Golden Road Brewing

Atomic Brands will launch the latest extension to Monaco Cocktails later this month. The new cocktail—a Mai Tai—comes in at 9% abv and is made with light and dark rum, plus orange curaçao. It will be part of Monaco’s Craft Cocktail line, alongside the company’s Kentucky and Moscow Mules. Monaco’s Mai Tai will hit store shelves nationwide on August 30, retailing for around $2.50 or $3 per 12-ounce can.

Boston Beer is partnering with PepsiCo to launch Hard Mtn Dew, a new flavored malt beverage. Boston Beer will develop and produce new the soda brand offshoot and PepsiCo has set up a new entity to sell, deliver, and merchandise the product, which is expected to hit shelves early next year. The move follows Boston Beer’s recently announced alliance with Beam Suntory, which will expand Boston Beer’s Truly Hard Seltzer into bottled spirits, and Beam Suntory’s Sauza Tequila brand into additional RTD formats.

Kombrewcha Hard Kombucha and Los Angeles-based Golden Road Brewing have collaborated on a new product, Passion Fruit Hard Kombucha. The gluten-free, organic beverage is brewed to 6% abv through natural fermentation. Passion Fruit Hard Kombucha is now available in 12-ounce can 6-packs at select retailers throughout California.

Heineken has announced Comb & Hive, a new mead, set to hit shelves in test markets for Labor Day. The 6.9% abv lightly sparkling wine is made from wildflower honey and sugar, with added orange blossom. The drink will be available individually and in 4-packs of 12-ounce cans, with each can containing 150 calories and two grams of sugar. Heineken will test the new brand in Denver, Colorado and Nashville, Tennessee.

Heaven Hill has announced Hpnotiq Freeze Pops, a new RTD extension for the French liqueur. The pops come in at 6% abv and are rolling out now in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and Florida. Hpnotiq Freeze Pops come in boxes of ten for a suggested price of $20.

Cutwater Spirits has debuted two new regionally inspired canned cocktails. First up is Orange Smash, a blend of Cutwater’s vodka and orange soda. It’s at 7% abv and is available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C. The second new release is called Huckleberry Spritz and is aimed at the western U.S. The cocktail is also at 7% abv and is available in Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Colorado. Additionally, Huckleberry Spritz can be shipped to Wyoming, Oregon, and Utah.

Baltimore, Maryland’s Sagamore Spirit has entered the canned cocktail market with three new rye-based drinks. Sagamore’s Black-Eyed Rye comes in at 9% abv and is made with blackberry and lime juices and added ginger flavor. The distillery’s Honey Paloma is also at 9% abv and blends rye with grapefruit and lime juices, agave, and honey. Sagamore has also released Lemon Tea Fizz, an 8% abv cocktail that pairs whiskey with green tea, yuzu, and Meyer lemon juice. All three RTDs are made with four-year-old rye whiskey and retail for around $16 a 4-pack of 12-ounce cans. Sagamore Spirit’s canned cocktails are now available in Maryland, Washington D.C., and New Jersey with a national rollout planned for 2022.

California-based Stone Brewing has added a new hazy IPA to its portfolio of craft beers. Stone Hazy IPA comes in at 6.7% abv and is made primarily with El Dorado and Azacca hops with some additional Sabro hops adding more tropical flavors, according to the brewery. The beer was first brewed at Stone’s Liberty Station taproom in San Diego before it entered the brewery’s core portfolio. Stone Hazy IPA is now available across the U.S. in 6-packs of 12-ounce cans and on draft.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Founders Brewing Co. has announced that KBS, the brewery’s barrel-aged imperial stout, will now be available year-round. The 12% abv stout is brewed with coffee and chocolate and is blended from beers aged between nine and 15 months, according to brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki. KBS will be available in 4-packs of 12-ounce bottles and on draft throughout the U.S.—except for in Utah (on draft) and Mississippi (not at all)—beginning in March.

Hershey, Pennsylvania-based Tröegs Independent Brewing is releasing Haze Charmer Hazy Pale Ale, its first new year-round offering in four years. The brewery developed the hazy base through a combination of various malts, which they say helps retain hop oil in service of delivering bigger flavor without needing to load up the abv. Indeed, Haze Charmer is only 5.5% despite being brewed with Citra, Lotus, and El Dorado hops like many IPAs that often skew higher. Retailing for $11 a 6-pack, it’s now available in Pennsylvania and will expand distribution along the eastern seaboard by mid-March.

Pottsville, Pennsylvania’s D.G. Yuengling & Sons has announced the March launch of Flight by Yuengling, the brewery’s newest light beer. The 4.2% abv beer has 95 calories and 2.6 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving. The company describes Flight as crisp and easy to drink. Initially, Flight will be available 12-ounce bottles across Yuengling’s 22-state footprint with a draft release coming in the second half of the year.

Boston, Massachusetts’ Harpoon Brewery has launched DragonWeisse, a new light take on a Berliner Weisse beer. The 4.6% abv beer is made from a wheat base with added dragon fruit, hibiscus, maca root, sea salt, and flaxseed. DragonWeisse is now available across the company’s distribution footprint on draft, and in 4-packs of 12-ounce cans and 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles for $9 and $10, respectively. Along with UFO, Harpoon is part of the Massachusetts Bay Brewing Company.

Golden Road Brewing founder Meg Gill and Anheuser-Busch InBev are launching a new organic hard seltzer label called Maha. Launching this month in 11 Western states, Maha is at 4.2% abv and 110 calories a 12-ounce can. It will debut with Raspberry, Tangerine Yuzu, and Black Cherry flavors, sold in variety 12-packs. The brand is made with organic fruit juice, cascara, cane sugar, and sea salt and includes a proprietary blend of vitamins and minerals including potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The Maha brand plans to expand with other food and beverage product lines later in the year.