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The 10 Best Spring Beers on the Market Right Now
From seasonal saisons to pilsners perfect for the patio.https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/best-spring-seasonal-beers
In terms of seasons, spring is notoriously the hardest one to categorize. Temperatures volley back and forth and we’re never sure when we’re quite ready to ditch our winter coats. But the universally held truth appears to be that the budding of trees and the sprouting of fresh flowers does something to the air that makes a hard-earned beer taste that much better. Fortunately, there has literally never been a better time to support your local breweries, no matter the season. Spring is ripe with great beer releases, including Vienna-style lagers, crisp witbiers, and pilsers perfect for the patio. If you’re looking for some inspiration, we’ve picked some of our favorite spring seasonal beers that should do the trick.
Industrial Arts Spring Landscape
6.2% ABV
Garnersville, New York
Industrial Arts has managed to become something of a household name in the craft beer community thanks in no small part to its solid core lineup of hop-driven pale ales, IPAs, and DIPAs. But despite this notoriety, the brewery is much more than just a hop-focused operation as evidenced by this year’s spring release in its Landscape series. This Helles bock perfectly lands the flavor profile required to straddle the change in weather from cool to ever-so-slightly warm with hints of honey and herbs fleshed out by freshly baked bread flavors. And as if that’s not impressive enough, it’s also made using ingredients that were entirely sourced from within New York State.
Saison Dupont
6.5% ABV
Tourpes, Belgium
Spring may be a time for cleaning, organizing, and welcoming in the new, but when it comes to beer, sometimes the best decision you can make is to go with a longtime favorite. Like rewatching a classic movie, Saison Dupont lives on in the beer world as a widely adored favorite for being a rustic, traditional bottled option that always seems to hold something new every time you revisit it. It has a super complex nose that smells like a barnyard in the first days after a long winter thaw with flavors that are equally complex. Thanks to second fermentation in the bottle, tart flavors and strong carbonation dazzle the palate with each sip while earthy aromatics linger through a long finish. Show up to any dinner party hosted by a beer geek with this in your hand and they’ll likely applaud you at the front door.
Humble Sea Deeeeep Fog
8.8% ABV
Santa Cruz, California
It may seem hard to believe after, well, literally everything about the past two years, but in 2022, the beer industry appears to have stuck to their guns and gone all-in on the New England-style IPA. And since it’s been quite some time since the now-ubiquitous style was confined to breweries in the Northeast corner of the country, the sheer volume of the NEIPAs on the market can make it basically impossible to see the haze through the sea of haze. So, when shopping for this style, it’s usually best to go with whatever is the very freshest or—perhaps more importantly—going for a beer that also supports a good cause. Humble Sea’s “foggy” DIPA is as dense as the atmospheric soup that can hit the California coast it calls home with bright tropical fruit, citrus, and cotton candy flavors. Beyond that, the brewery itself has “raised tens of thousands of dollars and gobs of awareness for local groups and nonprofits thanks to the community of Santa Cruz, the Bay Area, and beyond” since opening up in 2015.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
A couple of them do, but not many...
Probably the most inspiring confluence of world class craft endeavour and sustainability I've seen
https://upload.democraticunderground.com/10181620455
The Alchemist: getting to the heart of Heady Topper | The Craft Beer Channel
We tick off one thing from the bucket list as we visit The Alchemist Brewery in Vermont. Join us for all the amazing stories that didn't make our documentary – including lots more on how one of the world's best breweries works, the secrets of Heady Topper and everything it is doing to literally SAVE THE PLANET.
The Alchemist Heady Topper: What It Is, and Why It's So Popular
How far would you go for the perfect beer?
https://www.gearpatrol.com/food/drinks/a37574997/the-alchemist-heady-topper/
"I drove 400 miles to VT [...] just for your beer. It was worth it. And your brewery smells freaking amazing," one Youtuber comments on The Alchemist's Youtube video about its Heady Topper beer. Said commenter isn't the only person to make a trek to The Alchemist's brewery for Heady Topper. The beer has inspired legions of people to make miles-long journeys to the Vermont brewery for a taste of Heady Topper (and I guess a whiff of the amazing brewery). But why would anyone be crazy enough to go to such lengths for a beer? This is what you need to know about the cult-favorite Heady Topper.
What is Heady Topper?
