GSN Brews News: July 20th 2021 Edition

Monaco Cocktails has added Tequila Sun Crush, the newest spirits-based RTD in the company’s portfolio. Like the other Monaco Cocktails, the newest addition is canned at 9% abv and is made with two shots of Tequila, orange liqueur, and orange flavoring. Tequila Sun Crush is now available across the U.S. in 12-ounce cans retail priced between $2.50 and $3. The new release joins Citrus Rush, Tequila Lime Crush, Blue Crush, Cranberry, and Mango Peach, among many other flavors, in the Monaco Cocktails portfolio.

California-based Twisted Roots hard cider is relaunching with new packaging. Formerly presented in capped 750-ml. bottles, the European-style cider, made with a blend of five apple varieties, will now be sold in four-packs of 16-ounce cans. Its new logo displays a red, cross-sectioned apple on the tall black cans. Each can is at 6% abv and has 100 calories. Located in Carmel Valley, Twisted Roots is best known for Old Vine Zinfandel and Petite Sirah wines.

Fort Collins, Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing is partnering with Ojai, California-based kombucha producer Flying Embers on a new release. The two beverage makers collaborated on Oh, Hi!, a limited-edition session sour beer made by blending Flying Embers’ Original Essence Kombucha with sour beer produced by New Belgium and then finished with pixie tangerines and sage. Both companies support wildfire relief efforts and will together donate $10,000 to the Embers foundation to benefit the California Fire Foundation and other organizations. Oh, Hi! is at 6.5% abv and will be available in select premium retailers in California and Colorado.

Vermont-based Stowe Cider is expanding its non-alcoholic options with Fresh Squeeze. It’s an off-shoot of Fresh Press, Stowe’s apple cider and sparkling water RTD. Rather than apple cider, Fresh Squeeze is made with lemonade and sparkling water and is also at 0% abv. Available now in Stowe’s taproom and from its website, Fresh Squeeze will be available in Vermont retailers in the coming weeks, priced at $9 a 4-pack of 12-ounce cans.

Pacific City, Oregon-based Pelican Brewing is releasing Head Out Hefeweizen to celebrate a summer spent outdoors exploring nature. The 4.8% abv wheat ale is made with white wheat malt and contains aromas of melon and flowers. As part of the beer’s outdoorsy message, Pelican is sponsoring a number of events for Trailkeepers of Oregon this summer to support the maintenance of coastal trails, including two of the organization’s new Volunteer Vacations in August. Head Out Hefe is available now in 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles and select Pelican variety 12-packs.

Atlanta, Georgia’s Sweetwater Brewing Company has launched 420 Imperial IPA, the first line extension for the brewery’s flagship label. The 9.1% abv ale is brewed with nine varieties of hops during the wet and dry hopping phases of production, and is available in 6- and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans and 19.2-ounce cans as well as on draft across Sweetwater’s distribution footprint. The brewery has also launched a new limited-edition beer: 710 Hazy Double IPA. The 7.5% abv ale is part of the Dank Tank series of brews.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Brews News: January 5th 2021 Edition

Portland Cider Co. has released Bubbly Brut, billed as a Champagne-style sparkling cider. The small-batch cider is made from 100% Northwest apples, fermented separately with two different Champagne yeast strains on neutral French Oak, then blended. Bubbly Brut has 50% more carbonation than the cidery’s other products. It comes in at 6.9% abv with zero grams of sugar and is available in 19.2-ounce cans and on draft. Bubbly Brut is available now through February at Portland Cider Co.’s two Oregon taprooms and select retailers in Oregon, Washington, Northern Idaho, and Northern California.

Ventura, California-based Flying Embers has introduced Kombucha Bubbly Brut Nature. Billed as a Champagne-style hard kombucha, the new entry is fermented with real botanicals and Champagne yeast and aged in Chardonnay wine barrels. The 6.9% abv offering has no residual sugars or carbs and is packaged in 4-packs of 12-ounce cans. Flying Embers has three taprooms in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Boston, respectively, and its products are sold in 40 states.

Lawrence, Kansas-based Fields & Ivy brewery is launching Kansas Lager, brewed with 100% barley malt grown in Kansas. Launching through distributor Worldwide Wine and Spirits, the new entry is a Vienna-style lager and will roll out across the state in 12-ounce bottles. Fields & Ivy says it’s likely to be the first lager brewed with 100% Kansas-grown barley malt since 1890 or earlier. Founded in 2019, Fields & Ivy has a 20-barrel production brewhouse, dining room, and beer garden in Lawrence.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Brews News: September 8th 2020 Edition

Ventura, California-based Flying Embers hard kombucha is releasing three new offerings as part of its limited Flight Series. The newcomers include an unflavored Original Essence kombucha, which is at 7% abv and billed as drinking like a white wine, as well as Strawberry Lemongrass (7% abv) and Prickly Pear Heather (4.5% abv) expressions. Distributed to 40 states, Flying Embers also recently extended its range with a line of probiotic-infused hard seltzers.

