Westbound & Down | Chicago Peaks Kolsch

As the weather has transitioned to long, warm, pleasant days, one’s choice in beer necessarily becomes something that can be drunk for longer periods of time. No longer just getting it in while you can, this is the season for drinking sessions that extend for the duration of several beers, necessitating a beverage that is both refreshing and of moderate ABV so as to leave you in decent shape. This is the season for a beer like Westbound & Down Chicago Peaks Kolsch. Light and drinkable yet still packing serious flavor, this beer was made for warm weather get-togethers.

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Fox Farm Brewery | Witch Meadow Black 2020

Summer sunshine be damned, we’re still enjoying Stouts despite this heat. The beer fridge was full and the selection was plentiful, but the chosen bottle today is one to remember.

Witch Meadow Black 2020, an Imperial Stout aged in bourbon and rum barrels with smoked coconut by Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, CT certainly helped fight off the Sunday Scaries this afternoon! This incredibly complex yet smooth Stout was 500ml of pure bliss. It neither overwhelmed in a combination of flavor nor body, despite the 13.6% ABV. Read More

Wild East Brewing Co. | Acceptance Altbier Ale

Wild East Brewing Co. is kicking off Pride Month with the release of Acceptance. It’s a statement meant to let customers know that making all people feel accepted is important to the brewery. Brewer/co-founder Brett Taylor says, “We make this beer as a reminder that you’re welcome to be you. We see you and we care about you.” Read More

OCC Brewing | Cast Iron Arm Brown Ale

If you haven’t been to Old Colorado City (just west of Colorado Springs) lately then you may not know about the newest brewery in that area. OCC Brewing opened in September 2021 ready to serve the area. Unfortunately, due to some issues with plumbing, they weren’t able to brew on their system for a couple of months. However, they still came out swinging with delicious eats, unique cocktails and even mimosa flights. You can still find all these things, but you will also find 16 taps with a variety of beers. With the owner’s background of working with yeast, the aim of their beers was to focus on classic European style beers and getting the most out of their yeast. This is very different from the typical brewery offering multitudes of trending hoppy brews.

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Claimstake Brewing | Hit Me With Your Best Hops

Are you looking for some old-school dank bitterness with some new school hops? Hit Me With Your Best Hops, just might be the answer. Claimstake Brewing has definitely dialed up the bitterness but did it in a way without knocking you out. Read More

Levante Brewing Company | Hop Cartel: The Chron

If you drive an hour west of Philadelphia, you hit West Chester, Pennsylvania and the awesome people of Levante Brewing Company. The brewery, which opened in 2015, houses a 15-BBL system, and they use it to the full extent—making a slew of styles so every palate can enjoy a beer.

They also have a series of hoppier brews, known as Hop Cartel. Each of these Double IPAs features a different blend of hops and clocks in at over 8% alcohol. The Chron was made with Citra, Strata, and HBC-586 hops and packs a punch with an 8.1% ABV. Read More

Allagash Brewing Co. | Seconds to Summer Lager

Summer is coming, and to no one’s surprise, Allagash Brewing Co. recently released a damn good Lager that should be at everyone’s hangout.

Seconds to Summer Lager, an apparent hit in their taproom-only release series last summer, found its way to cans and throughout distribution this season thankfully. The first and probably most defining characteristic of this beer is the aroma. It’s the beautiful Belgian yeast-forward aroma that is quintessentially Allagash – from White, and Fine Acre, to River Trip and so many others.

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Main & Mill Brewing Co. | NLCS Pilsner

In recent years, many breweries have caught cease and desist letters from corporations like fly balls in center field. Cartoon characters Bart Simpson, Cap N Crunch, as well as the restaurant In-N-Out have somehow made it onto trendy IPA cans across America. Instead of taking the easy road and stealing intellectual property, Main & Mill Brewing Co. has decided to combine their love of art, baseball, and beer with charity. A can with a cause. They will be donating 20% of every can sold of their Negro Leagues Celebration Series American Style Pilsner to the featured players’ families, and the Negro League Baseball Museum. Read More

Cinder Block Brewery | Cinderveza Mexican Style Lager

Few things are more satisfying than a well-crafted lager on a warm day. Crisp, clean and cold… it’s better than water. Add a lime, and it’s borderline euphoria.

