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Back East Brewing Debuts Shad Derby Pale Ale

Back East Brewing Debuts Shad Derby Pale Ale

Back East Brewing Co. in Bloomfield, Connecticut has released a new pale ale brewed exclusively with barley and hops grown and harvested in the brewery's home state.

Shad Derby Pale Ale is a spring seasonal brewed in honor of the Shad Derby Festival in Windsor, Connecticut. The beer will be available in cans and on draft starting this week and it will also be poured at this year's Shad Derby Fest on May 19, 2018.

The full release from Back East is below.


Bloomfield, CT – Back East Brewery’s Shad Derby Pale Ale is now being brewed with Connecticut grown malted barley and hops.  The Shad Derby Pale Ale is a seasonal ale brewed to honor the Shad Derby Festival, a festival held annually in Windsor, CT on the third weekend of May.

This limited beer will be available at Back East Brewery and area package stores, on draft at participating bars, restaurants, and in the beer garden at this year's Shad Derby Festival on May 19, 2018. Shad Derby Pale Ale is an American Pale Ale brewed with Connecticut grown malted barley and hops.

Back East Brewery co-founder and Windsor resident Tony Karlowicz cites the Festival's importance to this area and Back East’s excitement to use Connecticut grown ingredients. "The Festival has a meaningful and long standing history in the area and we’re proud to be a part of it. Once we learned about Thrall’s new malting facility, which is the first in Connecticut, we knew it made sense to use their malted barley and hops. It's the perfect match when you think of Back East and coming back home, as the Festival always takes place every May in Windsor". Karlowicz also notes that a portion of the proceeds will benefit "Windsor's Most Beloved Festival".

Thrall Family Malt’s owner Spencer Thrall adds: “We’re thrilled to have Back East Brewery use our malted barley and hops in their Shad Derby Pale Ale.  Their brewery is just a few miles from our farm, making this a truly local product.  We love how supportive Connecticut has been towards their local brewers, and we’re excited to be a part of this community and provide these local raw materials for Back East and other local brewers.”

About Back East Brewing Company

Back East is an award-winning Craft brewery located in Bloomfield, CT, with distribution throughout Connecticut and Western Massachusetts in cans and on draft.  Back East was started in 2012 by cousins and co-founders Tony Karlowicz and Edward Fabrycki, Jr.  For more information about Back East Brewery, go to http://www.backeastbrewing.com/.

About Thrall Family Malt

Thrall Family Malt is located in Windsor, Connecticut, where their family has been farming for over 12 generations. We take pride in our dedication to quality, from growing our own hops, barley and other small grains, to crafting premium malt in Connecticut's first malthouse. We strive to provide high quality local ingredients and look forward to continued partnerships with Connecticut's great craft brewers.

For more information and availability about Back East Brewery's Shad Derby Pale Ale go to http://www.backeastbrewing.com/ and for more information about the Windsor Shad Derby Festival's parade and town festivities please go to  http://www.windsorshadderby.org/ .