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 fall and winter 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!
Pucker Up! (Fort Collins, CO) – Having recently doubled its wood beer capacity with the addition of 32 new oak foeders, New Belgium Brewing is releasing two 2014 Lips of Faith beers.
La Folie is their flagship Sour – the 7% ABV Flanders-style reddish brown ale delivers plenty of green apple, cherry, sometimes even blackberry and chocolate notes.”La Folie is a seriously sour beer, but we like to say that it’s sour in a good way,” said New Belgium Wood Cellar Manager, Lauren Salazar. “It’s the beer that launched our sour beer program in ’97.”La Folie is available now, while supplies last, in 22 oz. bombers and on draft.
Transatlantique Kriek is a slightly sour cherry kriek beer – the 2014 edition began life in the oaken vessels of Frank Boon’s brewery, deep in Belgium’s Lembeek Valley. After two years of wood aging, Boon’s spontaneously fermented kriek shipped across the Atlantic and found its way to New Belgium’s Brewmaster, Peter Bouckaert. To go with Boon’s lambic ale, Bouckaert created a full golden brew to blend in, and round out, this light-bodied kriek. Crisp and effervescent, Transatlantique Kriek is 8% ABV and available now, while supplies last, in 22 oz. bombers and on draft.
White Rabbit Gets Canned (Austin, TX) – For the first time ever, Independence Brewing will be canning one of their legends. White Rabbit White Ale is their 5.9% ABV Belgian-style white that’s deftly spiced with orange zest, coriander, and peppercorns.”We selected White Rabbit for our first can launch because of its innate drinkability and popularity,” states Independence co-founder Amy Cartwright. “Ideally portable for outdoor activities from tailgating to tubing, the new can design will allow locals and visitors to enjoy our beer anytime and anywhere.”
312 Day Coming Soon! (Chicago, IL) – On March 12, also known as “3-1-2 Day,” Goose Island is unveiling something new.312 Urban Pale Ale was inspired by the success and the brewing experience from Green Line Pale Ale — a Chicago-only, draft-only beer that supports Goose Island’s environmental and sustainability initiative. Their newest, year-round within the popular Pale Ale craft beer segment, 312 Urban Pale Ale is brewed with Amarillo, Mt. Hood, and Nugget hops and has a bright hop aroma and a crisp bitterness that treads lightly.
Mixing It Up (Escondido, Ca) –Stone Brewing is rolling out the second edition of its Mixed 12 Pack this week. This edition features Arrogant Bastard Ale (the only way to get it in 12 oz. bottle form) and Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA as new additions. Those two will replace Stone Levitation Ale and Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale in the pack. Along with Stone IPA and Stone Ruination IPA, the average ABV of the pack is a whopping 7.75%, strength that is atypical of variety packs.