Heady Topper is a double IPA-style beer with an 8-percent ABV. The beer is unpasteurized and unfiltered, giving it a hazy look and full-bodied mouthfeel. Those who have had Heady Topper praise its balanced flavors, which perfectly combines a bitter bite with bright, fruity notes. The beer has a citrus crispness to it that pairs well with an overwhelmingly "dank" flavor, a tasting note that's come to mean something tasting like pine or resin. It's a double IPA, so it's a boozy brew, but it goes down easy without feeling like you're drinking battery acid. The Heady Topper can tells you to drink it straight from the can. John Kimmich, owner of The Alchemist, says that drinking the beer from the can helps retain its integrity once you crack the top. If you pour Heady Topper (or any beer, for that matter) into a glass, you're inundating the beer with oxygen, which will quickly degrade the flavor.
Who makes Heady Topper?
Vermont-based The Alchemist is behind Heady Topper. Founded in Waterbury, Vermont, by husband-and-wife duo John and Jen Kimmich, The Alchemist started as a brewpub in 2003. It brewed beers from its basement, with Heady Topper only coming out twice a year before John upped the frequency, though maintaining its limited release. Because Heady Topper was only available at the pub, some would sneak their beers into the bathroom, fill up their own bottles then sneak them home either to drink for later, or more likely, to resell on the very-real beer black market.
In 2011, Hurricane Irene flooded The Alchemist's basement and destroyed the pub. Soon after the hurricane, the Kimmiches opened up a cannery, still in Waterbury, and for the first time ever, Heady Topper was available statewide. Word spread about the beer, and because the beer was only available in Vermont, people would make their way to the Green Mountain State to get in on the hype. At one point, the Kimmiches had to limit how many cases a customer could buy, and it's a practice that the brewery and other retailers still have to implement. Today, Alchemist has two breweries in Vermont — in Waterbury and Stowe — both of which are beacons for congregating beer lovers.
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https://upload.democraticunderground.com/10181620455
The Alchemist: getting to the heart of Heady Topper | The Craft Beer Channel
We tick off one thing from the bucket list as we visit The Alchemist Brewery in Vermont. Join us for all the amazing stories that didn't make our documentary – including lots more on how one of the world's best breweries works, the secrets of Heady Topper and everything it is doing to literally SAVE THE PLANET.
The Alchemist Heady Topper: What It Is, and Why It's So Popular
How far would you go for the perfect beer?
https://www.gearpatrol.com/food/drinks/a37574997/the-alchemist-heady-topper/
"I drove 400 miles to VT [...] just for your beer. It was worth it. And your brewery smells freaking amazing," one Youtuber comments on The Alchemist's Youtube video about its Heady Topper beer. Said commenter isn't the only person to make a trek to The Alchemist's brewery for Heady Topper. The beer has inspired legions of people to make miles-long journeys to the Vermont brewery for a taste of Heady Topper (and I guess a whiff of the amazing brewery). But why would anyone be crazy enough to go to such lengths for a beer? This is what you need to know about the cult-favorite Heady Topper.
What is Heady Topper?
Heady Topper is a double IPA-style beer with an 8-percent ABV. The beer is unpasteurized and unfiltered, giving it a hazy look and full-bodied mouthfeel. Those who have had Heady Topper praise its balanced flavors, which perfectly combines a bitter bite with bright, fruity notes. The beer has a citrus crispness to it that pairs well with an overwhelmingly "dank" flavor, a tasting note that's come to mean something tasting like pine or resin. It's a double IPA, so it's a boozy brew, but it goes down easy without feeling like you're drinking battery acid. The Heady Topper can tells you to drink it straight from the can. John Kimmich, owner of The Alchemist, says that drinking the beer from the can helps retain its integrity once you crack the top. If you pour Heady Topper (or any beer, for that matter) into a glass, you're inundating the beer with oxygen, which will quickly degrade the flavor.
Who makes Heady Topper?
Vermont-based The Alchemist is behind Heady Topper. Founded in Waterbury, Vermont, by husband-and-wife duo John and Jen Kimmich, The Alchemist started as a brewpub in 2003. It brewed beers from its basement, with Heady Topper only coming out twice a year before John upped the frequency, though maintaining its limited release. Because Heady Topper was only available at the pub, some would sneak their beers into the bathroom, fill up their own bottles then sneak them home either to drink for later, or more likely, to resell on the very-real beer black market.
In 2011, Hurricane Irene flooded The Alchemist's basement and destroyed the pub. Soon after the hurricane, the Kimmiches opened up a cannery, still in Waterbury, and for the first time ever, Heady Topper was available statewide. Word spread about the beer, and because the beer was only available in Vermont, people would make their way to the Green Mountain State to get in on the hype. At one point, the Kimmiches had to limit how many cases a customer could buy, and it's a practice that the brewery and other retailers still have to implement. Today, Alchemist has two breweries in Vermont — in Waterbury and Stowe — both of which are beacons for congregating beer lovers.
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