(København, Denmark) – Delaware-based Dogfish Head posted a press release yesterday on its website detailing a new beer to come out on which it collaborated with Danish brewers, Norrebro Bryghus. According to the release, the brew is based on a “15th century pre-hop era gruit ale recipe from the town of Odense [...] a delicate sweetness that balances the sour tartness, making it far more accessible than a Belgian lambic.” Dogfish Head notes that Old Odense Ale is being imported to the states Continue on! »

(Ithaca, NY) – Jeff O’Neil, Executive Brewmaster at Ithaca Beer Co., just confirmed on his brewer’s blog a quiet rumor that Ithaca Brute, the newest installment in the Excelsior! Series, will be released in stores this Friday. O’Neil reports that 250 cases of the sour ale will be available. Additionally, the brew will be featured at this weekend’s Belgium Comes to Cooperstown Festival along with a few other Ithaca “special treats.”

As we reported back in early June, Brute is the fourth rendition in the limited edition series of beers. For this one, Brettanomyces festered for nine months before a finish of three Champagne yeasts. The coin pictured is one in Rome to commemorate the death of Julius Caesar by Marcus Brutus. The name is also a play on “brut” champagne.

Though imperial porters looked strong early on, 2008 continues to be the year of the sour ale without a doubt. And for those unfamiliar with Ithaca Brewing, the brewery was crowned “Best Craft Beer Brewery in New York State” earlier this spring at the Tap New York Festival.

Struise Black Albert is due to ship over in mid-August according to the schedule noted on Struise’ official website.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that the beers will be available on shelves in August.  What we do have now is the first confirmation from a retailer that will be getting it.  Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville, North Carolina will be getting 10 cases according to the latest blog post.  We don’t know whether they will be shipping that beer when it arrives.  It leaves approximately 590 cases leftover for the rest of the U.S.  Should be interesting to see where these go.  Looks like Canada got a shipment already through Horizon Wines, Inc. (unconfirmed, no web site either).  It also looks like Roland and Russell, a distributor in Burlington, Ontario, is now offering Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva through Continue on! »

The trend of beers coming out well before their season seems to be taking on a whole new meaning with some Pumpkin ales hitting store shelves now, more than three months before Halloween. But we’re wondering..are all of these really from this year’s batch or may these just not have sold last year and are coming back out?

There have been reports of the aptly named Southern Tier Pumking Continue on! »