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Sonder Brewing | Voss Kölsch

There’s nothing quite like whiling away a hot summer day with a six-pack of a well-done Kölsch. Sonder Brewing, a Cincinnati-area craft brewery located in Mason, OH, has just the ticket for you.

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Colorado Boy Brewery | Mexican Style Dark Lager

This time of year, Colorado’s mountains teeter between spring and summer, and the Mexican Style Dark Lager by Colorado Boy Brewery in Ouray, Colo., perfectly captures that balance. Its dark and robust flavors warm the chilly nights, while the lighter body and lager character brighten the warmer days. Read More

Fire Maker Brewing Co. | Peach Chattahooch-Tea Southeastern IPA

There was a band that released a song in the mid-nineties called Peaches. If you’re lucky enough to remember this catchy song, you’ll remember that they talk about moving to the country to eat a lot of peaches. While you can get peaches in the country, you don’t always have to go there to get them like they want you to believe. Heck, you can even go to Atlanta and drink them in the form of a beer.

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Dogfish Head Craft Brewery | Kernza Pils

Throughout the years, Dogfish Head has been a brewery about exploring the outer edges of what is possible within the world of craft beer. With one of its newest editions to its ever-evolving lineup, Kernza Pils is here to help restore the planet with every sip! Read More

Gigantic Brewing Co. | Sassy Pony Pale Ale

Portland, Oregon is no stranger to hip craft breweries and hop forward pale ales, but Gigantic Brewing Co. is setting a new standard for classic styles of beer. Sassy Pony Pale Ale has set the bar for a non-adjunct pale ale at a height that even Javier Sotomayor would tremble at.
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Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Crushworthy Collection

In 2021, a dreamy wheat ale entered into the brewing landscape. Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) introduced Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat to our parched lips, and we were all instantly love-struck. Now, after the beer’s one-year anniversary, one of northeast Ohio’s favorite mainstays has returned with three additional versions of this brew just in time for  warmer temperatures. GLBC’s Crushworthy Collection is here, ready to tantalize and titillate the taste buds of picnickers and patio-goers.

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Imperial Oak Brewing | 2020 & 2022 BBA Quiet Giant Preview

The Imperial Oak Brewing BBA Quiet Giant series doesn’t quite get the attention that other Chicago-area BBA releases receive, but its quality is on par with some of the best in the metro area. And the brewery’s annual, crowded anniversary party and Quiet Giant release speak to the love affair many have with the series. Though we have covered the release as a preview each year, we wanted to appeal to those beer-cellar lovers by opening a 2020 Quiet Giant Aged Two Years in Bourbon (and then aged in this writer’s basement “BBA fridge” for two additional years) to see how well Quiet Giant ages.

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Equilibrium Brewery | MC² Double IPA

“Imagination is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein.

Over the years, Equilibrium Brewery (EQ) has imagined, researched and flawlessly produced numerous creative brews. With beer names like Photon, Wavelength & Fractal Eclipse, alongside strong can art that relates to each beer, EQ is sure to catch your attention in any crowded liquor store coldbox.

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Bent Water Brewing & Team Fox Launch Common Hope Collaboration Pilsner to Fight Parkinson’s Disease

“To watch someone slowly fade away in front of your eyes over many years, and to not be able to do anything about it will stop you in your tracks. To know other individuals closely with the disease and ponder a similar outcome for them is challenging to say the least. It leaves you feeling helpless.”

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Wild Leap Brew Co. | Alpha Abstraction Volume 20 Double IPA

How does a brewery in today’s craft beer market keep a specific beer around and keep it relevant? One way to do that would be to have a rotational series of a specific beer that feature different hops and ingredients each time it’s brewed and released. Although that’s a very good start, that’s not all that goes into keeping a beer alive. Obviously, each version would have to be of superior quality and taste as well. We’re going to take a closer look at the latest offering from Wild Leap Brew Co out of Lagrange, GA and their Alpha Abstraction rotational series of Double IPAs.

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Good People Brewing | Hazy Snake IPA

For their first new beer release in five years, the old-school folks at Good People are jumping onto a new-school beer trend with Hazy Snake IPA.

Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Good People Brewing Co. prides themselves on brewing “the #1-selling IPA in Alabama for the last 10 years,” known simply as Good People IPA. Aside from this flagship, Good People distributes several other core brands throughout Alabama and Middle Tennessee, including their Snake Handler Double IPA, Muchacho Mexican-style Lager, Good People Pale Ale, and now, Hazy Snake IPA.

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