Nocterra’s taprooms in Powell and Audubon (Columbus area) and available at many Ohio retailers.

Perfect for Nature Lovers and Beer Fans Alike
Picture this: You’ve just finished a stunning hike through Hocking Hills’ rock formations and waterfalls. You settle in at the lodge with friends, order a round of Take A Hike IPA, and know that your beer is helping protect the very trails you just explored. That’s the kind of feel-good moment craft beer and nature were made for.
The beer’s bright, citrusy profile pairs beautifully with outdoor life — think grilled brats at a campsite, charcuterie on the trail, or a post-hike cheeseburger at the lodge restaurant. It’s sessionable enough for a relaxing evening but flavorful enough to satisfy hop heads.

Nocterra and the Ohio State Parks Foundation even host fun joint events like the Winter Nature Series — think hibernation bingo, bird trivia with naturalists, and “Hike for Your Health” celebrations — all while raising more funds and spreading the word about Ohio’s year-round outdoor wonders.

Located in the Hocking Hills State Park, Ash Cave is an enormous sandstone recess cave. Photo by Kenneth Keifer

Ready to Take a Hike?
Next time you’re planning a getaway to an Ohio state park, make Take A Hike IPA part of the adventure. Whether you’re a serious hiker, a weekend camper, or someone who just appreciates a good beer with a greater purpose, this IPA delivers on flavor and impact.

Cheers to the trails, the parks, and every sip that helps keep Ohio beautiful.

Looking for more? Visit Nocterra Brewing Co. online or stop by a Great Ohio Lodge to enjoy Take A Hike IPA while supporting the Ohio State Parks Foundation. Your next hike (and your next beer) just got even better. 🍺🥾
Drink responsibly and always Leave No Trace

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