We spoke with pFriem Family Brewers QC Laboratory Manager Max Kravitz about pFriem Golden Coffee Pale.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I believe our brewmaster Josh first came up with the concept for this beer after forming a partnership with our friends at Coava Coffee in Portland, OR. Josh had a particular vision for this beer- one that sort of went against coffee’s typical role in beer, which typically finds itself in darker styles like porter or stout.  We wanted to create a lightly golden-colored beer with tropical hops melded with fruity cold brew coffee. After several R+D sessions, we were able to identify together how we were going to pull it off. Coava was instrumental in both deciding upon and perfectly roasting the right coffee for this beer.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Year over year of making this beer, I absolutely adore the unique synergy we achieve in the aroma with the combination of very special east African coffees and select hop varieties. At just the right dosage, these components truly merge in an unparalleled way. Derrick Cisneros, our dear friend from Coava and critical contributor to this beer loves the unification of the best parts of an amazing fruity and crisp pale ale with a super complex, fruity and highly acidic coffee.

We spoke with Heathen Brewing Head Brewer Nate Froehlich about Transcend IPA.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Sunny Parsons (founder of Heathen Brewing) came up with original recipe, but over the years we have adjusted the recipe to fit our new equipment and the dynamic hop market to keep the beer true to brand.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
My favorite aspect of this beer has to be its approachability. We view this beer as a gateway IPA, because it has just the right amount of hops for the hop heads, but is still well balanced to convert the masses to the hop side.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
When Transcend was made there was a lot of beer on the market with a significant amount of back-end bitterness. It was designed around late hop additions to make it a very approachable IPA to be paired with an array of foods. This beer Transcends the idea of an IPA.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
This is Sunny’s desert island beer. It might actually be in his DNA at this point. I enjoy it as well, but my desert island beer is along the lines of a pale ale or lager.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Flagship, balanced, bright, bursting with citrus fruit and pine.

We spoke with Boise Brewing Head Brewer Lance Chavez about Syringa Pale Ale.

BC: Who came up with the recipe?
This beer was created by me as part of our Community Supported Beer Program and was so popular that it became one of our core beers.

BC: Favorite aspect of this beer?
I really love the tropical aroma and flavors that the Idaho 7 hops provide in this beer as well as the drinkability factor.

BC: Where does the beer name come from?
This beer was named after the state flower of Idaho.

BC: Is this your desert island beer?
I would not be disappointed at all to be stuck on a desert island with nothing but Syringa to drink.

BC: Can you describe this beer in ten words or less?
Tropical aroma and flavors balanced with traditional pale ale characteristics.

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Pizza goes great with Syringa of course but it also helps enhance anything with some spicy heat to it like tacos or spicy red sauce and pasta.

Read Review

Garage Brewing Co. in Temecula, California has announced the release of a new Hazy IPA called Hazy #8.

The beer will be made available on draft in the brewery's taproom, as well as a select few bars and restaurants in southern California.

The full release from the brewery is below.

TEMECULA, Calif. – Garage Brewing Co. continues its journey in the land of hazies with the release of Hazy #8, the latest rendition in its hazy series. Hazy #8 is a super juicy double dry-hopped craftacular brew teeming with grapefruit, pineapple and dark fruit notes.

The golden yellow offering features Eureka, Citra and Galaxy hops creating a delicious trifecta of luscious flavors.

“The idea behind the hazy series is to use different hops to pull out a variety of juicy flavors,” Garage Brewing Co. brewer Bret Stitzman said. “The flavors in this beer almost trick you into thinking there’s coconut in there.”

Hazy #8 will be available on draft at Garage Brewing Co.’s brewpub in Old Town Temecula and various bars and a few restaurants in Southern California.

Hazy #8

Jack's Abby in Framingham, Massachusetts has announced the opening of a new taproom at the North Station Train Platform, which is on the grounds of Boston's famed TD Garden.

The Garden, as it is more affectionately known, is where the Boston Celtics -- the winningest NBA franchise in history -- and the Boston Bruins of the NHL play their games.

The full release from Jack's Abby is below.

BOSTON — Track Zero fully opens today at the North Station Train Platform.

Framingham-based Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers and TD Garden have collaborated to bring a fully-branded taproom for commuters and event-goers alike. Jack’s Abby will occupy the space for at least 2 years.

With 32 seats, the Track Zero Taproom features 10 lines of Jack’s Abby and Springdale beers. In addition to pouring core beers (House Lager, Hoponius Union, Blood Orange Wheat and Post Shift Pilsner), customers will be able to try a variety of limited-time offerings, including the Kellerbier series, barrel-aged sours, specialty hoppy and one-off small-batch releases.

An expansive 28-foot wood bar anchors the cozy space. Black-and-white photography of the brewhouse mixed with pops of silver and black create a modern interpretation of the brewery’s Framingham Beer Hall.

Odell Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, Colorado has announced the release of Hammer Chain Fresh Grind Double IPA.

Hammer Chain is a souped-up DIPA version of the brewery's popular Rupture Fresh Grind Pale Ale from 2018, which was named one of our Top 100 Beers of 2018.

The beer clocks in at 8 percent ABV and is available through July across Odell's 19-state distribution footprint.

The full release from the brewery is below.

Fort Collins, CO. - Odell Brewing’s latest limited release is Hammer Chain, a Fresh Grind Double IPA.