We have a full docket of great new beer releases for the month of May for you. Everything from Kentucky Derby-themed beers to brews based on Dunkin’ Donuts, the Moon landing, and the hottest new trend — Mexican agua fresca drinks.
Last year, Harpoon Brewery released a collaboration beer with Dunkin’ Donuts called Dunkin’ Coffee Porter. The joint effort went so swimmingly that they have come out with another new beer. Introducing Summer Coffee Pale Ale, a super hoppy brew with flavors of Dunkin’ Donuts’ Original Blend coffee. The bright summery pale ale has hints of coffee cake, grapefruit and pineapple. This DD-inspired beer comes in at 5.0% ABV and 44 IBUs.
Blue Moon created a beer for the Kentucky Derby and it of course is inspired by the mint julep, the official drink of the exciting horse race. Blue Moon released their Bourbon Barrel-Aged Mint Julep beer in honor of the 147th Kentucky Derby, which they were a sponsor of. The special brew packs a punch with 10.8% ABV and vanilla and oak flavors. Blue Moon will only serve the limited-edition beer at their brewery in Denver.
North Coast Brewing Company releases Laguna Baja, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. This Mexican-style dark lager from the independent craft brewery from California. This rich dark amber, malty brew is 5.0 ABV and a bitterness of 19 IBUs. The beer is the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican cuisine.
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Seattle-based Elysian Brewing Company is getting ready for the summer with a delightfully hoppy, super refreshing with a heavy lime flavor. The new Salute the Sun pale ale is brewed with sun-dried black limes and a ridiculous amount of Citra hops. This citrusy 5.2% ABV pale ale has a 32 IBUs and will be available until July.
Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant rolled out the Philly Special, a beer dedicated to the city of Philadelphia and named after the trick play that helped propel the Eagles to a Super Bowl LII victory over the New England Patriots. In a bit of a Super Bowl troll, this Philly-themed beer is actually a New England IPA. This hazy beer is brewed with flaked oats and wheat. The beer has a 6.7% ABV and 16 IBUs and the light hop bitterness is beautifully tempered with hints of tropical fruit.
Golden Road Brewing
Another great adult beverage for Cinco de Mayo is Spiked Agua Fresca from Golden Road Brewing. The brewery took the bright, fun, flavor of the refreshing fruit drinks from Mexico and turned them into malt beverages. These are perfect for a hot day at only 4% ABV and they’re not too sweet. They come in three flavors: Cucumber Lime, Mango, and Strawberry Pineapple.
New Belgium partnered with Primus Cerveceria, a leading Mexican craft brewery based in Mexico City, to create a new cerveza that is based on classic agua fresca drinks from Mexico. New Belgium said the new beverage “pushes the boundaries of what a beer can be.” This agua fresca beer boasts refreshing flavors of hibiscus, agave, watermelon, and lime. The best part is that this beer is only 110 calories and has no sugar.
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10 Barrel Brewing Company introduced their seasonal traditional German-style Radler called Swill. After a hiatus of a few years, Swill is back for the summer. The brewer from Bend, Oregon brought back the beer that has the tartness of an American Sour Ale with flavors of lemon and bright grapefruit, but is then balanced out with a fruity sweetness. The American Radler that is perfect for summer drinking comes in at 4.5% ABV and 6 IBUs.
Baltimore’s National Bohemian has released a new beer made specifically for day drinking. With 3.8 percent alcohol by volume and 110 calories per serving, this beer has fewer calories and less alcohol than most brews out there.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, which happened on July 20, 1969, Schlafly Beer released four different lagers. The St. Louis, Missouri-based brewery introduced a German-style Lift-Off Lager (5.5% ABV 20 IBUs), Apollo’s Orbit Black Lager (5% ABV, 25 IBUs), Moon Walk Dunkel (4.5% ABV, 20 IBUs), and The Eagle Has Landed American Lager (5% ABV, 25 IBUs). The company selected lagers because that was a very popular type of beer back in the the 1960’s and when Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin touched down on the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility.
Budweiser
Budweiser released the Discovery Reserve American Red Lager, a limited-edition beer that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing. The beer is actually brewed with a recipe from the time of the Apollo Moon missions, which started in 1961, landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969 and ended in 1975. The Discovery Reserve is brewed by Karissa Norrington, a Budweiser brewmaster and former U.S. Air Force Captain. This beer is made from medium-roast Voyager barley malt and has a light hoppy aroma, a toasted barley malt taste with a hint of toffee and a sharp finish. For every case of Budweiser Discovery Reserve that is sold, Budweiser will donate $1 to the Folds of Honor Foundation.
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