Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California has announced the release of Features & Benefits IPA, a new gluten-reduced brew that's low in carbs and calories. Full details are below.

ESCONDIDO, CA (November 23, 2020) – Stone Brewing announces having achieved the unthinkable: A low-calorie, low-carb, gluten-reduced and low ABV IPA with outsized flavor. And despite rumors to the contrary, Stone seeks to clarify that F+B does NOT stand for F*ck Bread. Rather, Stone Features & Benefits IPA speaks to the features of a badass IPA with benefits to boot:
 

• 95 Calories
• 2.9G Carbs
• 4% ABV
• Gluten-Reduced

Sure, the latter does give the middle finger to bread, but that’s not the point, nor the intention. Stone Features & Benefits IPA packs the benefits you’d expect in an IPA brewed by Stone, alongside a few added features. See, Stone’s brewers know a thing or two about IPAs. They paved the way for the West Coast IPA and became the first brewery on the planet to introduce a full-time West Coast Double IPA. But making a beer to meet the stringent features of Stone Features & Benefits IPA was not easy. Trial after trial, less-than-perfect attempts gave way to lessons learned, new discoveries and, ultimately, a beer like none other. Stone Features & Benefits IPA is massively sessionable and refreshing. It’s light bodied and crisp with orange, pear, white peach and melon hop character. It’s so big while being so little, they might as well have named it Skibidi.
 
“We knew that making a vibrant, full-bodied IPA that’s this low in calories, carbs and alcohol was going to be a huge challenge,” explained Jeremy Moynier, Stone Brewing Senior Manager of Brewing & Innovation. “Calories and carbs contribute a lot to the things we like in food and beer. But we weren’t willing to just water down an IPA and call it a day. So, we went through countless iterations, mixing up the process and engaging in fermentation experimentation techniques. Even when we thought we’d landed it, we went back once more, working to make it even better. It became an all-company effort with our brewers here in Escondido, in Richmond, VA and our Innovation Teams at the Stone World Bistro & Gardens - Liberty Station and Stone Brewing Napa all pooling our expertise to get this done to Stone’s standards.”
 
Stone Features & Benefits IPA joins Stone Delicious IPA in the brewery’s offerings of gluten-reduced beers. While Stone Delicious IPA earned its keep as a simply delicious IPA, it has since gained notoriety for its – wait for it – added feature and has become the nation’s top-selling gluten-reduced beer. Both gluten-reduced beers are now available nationwide for those who need to watch their gluten intake, and those who pretend they do. Also, for those obsessed with muscles, those who want to drink six beers instead of two, and anyone interested in a badass beer with tons of added features. Use the Stone Brewing Beer Finder to locate them near you: find.stonebrewing.com.

You’ve come this far, why not go “gluten free?”

Stone incorporates an enzyme in the brewing process, which separates and eliminates gluten protein chains. Because the beer began with barley (which contains gluten), it cannot be labeled “gluten-free” in the US. That said, the amount of gluten in this beer, and Stone Delicious IPA, is far below the Codex threshold (less than 20 parts per million in total gluten) for “gluten-free” products so much so that its gluten levels are too low to be measurable by available testing methods. If you’re truly gluten intolerant, you likely know what “Codex” is. If you’re not, well just enjoy the beer, you don’t really need to worry about it. More on that can be found here.

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Straw yellow, clear, with a thin white head.
Aroma: Orange peel, lemon, spice and light grain character.
Taste:  Orange, pear, white peach, melon and black pepper.
Palate: Light bodied, crisp and refreshing with a pleasant short finish.

FOOD PAIRINGS

Starters: Hummus and Olives, Lebanese Cheese Rolls, Fried Tofu, Tempura
Soups and Salads: Fruity Goat Salad*/**, Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono Soup)
Main Courses: Bombay Burrito (Indian Street Food Wrap)*/**, Rasta Tacos (Jerk-Roasted Veggie Tacos)*/**, Capellini Pomodoro.
Desserts: Orange Macaroon, Lemon Macaroon
… or pair with a Wide-Rimmed Hat, Sunscreen, and a Lawn Chair…
*Menu items available at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido
**Menu items available at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station

ABOUT STONE BREWING

Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, the groundbreaking San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 9th largest craft brewer in the United States. Recognized as an award-winning industry leader, Stone has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. The company operates breweries in Escondido, CA and Richmond, VA, plus nine tap room and bistro locations throughout the US and the nation’s largest craft-centric beer distributor, Stone Distributing Co. Stone’s bold, flavorful and largely hop-centric beers are available in all 50 states and more than 40 countries worldwide. To find Stone beers, visit find.stonebrewing.com. For more information on Stone Brewing and its commitment to independence, sustainability, philanthropy and the art of brewing, visit stonebrewing.com or the company’s social media sites: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.