— “Alvarado Street Brewing is celebrating ten glorious years of brewing prowess! A veritable cornucopia of special releases serves to mark the occasion, a worthy milestone if ever there was one. With collaborative partners Other Half out of Brooklyn, Trillium from Boston and the incredible Burial Brewing from Asheville, this hazy Double IPA is suffused with Simcoe before double dry-hopping with Chinook, Citra and Riwaka for a lupulin-soaked decennial. Cheers and congratulations to our friends in Monterey & Salinas!”
Fremont – Brew 8000
Barrel-Aged English Barleywine, 13.4%
— “Once a staple of the barleywine world, the English barleywine (as distinct from its brasher American cousin) has been a bit moribund of late. Luckily we have Fremont Brewing, who always showcases the wonderful expressiveness of Maris Otter and bourbon barrels for their “Thousands” series. Brew 8000 confidently joins the parade with that ineffable raisiny toffee malt character and wizened aging in bourbon barrels. Drink now or stash for colder nights or an upcoming camping trip!”
Lowercase – Alsatian Pilsner
French Pilsner, 5.0%
— “By this point most of us have encountered an Italian Pilsner in some form or another – but what denotes a French Pilsner? Though France is (and likely always will be) a predominantly wine-drinking country, there are fascinating pockets of brewing history and tradition to be found, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country. The region of Alsace-Lorraine – besides being known for some of the best Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris on earth – lies smack dab up against Germany and has many of the wonderful syncretic elements found in borderlands. Beer brewed here often incorporates corn (!) for a lighter body and is hopped with the floral Strißelspalt grown locally. Taking inspiration from this is the lager-focused brewery @lowercasebeer in Seattle, who have also added further ingredients emanating from France in the form of pilsner malt grown in Champagne. Without giving too much away, I foresee more Alsatian Pilsners on the horizon… À votre santé!”
