News
City Star Brewing Releases Widow Maker Imperial Stout
BERTHOUD, Colo. — As the sun hangs lower in the sky each day City Star head brewer John Way tracks how far it shines inside through the taproom’s new huge south-facing windows. Solar noon is celebrated daily and well known by all those who work in the brewhouse mid-day with John. Fascinated by the Winter Solstice John Way originally crafted Widow Maker, his darkest beer of the year, with the darkest day of the year in mind.
The sun won’t be shining tomorrow in Colorado during the Winter Solstice (yay snow!) but Widow Maker will be as it flows from the taps. At 2 pm Widow Maker Imperial Stout will be released on draft and in 22oz bottles, side by side with French Roast Widow Maker and Vanilla Bean Widow Maker. Bottles will be for sale at $12-15/bottle with a 1 case limit per person of each beer. 10oz pours, tasters, and flights of all three imperial stouts will be available to enjoy in the taproom.
More about the beers:
Widow Maker is a colossal Imperial Stout. This nod to the Winter Solstice boasts a big, bold and complex flavor profile of dark roasted malt, chocolate, and dark fruit. Smooth, rich and ready to sip and savor.
The French Roast variant of Widow Maker Imperial Stout is infused with Denver based Dazbog’s French Roast coffee. Two pounds of coarse ground coffee per barrel is added to the conditioned beer for a robust 24-hour cold brew. Bold coffee mingles with the imperial stout’s dark roasted malt, chocolate, and dark fruit flavors. Not for the faint-hearted. Caffeine included.
The Vanilla Bean variant of Widow Maker Imperial Stout is infused with organic Bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar. The conditioned beer is dosed with a tincture made in house of the scraped vanilla pods and tiny seeds. Sweet, dark roasted malt, chocolate, and dark fruit notes showcase the delicate vanilla flavor and aroma.
To date, City Star Brewing has only bottled barrel-aged beers. The bottle release of Widow Maker is the brewery’s first non-barrel aged beer to be packaged. As supply is very limited bottles of Widow Maker and variants will only be sold out of the downtown Berthoud taproom. More specialty bottle releases can be expected in 2018.
About City Star Brewing
City Star began slinging beer in downtown Berthoud, CO in 2012 and has since become a destination for the community and craft beer enthusiasts. At our small town brewery, we are handcrafting small-batch ales and lagers on our mighty 3.5 barrel brew system. We are dedicated to brewing high-quality beer that we enjoy drinking, beer you can hang your hat on.
Brewers of Pennsylvania and Lyft Partner to Provide Discounted Rides
PHILADELPHIA – Lyft has partnered with the Brewers of Pennsylvania to provide affordable, reliable transportation to 139 member breweries across Pennsylvania. As the official rideshare partner of the Brewers of Pennsylvania, Lyft will provide brewery employees, guests, and patrons a reliable ride home when they need one. The partnership also offers beer aficionados a safe way to tour multiple breweries.
To celebrate the partnership, Lyft is offering 30 percent off two rides to/from any of the 139Brewers of Pennsylvania member breweries with code BREWERSPA between 12/24 – 12/30.
“Pennsylvania is home to some of the best breweries in the world, from America’s oldest brewery to some of the most creative minds in craft beer,” said Andrew Woolf, General Manager of Lyft Pennsylvania. “As the Brewers of Pennsylvania’s official rideshare partner, we’re thrilled to be helping people safely experience the Pennsylvania Beer Trail or even just grab a pint at their local brewery, while offering area drivers increased opportunity to earn.”
Established in 2011, the Brewers of Pennsylvania represents breweries from all corners of the state, including legacy brewers and ambitious entrepreneurs. The organization works in service of Pennsylvania consumers and the brewing industry to promote the interests of craft brewers.
“Pennsylvania produces some of the very best craft beer in the world, and as people enjoy these unique and tasty products throughout this holiday season, they can celebrate knowing they have a safe, reliable ride to and from BOP member breweries with Lyft,” said Dan LaBert,Executive Director of the Brewers of Pennsylvania. “We’re excited to partner with Lyft, and anticipate beer lovers from aficionados to weekend samplers in all parts of the state to take advantage of discounted rides as they head to a familiar or new Pennsylvania brewery.”
For more information on the Brewers of Pennsylvania, visit http://www.brewersofpa.org/.
About Lyft
Lyft was founded in June 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation. Lyft is the fastest growing rideshare company in the U.S and is available to 95 percent of the US population. Lyft is preferred by drivers and passengers for its safe and friendly experience, and its commitment to effecting positive change for the future of our cities.
