Dominion’s Spring seasonal, Cherry Blossom Lager, returns for its 4th year in a row commemorating the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. From March 20th to April 17th, the Cherry Blossom Festival pays tribute to “traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit.” Cherry Blossom Lager was added to the seasonal line-up in 2013 and continues to be a local favorite
Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY is beginning the New Year with a cherry bomb bang by bringing tart/sweet newcomer Rosetta Kriek to the market on draft. Rosetta in bottles, which launched October 2015, has elicited a very positive response from craft consumers and retailers alike. The arrival of draft will bring the unique ale to fresh assemblies of beer lovers nationwide.
After three years of selling 805 Blonde Ale in California only, Firestone Walker will begin shipping the beer to Arizona, Nevada and Texas for the first time this month. A low-alcohol session offering that Firestone originally brewed as a reaction to increasing local competition, 805 emerged as one of the best-selling national craft brands in 2015. According to market research firm IRI Worldwide, sales of 805, the 24th largest craft brand in supermarkets, were up more than 166 percent through Nov. 29, 2015.
What an exhausting year. 2015 was undoubtedly the busiest year Brewbound has ever experienced from a coverage standpoint and we don’t expect 2016 to be any different. As we prepare for another busy year in the beer biz, let’s take a moment to look back at the year’s most important stories in craft beer. Here are the top 10 stories that shaped the craft narrative in 2015.
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, the beloved Boston-area craft beer company owned by Dann and Martha Paquette and known for its popular Jack D’Or saison, will officially close next month, the pair announced in a blog post. “After seven years it’s time to draw the curtains and head off to a new adventure,” they wrote.
Some things are just too good for the world to be deprived of them. This is true for Stone Brewing Co.’s rerelease of the delicious and wildly popular beer that was introduced last year in 22-ounce bottles as Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout. It was an instant hit. Because craft beer enthusiasts voiced fervent adoration via social media and online forums, Stone was inspired to embrace the joyous spirit of giving and rebrew this milk stout infused with cocoa, coffee, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Starting this week, the beer is making a comeback in 12-ounce six-packs and on draft at select retailers, restaurants and bars nationwide.
What could be better than having beer with your cookies this holiday season? We say NOTHING! That’s why Flying Dog, Maryland’s largest brewery, is teaming up for the second year in a row with Baltimore-based Otterbein’s Bakery on four new cookie-inspired craft beers that will be released in a limited edition holiday 12-pack.
Sam Calagione’s relentless attempts to brand Dogfish Head beyond beer have put the company in front of millions of new craft beer consumers and helped make the company into one of the most successful craft breweries in the U.S. His latest, a collaborative web series with First We Feast, a food culture site owned by New York-based Complex Media, features Calagione creating beers with famous athletes, musicians and chefs.
Magee: “Craft” has outlived its usefulness; Deschutes’ East Coast Announcement Could Come in 2016; California’s Mother Earth Brewing to Expand…in Idaho?; Wrestling Legend Gets His Own IPA
Meet Braxton Brewing: a family-run brewery founded in Covington, KY by two brothers, Evan and Jacob Rouse, their father, Greg Rouse, and one insanely experienced brewmaster, Richard Dubé. Brewbound followed the Braxton team to the Pacific Northwest, to document, on film, what it’s like for a group of scrappy startup brewers to be granted an all-access pass inside one of the country’s largest craft beer outfits. In episode 001 of Brewbound’s new documentary series, viewers will be introduced to the Braxton crew and get a taste of the intense, three-day learning experience awarded to winners of the Startup Brewery Challenge.
Today, Brewbound is excited to release the first glimpse of a project many months in the making: Learning Curve, an online documentary series produced in collaboration with Good Beer Hunting, showcases the entrepreneurial adventures of craft beer companies throughout the U.S.
If there’s one thing that socially responsible businesses have learned, it’s that they can’t go at it alone. Whether it’s implementing responsible sourcing initiatives or creating a positive corporate model to make an impact on sustainability, there is strength in numbers. So where did Ben & Jerry’s turn for help and inspiration for its latest ice cream flavor? Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing. Never has the phrase “polishing off a pint” been so perfectly poised in any partnership for a delicious double-entendre.
Jordan Brownwood sees a bright future in San Diego’s young but nascent hop growing industry. With more than 100 breweries already operational in town, Brownwood, who earlier this year co-founded Nopalito Farm & Hopyard near Escondido, Calif., believes that he and other small suppliers have a clear market, with some local breweries relying more and more on local suppliers.
Today, Anchor Brewing announces the seasonal return of BigLeaf Maple Autumn Red, distinctive red ale brewed with real maple syrup. “We chose the syrup of the Bigleaf Maple tree not just because of the syrup’s complexity, but because it’s a native California tree. We are always inspired by the beauty and flavors of California, and our BigLeaf Maple Autumn Red is just another way we can honor our home state,” said Anchor Brewmaster Mark Carpenter.