Stone Brewing Co. Announces Tropic of Thunder Lager As Newest Year-Round Beer

Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California has announced that popular craft lager Tropic of Thunder will be added to the brewery's year-round portfolio this month.

Starting first as a limited-release beer last year, Tropic of Thunder was an attempt by Stone to tap into beer drinkers' desire for an easy-drinking and sessionable craft lager.

The newest addition to Stone’s year-round lineup clocks in at 5.8 percent ABV and is available throughout the U.S. in 12-oz six-pack cans, 19.2-oz single-serve cans and on draft.

The full release from the brewery is below.

ESCONDIDO, CA (January 30, 2019) – This month, Stone Brewing’s newest year-round beer storms ashore – Stone Tropic of Thunder Lager. With a long and celebrated heritage of big, bold and flavorful porters, stouts, sours, IPAs, strong ales and more, Stone is proud to continue this tradition of pushing bounds with an unconventional lager. The beer debuts now in all 50 states.
 
“More than 75 percent of US beer sales are lagers – predominantly from Big Beer,” said Dominic Engels, Stone Brewing CEO. “So given our history in challenging convention, and our successes in the category of IPAs, we’re releasing what I’m affectionately referring to as a ‘lager for IPA lovers.’ It’s finely crafted, intensely flavorful and undoubtedly independent, because lagers deserve flavor too.”
 
Hitting that sweet spot of a lager that appeals to IPA lovers, Stone’s newest core beer arrives as the brewery closes out 2018 positive in depletions year-over-year. Notably, Stone celebrated a volume increase of 17.5% for its combined year-round IPAs. These include Stone IPA, Stone Delicious IPA, Stone Go To IPA, Stone Tangerine Express IPA, Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA, Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 Sans Filtre and Stone ///Fear.Movie.Lions Double IPA. The latter, born out of Stone Brewing – Richmond, will debut nationwide in 2019.
 
Jeremy Moynier, Stone’s senior manager of brewing & innovation, explains of the beer, “This is unlike your traditional lager. When we were discussing what our next year-round beer might be we all agreed that we wanted something super flavorful and yet really crushable, all while exemplifying the genre-defying qualities we’re known for at Stone. So while we did our signature thing – seeking out the newest and most interesting hops to contribute big flavor – we really stayed focused on producing a balanced beer with classic lager characteristics. It turned out crisp, clean, intensely fruity, and definitely way crushable.” 
 
The beer’s name is a nod to the uncharted tropical islands on which most of us would willingly castaway ourselves… provided that we could have our perfectly stocked beer fridge in tow. It’s just right for a self-imposed “three hour tour,” be it on an island, on a boat, or simply on the couch. Aromas of citrus, pineapple and coconut are followed by flavors of lime, orange and passion fruit. A newer hop variety – Cashmere – when harvested at just the right time imparts flavors of ripe cantaloupe that elevate the juicy qualities of this beer. A welcome oasis, Stone Tropic of Thunder Lager proves to be the perfect island companion to a tropically-inspired, fruit forward lineup of IPAs, including Stone Tangerine Express IPA, Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA, and the upcoming Stone Revengeful Spirit IPA.
 
The new addition to Stone’s lineup is now available throughout the US in 12oz six-pack cans, 19.2oz single-serve cans and draft. The lager packs a 5.8% ABV and is brewed to be enjoyed fresh, which means the rescue boat has 120 days to get the castaways home or, more likely, re-stock the island’s refrigerator.

QUICK FACTS:

• Name: Stone Tropic of Thunder Lager
• Web: stonebrewing.com/tropicofthunder
• Stats: 5.8% ABV, 45 IBUs
• Featured Hops: Cashmere, Citra & Mosaic
• Availability: 12oz six-pack cans, 19.2oz cans & draft
• Distribution:
  • October 2018: California and Stone Brewing Tap Rooms
  • January 2019: Nationwide
• Beer finder: find.stonebrewing.com
• Digital Assets: https://brandfolder.com/stonebrewing/stone-tropic-of-thunder-lager-assets
• #TropicOfThunderLager

TASTING NOTES:

• Appearance: Straw yellow, clear, fluffy white head.
• Aroma:  White wine, melon, citrus and hints of pineapple with clean malt aroma.
• Taste:  Ripe Cantaloupe, citrus and passion fruit. Flavors of fresh hops with white wine and biscuit.
• Palate: Slight sweetness and good bitterness with a dry, clean finish. 

Overall: We have been having fun playing with lagers and making them in our own Stone Brewing style. This beer showcases our love for, and experimentation with hops using Mosaic, Citra, and newcomer Cashmere. These three combine to form an array of citrus, tropical and fruit aromas and flavors in a refreshing, crushable lager.

FOOD PAIRINGS:

• Starters: Honey Sriracha Quail Knots*/**, Prosciutto Melon Balls, Coconut Shrimp, Sashimi
• Soups and Salads: White Balsamic Glazed Stone Fruit Salad**, Heirloom Tomato Basil Soup, Chicken Pho, Grilled Cabbage Wedge Salad
• Main Courses: Crispy Skin Salmon*, Pan Roasted Scallops**, Vegetarian Penne Primavera, Szechuan Chicken
• Desserts: Fresh Raspberries and Chocolate, Coconut Macaron, Brambleberry Fruit Sorbet, Strawberry Fool

* Menu items available at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido. Full menu available here.

** Menu items available at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station. Full menu available here.