About the Brewers of Pennsylvania
The Brewers of Pennsylvania is a 501c6 trade association that brings together leaders of Pa.-based breweries in order to promote and protect the brewing industry in the state. The Brewers of Pennsylvania, a strong and influential organization, serves the consuming public of Pa. by encouraging brand diversity in the market. BOP members employ an estimated 10,000employees earning $296 million in wages and generating $1.1 billion in direct economic benefits to communities throughout the state. Its signature annual event is the popular Meeting of the Malts. #supportPAbeer
Alaskan Spruce IPA Leads Rotating Series for 2018
JUNEAU, Alaska — In 2018, Alaskan Brewing will be changing up their rotating seasonal offerings, launching a new focus on three products that will not be strictly tied to seasons. The new packages and beers will concentrate on beer style and the Alaskan brew crew’s dedication to local ingredients and brews that are long-standing fan favorites. The new rotating beers will feature labels with iconic symbols of Alaska, with the Snowy Owl representing Spruce IPA debuting this January.
“We have been brewing with Sitka spruce tips for years, and we started getting interested in how well they can complement the hop flavors,” said Plant Manager Curtis Holmes. “In the past we’ve used spruce tips in sweeter beers, which brings out a citrus or berry quality, but when used in hoppy beers like IPAs, we found the evergreen and woody character played a more prominent role in producing the complexity of flavors and aromas in our IPA.”
The Snowy Owl on the label is a symbol of Alaska’s cold winter and early spring months, and has been attributed with mythical properties, seemingly appearing from out of thin air on frosty cold days because of its ability to fly silently. Slightly bitter and bracing, a lot like January in Alaska, Spruce IPA is imminently drinkable, with aromas of pine and tart berries. The taste maintains a berry like, fruity, slightly floral and tart quality, but the bitterness brings out the similarities to the hops.
“Over the past few years, as we’ve brewed more beer varieties with Sitka spruce tips, we analyzed how Sitka spruce tips compare to different hop varieties, and found that there are many similarities between spruce tips and hops,” said David Wilson, Quality Assurance Manager. “Both ingredients contain B-Pinene, which imparts a citrus, pine character. We try to brew with local ingredients whenever possible, and it’s been pretty cool to discover that this indigenous Alaskan tree has some comparable properties to hops.”
Wilson noted that Spruce has been used as an ingredient in brewing for hundreds of years. In some instances, entire boughs are soaked during the brewing process. By using only newly budded springtime spruce tips from the Sitka Spruce tree, which have a delicate citrus, sweet character, Alaskan Brewing spruce beers have an unmistakable aroma and flavor.
“We think it’s a great fit to expand our IPA selection with Spruce IPA this spring – with a nod to our Alaskan roots,” Wilson said.
A change coming later this year will be in name only – Alaskan Summer, a Kölsch-Style Ale that has been a fan favorite for over 15 years, will be renamed to Alaskan Kölsch. The beer’s recipe, iconic Orca and vibrant orange label, all stay the same. In the Fall of 2018, fans can look for a brand new seasonal offering – Alaskan Cranberry Tart Ale, which was inspired by Alaskan high bush cranberries and features Sitka spruce tips in a refreshing wheat-based beer.
Spruce IPA will be available where Alaskan beer is sold through April 2017.
For more information and updates, check out Alaskan Brewing Co. online at www.alaskanbeer.com.
Top 10 Imperial Red Ales Brewed in the United States
Top 10 Imperial Red Ales
This Top Ten Imperial Red list is from the results of the U.S. Open Beer Championship, Great American Beer Festival, and RateBeer.com. Imperial Red Ales are deep amber to dark copper/reddish brown. May exhibit a small amount of chill haze at cold temperatures. Fruity-ester aroma is medium. Hop aroma is intense, arising from any variety of hops. Medium to high caramel malt character is present. Hop flavor is intense, but balanced with other beer characters. May use any variety of hops. Hop bitterness is intense. Alcohol content is very high and of notable character. Complex alcohol flavors may be evident. Body is full. ABV: 8.0%-10.6%. IBU: 55-85
1. Paradocs Red IIPA – Raised Grain Brewing Co. – Wisconsin
2. Knuckle Sandwich – Bootlegger’s Brewery – California
3. Screaming Hand Imperial Amber – Strike Brewing – California
4. Wreak Havoc – Bootstrap Brewing – Colorado
5. reDANKulous – Backstage Series – Founders Brewing – Michigan
6. Nugget Nectar – Tröegs Brewing Company – Pennsylvania
7. Hop Head Red Ale – Green Flash Brewing – California
8. Lucky 13 Mondo Large Red Ale – Lagunitas Brewing – California
9. Hog Heaven: Imperial Red IPA – Avery Brewing – Colorado
10. G’Knight Imperial Red Ale – Oskar Blues Brewery – Colorado