Portland, Oregon-based Cascade Brewing has introduced Framboise Northwest, a new sour ale made with locally sourced raspberries. The 7.9% abv ale begins life as a blonde ale before aging for up to two years in wine barrels with added raspberries. The beer is now available for local pickup at Cascade’s Barrel House and The Lodge, as well as online. Beginning September 14, Framboise Northwest will be available in 500-ml. bottles and on draft throughout the brewery’s distribution footprint.

Colorado’s Oskar Blues Brewery has launched its latest IPA variety pack, the Pack-o-Bliss. The 12-pack contains three 12-ounce cans each of Oskar Blues’ Can-o-Bliss Citra Double IPA, Can-o-Bliss Resinous IPA, Can-o-Bliss’ rotating seasonal IPA, and Pinner Session IPA. This releases marks Pinner’s return to the brewery’s portfolio after fans on social media requested the brew’s return. The new variety pack is now available in retailers across the U.S. In addition, Oskar Blues’ latest seasonal Can-o-Bliss IPA is also available on draft.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Brews News: August 4th 2020 Edition

Ventura, California’s Flying Embers has announced a new hard seltzer brand made with probiotics, organic ingredients, and vitamin C. The new line will come in six flavors, each at 5% abv and 95 calories with zero sugars and carbs. The new seltzer is launching with two variety 6-packs that contain three flavors each. Botanicals: Fruit & Flora will have Black Cherry Rose, Clementine Hibiscus, and Passionfruit Elderflower. Tropicals: Sweet & Heat will have Watermelon Chili, Pineapple Cayenne, and Guava Jalapeño. The 6-packs will retail for around $12 across the brand’s 40-state distribution footprint.

Stone Brewing is adding Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager to its year-round lineup. The brew, which began as part of Stone’s Pilot Series, is a 4.7% abv lager with salt and lime added. It recently crossed 100,000 case equivalents and is rivaling Stone’s core IPA in some packaging formats in the Southern California market, according to the company. Stone is also rolling out a new Michelada mix ($10 a 32-ounce bottle) that will be sold alongside Buenaveza.

Colorado’s Lone Tree Brewing Company has launched Golden Berry Belgian-style ale. The 8% abv brew is made from a base Belgian Strong Ale with added blackberry and raspberry juice and puree. The beer is the latest in Lone Tree’s small batch can series. Golden Berry Ale is now available at the brewery’s taproom and in 6-packs of 12-ounce cans in select locations throughout Colorado and Kansas.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Brews News: June 23rd 2020 Edition

Ventura, California-based Flying Embers has announced three new flavors of hard kombucha, part of what the company is calling the Flight Series. The new flavors are Blueberry Cassis (7% abv), Rhodiola Rose (7% abv), and Watermelon Basil (4.5% abv), which also has added sea salt. The new releases are available from the company’s taproom as well as throughout its distribution footprint in 16-ounce cans.

San Francisco-based 21st Amendment Brewery has debuted Soma, a new hard seltzer brand. Rolling out now across 21st Amendment’s 30-state footprint, Soma is at 4.8% abv and comes in Watermelon, Guava & Passion Fruit, Mango, and Black Cherry flavors, containing 100 calories a 12-ounce can.

Vermont-based Citizen Cider is launching a new range of hard seltzers. Citizen Seltzer is debuting in three varieties—Apple All Day, Ginger Love, and Lemon Spritz—across Citizen’s 14-state footprint. Made using only local ingredients from Vermont, the new offerings are at 5% abv and come in at 100 calories, 2 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of sugar a 16-ounce can. A mixed pack will join the launch starting next month. Citizen’s core cider range includes the traditional semi-dry Unified Press, ginger-infused The Dirty Mayor, dry-hopped The Lake Hopper, and dry ale-style Wit’s Up varieties.

Longmont, Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery has launched Death by Affogato Porter. The 6.5% abv beer is brewed with chocolate malt, malted oats, vanilla, lactose, cacao nibs, and coffee sourced from Colorado’s Traction Coffee Roasters. Affogato is the second release in the Death by Porter series, following January’s Death by King Cake. The beer is now available across the U.S. in 4-packs of 12-ounce cans.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily