American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
So many beers, So little time…From special collaborations and craft beer one-offs to exciting new holiday seasonals, Newbies is your essential map to the “best of the best” and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week …So welcome to another edition of Newbies – your guide to great new craft beer releases!
‘Tis the Season (Boulder, CO) – Some breweries take the holidays seriously and the Upslope Brewing Company‘s newest limited release is all about it. Upslope Christmas Ale is an enormous winter warmer. Brewed bright ruby red using authentic Abbey Ale yeast, this 8.2% ABV cold-weather seasonal is a welcome addition to any holiday gathering and overflowing with good cheer.
GABF Favorite Just Released in PDX (Portland, OR) – Mike Wright and his crew at The Commons Brewery just released a beer at their tasting room that was named one of the best beers at this year’s Great American Beer Festival by the Denver Post. Maybelle is a one-off experimental farmhouse ale aged in white wine barrels and according to Mike, the grain bill on this batch has been fine-tuned to produce a slightly deeper orange hue and more pronounced citrus tones.
‘Tis the Season II (Denver, CO) – The Breckenridge Brewery is celebrating another milestone. The brewery has just released the 21st edition of its winter seasonal, Christmas Ale. True to the season, this hearty strong ale warms the soul with a spiciness that comes from Mt. Hood and Chinook hops balanced by rich flavors derived from an abundance of roasted malts.
Picture Perfect (Fort Collins, CO) – In February, New Belgium will be releasing the latest addition to their year-round offerings and it sounds picture perfect. Snapshot Wheat is an unfiltered wheat beer with a citrus nose and a tart finish. “This has been a fascinating process,” said New Belgium Brewmaster, Peter Bouckaert. “We are actually blending two beers here – one that is traditionally fermented and one that undergoes a lactobacillus fermentation, which creates a subtle tartness. By blending the two, we smooth out the tart and create a very refreshing and sessionable wheat beer.” The brewery will launch their newest Wheat Beer with a multi-city tour, tasting, and interactive photo shoot next spring. Stay tuned to ACB for things happening near you.
‘Tis the Season III (Boston, MA) – Just in time for all of this year’s holiday celebrations, Sam Adams has released their 2013 Winter Favorites Variety Pack. This year’s collection includes their Boston and Winter Lagers, their Winter Warmer, Old Fezziwig Ale, White Christmas Ale, a Cherry Chocolate Bock, and their newest seasonal addition, Samuel Adams Juniper IPA.
Namaste Goes Year-Round (Milton, DE) – Dogfish Head’s popular sessionable Belgian-style white is making the leap from occasional big bottle release to year-round offering in 12 oz. 6-packs in 2014. Namaste is made using dried organic orange flesh and orange rind, fresh-cut lemongrass, and a bit of pepper and coriander. It was originally brewed in 2009 to raise money and awareness for 3 Fonteinen, a Belgian brewery that suffered a devastating production loss.
