Review: New Belgium Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale was recently released. It is a collaboration between New Belgium Brewery and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. This is a Special Release Ale that is a follow-up to last years Salted Caramel Brownie Brown Ale. A portion of the proceeds, $50,000, goes to Protect our Winters, a nonprofit organization that works to fight climate change. In crafting this ale they whipped heavy doses of chocolate, brown sugar, and vanilla into a dough hued blonde ale base. Read more 
Review: Shipyard GingerBreadHead Ale
Shipyard GingerBreadHead Ale was released as a winter seasonal ale in 2014. It joined over 20 year round and seasonal beers they brew in Portland Maine. Yes this is the same company that brews Pumpkin Head, Apple Head, and Melon Head Ale. Read more
Review: Best Damn Apple Ale
Best Damn Apple Ale joins the Anheuser-Busch line of Best Damn Products. The lineup currently also features their two hard soda’s, Best Damn Root Beer, and Best Damn Cherry Cola. More flavors are sure to follow. Before launching the Best Damn line they had to purchase the bestdamn.com site that had been owned and registered since June 2000. No details on the cost were released, but I’m guessing it was less than the price paid for stamps.com. Anheuser-Busch has been increasingly adding apples to their product line. Their other apple products include Johnny Appleseed Hard Apple Cider, Bud Light Apple Rita, Shock Top Honey Crisp Apple Wheat, and they even tested a Bud Light Apple in Georgia. Best Damn Apple Ale is brewed with 100% natural apple flavor. Read more
Review: Shock Top Summer Grapefruit
Shock Top Summer Grapefruit was just released and it is sold in the Shock Top Summer variety pack. Each 12 pack features 3 bottles each of Shock Top Belgian White, Lemon Shandy, Honey Crisp Apple Wheat, and Summer Grapefruit. Summer Grapefruit is a Belgian style wheat ale brewed with spices, grapefruit peel and with natural grapefruit and orange flavors. Read more
Review: Not Your Fathers Ginger Ale
Not Your Fathers Ginger Ale was just released in 12 Oz. six pack bottles, and cans. This is their follow-up to their very successful Not Your Fathers Root Beer which is currently the nations best selling craft beer sku. It was created at the Small Town Brewery in Wauconda Illinois and because of expected demand it is being bottled, canned, and distributed through an agreement with Pabst. NYFGA is a gruit inspired beer. Gruit is German for herbs, and is an ancient way of bittering and flavoring beer using roots, spices, flowers, and berries. Read more
Review: Jolly Traveler Winter Shandy
Jolly Traveler Winter Shandy is one of 5 shandy’s brewed by this division of The Boston Beer Company, the makers on Samuel Adams beer. Jolly Travelor is brewed with lemon peel. Pomegranate Juice, Orange, Spice, and natural flavors are then added. As the name would imply this is a winter seasonal that is arriving on store shelves now, and availability is limited. Read more
Review: Shock Top Spiced Banana Wheat Beer
Shock Top Spiced Banana Wheat beer was introduced on draft for limited release including Special Events and Beer Festivals in August 2014. It is now one of two limited edition beers they offer in 12 ounce bottles. Their other flavor is Twisted Pretzel Wheat. They join their 3 seasonal and 3 year round wheat beers. The Belgian style wheat ale is brewed with wheat, honey, orange, lemon, and lime peels, coriander, banana and spice. The beer is left unfiltered before bottling at 5.5% alcohol. Read more
Review: Redds Wicked Black Cherry Ale
Redds Wicked Black Cherry Ale was recently released, joining the previously reviewed Wicked Mango and Wicked Apple Ale. Redds, a Miller-Coors brand, also brews a lower alcohol Apple, Strawberry, and Green Apple ale. Wicked Black Cherry is brewed in Albany Georgia with natural flavors then added before canning at 8% alcohol. Redd’s currently sells this product in single 16 and 24 ounce cans and in 12 packs of 10 ounce cans and 4 packs of 16 ounce cans. Read more
Review: Coney Island Hard Root Beer
Coney Island Hard Root Beer was just introduced. It is brewed by the Coney Island Brewing Company, a brewery that is part of the Boston Beer Company. This is the company behind Sam Adams Beer, Angry Orchard Hard Cider, and Twisted Tea. It is made with ale, natural flavors, and caramel color, and it is bottled at 5.8% alcohol. Read more
Review: Berghoff Rowdy Root Beer
Berghoff Rowdy Root Beer was just released and it is one of 13 beers sold under the Berghoff label that are currently brewed in Stevens Point Wisconsin at the Stevens Point Brewery. This is the third adult root beer I’m familiar with, and I’m sure more will follow. Rowdy Root Beer is crafted from a flavorless porter and mixed with root beer flavoring. Those flavorings include all natural sugar cane. It weighs in at 6.6% alcohol, and is available in 12 ounce cans sold in six packs, and on draught in select Chicago area bars. Read more