Review: Not Your Fathers Root Beer
Not Your Fathers Root Beer is made by Small Town Brewery in Wauconda Illinois. They currently brew this in three levels of alcohol 5.9%, 10.7%, and 19.5%. I am reviewing their 5.9% root beer. This is their only one currently sold in six packs. It is brewed, fermented, and carbonated like a beer. Each batch is crafted with cinnamon, winter green, anise, Madagascar vanilla, sarsaparilla bark, and 25 pounds of Tupulo honey. Their six packs are bottled at the City Brewing Company in Lacrosse Wisconsin, the former home of the G. Heileman Brewery. This brewery is best known for brewing Old Style Beer, once the best selling beer in Chicago. Supply is limited which might explain the $15 I paid for a six pack at my local liquor store. Read more 
Review: Blue Moon Cinnamon Horchata Ale
Blue Moon Cinnamon Horchata Ale was introduced August 2014. It is currently sold in six packs in Colorado, Texas, California, and New York. It is also available Nationwide in both the Blue Moon Fall and Winter sampler 12 packs. For those unfamiliar with horchata, it is a cinnamon rice milk drink popular in Mexico, and the inspiration for several liqueurs including Rum Chata. Cinnamon Horchata is brewed with natural long grain rice, two row malt, sterling hops, Belgian dark candy sugar and natural cinnamon extract. It is bottled in Golden Colorado at 5.5ABV. Read more
Review: Time Traveler Shandy
Time Traveler Shandy is a seasonal beer and one of four shandy flavors made by The Traveler Beer Company based in Burlington Vermont. It is brewed and bottled in Cincinnati with 2 row malted barley, malted wheat, Hallertau Hallertau hops, and it is brewed with real strawberry. The company was formed in 2012 and it was originally named The House of Shandy Beer Company. It is part of The Alchemy and Science group of craft breweries formed by Alan Newman the Co-founder of The Magic Hat Brewery and their first employee Stacey Steinmetz. It is an independently operated subsidiary of The Boston Beer Company, the makers of Samuel Adams beer. The Alchemy and Science group also acquired the Angel City Brewery in LA in 2012, and the Coney Island Brewery in NY in 2013. They will soon open the Concrete Beach Brewery in Miami. Read more
Review: Horny Goat Watermelon Wheat Beer
Horny Goat Watermelon Wheat beer is one of 10 seasonal beers HG brews in Wisconsin along with 4 year round brews. While they brew beer at their brew pub in Milwaukee their bottled and caned beer is contract brewed and packaged at the City Brewery in Lacrosse Wisconsin and Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point Wisconsin. Watermelon Wheat is made with wheat, Vienna malt, German hops, and real watermelon is added to the tanks during the fermentation process. It is bottled and caned and sold in six packs with 5.8 ABV and 19 IBU’s Read more
Review: Horny Goat Laka Laka Pineapple Hefeweizen Beer
Horny Goat Laka Laka Pineapple Hefeweizen beer is a summer seasonal beer brewed in Wisconsin. It is sold in six packs of cans. Currently Horny Goat brews 4 year round beers and 10 seasonal beers. Laka Laka is brewed in the traditional Hefeweizen manor with pineapple juice added post fermentation. It is canned at 5.1 ABV with 17 IBU’s. Read more
Review: Redds Wicked Apple Ale
Redds Wicked Apple Ale was just introduced. It is one of four ales Miller-Coors brew under the Redd’s label. While their original Redd’s Apple Ale is bottled at 5% alcohol, their Wicked Apple Ale weighs in at a staggering 8%. Like their Smith and Forge Hard Cider and their Coors Summer Brew it is only available in cans. The current options are six and twelve packs and a 24 ounce single can. Read more
Review: Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager
Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager is one of four beers it their Harvest line of brews that are made 30 miles north of New Orleans by the Abita Brewing Company. The other Harvest brews include Grapefruit, Lemon Wheat, and Pecan. Abita was founded in 1986 and they also create seven flagship and five seasonal beers. They describe Strawberry Harvest as a lager brewed with pilsner. It is made with pure water from deep artesian wells, yeast, wheat malts, and Vanguard hops. After cold filtering 100% Louisiana strawberry juice is added. Read more
Review: Redds Strawberry Ale
Redds Strawberry Ale was launched nationwide September 2013. It is brewed as an ale by Miller-Coors in Albany Georgia. Natural apple and strawberry flavor is added. This follows the successful release of their Apple Ale and proceeded their Iced Tea flavored ale. With a forth Redd’s flavor already scheduled for release, Miller-Coors has jumped on board the fruit flavored alcohol trend started years ago by the vodka industry. Read more
Review: Mikes Hard Smashed Apple Ale
Mikes Hard Smashed Apple Ale was introduced April 2014, fifteen years after the Original Mikes Hard lemonade was launched. It is cold filted and crafted with Washington state apples. Smashed Apple Ale comes on the heels of Mike’s 2013 release of two hard ciders and Mikes Shandy, a blend of golden lager and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. It is also a direct competitor of Miller-Coors, Redds Apple Ale. Read more
Review: Redds Apple Ale
Redds Apple Ale was initially introduced in 10 states September 2012 and launched nationally in 2013, just in time for the Super Bowl. It is made by Miller-Coors in Albany Georgia and they describe it as a crisp apple ale. While cider is made using fermented apples, Redd’s Apple Ale is brewed, with natural apple flavor added. With Redd’s Apple Ale, a beer crafted to taste like a cider, Smith and Forge a cider designed to taste like a beer, and Crispin a traditional cider, Miller-Coors appears to cover every apple option. Read more