When you hit your local liquor store or brewery in search of some new beers to try, there are a few we’d recommend keeping an eye out for. Some of these are brand new, some are seasonals making their return, and some were just announced for future release. So next time you’re out scouting some potential fridge-dwellers, look out for these.
Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Grape Guerrilla Ale
Two Portland legends have teamed up again, as Rogue and Voodoo Doughnuts have brought their wacky palates together for another brew. The latest doughnut/beer hybrid is Grape Guerrilla Ale, a beer designed to taste like a raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting, grape dust, and lavender sprinkles. Without being cloying, the brew offers up a sweet grape profile that will be appreciated by anyone with a sweet tooth. Link
Firestone Walker XX Anniversary Ale
The release of Firestone Walker’s Anniversary Ale is one of our absolute favorite releases of the year. Despite changes every time, the beer never disappoints. This year’s version, their 20th, is once again a blend of some of their most potent and delicious brews—Parabola, Stickee Monkee, Velvet Merkin, and more. As always, the guys at Firestone Walker invited local winemakers to help them blend the beers together to make one harmonious brew. Firestone Walker XX Anniversary Ale is that brew—and it’s gonna be glorious. Link
Founders Frootwood
There are a few breweries out there who can do no wrong in our book. One of those breweries is Founders, and one of their future beers sounds like a straight up winner. Frootwood is a cherry ale that’s been aged in barrels that once held bourbon and maple syrup. CBS, which is a bucket list beer, proves Founders knows a thing or two about bourbon barrels that once contained maple syrup. We can’t wait for this one to hit shelves.
Double Bastard Bigger Longer Uncut
Arrogant Brewing, which is a strange offshoot of Stone Brewing, has just offered up a beer that is basically a very weak scotch. Double Bastard Bigger Longer Uncut is a 12% Scotch Ale that’s peaty and boozy, thanks to the Islay whisky barrels used in its creation. If you like scotch but need a night with something a bit easier on the noggin, this is the beer for you. Link
Funky Buddha Maya's Mango Mojito
We don’t know what it is about breweries in Florida, but a lot of them seem to put out extremely unique brews. Leading that charge is Funky Buddha, whose latest release is a blonde ale that is meant to taste like a mango mojito. It’s tropical. It’s refreshing. It has a nice lime bite. If you’re looking for a beer that helps you forget about the coming winter months, this is it. Link
Dogfish Head Beer for Breakfast
Speaking of unique beers. Dogfish Head, the pioneers of off-centered ales, has just unleashed this curiosity onto the world. Beer for Breakfast is unlike other breakfast-inspired stouts. Sure it’s made with the classic coffee and maple syrup that others are made with, but Dogfish Head takes things a step further and throws some scrapple into the mix. Yes, scrapple. Scrapple, if you aren’t familiar, is a meaty mush of pork scraps, cornmeal, and flour. It’s a a divisive breakfast “treat” in the Pennsylvania and Delaware area. Now, thanks to Dogfish Head, it’s found its way into a beer. Link
Lagunitas Born Yesterday Pale Ale
It’s not often a fairly available beer knocks our socks off like Born Yesterday has. The fresh hop brew from Lagunitas is an absolute winner this season, and you should snag some before it’s gone. But since it’s a fresh hop beer, that might not be long. The unfiltered beer just goes to show that a fresh beer from a big brewery can be had if the brewery is smart and demanding about it. Link
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Ah yes, in only a few short weeks, on Black Friday morning, many beer fans will hit up bottle shops in hopes of procuring a bottle or two of Bourbon County Stout and its collection of variants. This is an important year for BCBS (more on that soon), as it marks the first time the legendary brew has been pasteurized. With notes of toffee, leather, and tobacco, the bodacious barrel-aged stout is set to warm you from the inside on a cold winter night. Link
