Some new brews will be hitting Eastern Iowa shelves in the next few months. Here we go with the update:

Surly Brewing
Surly will have a few new brews coming soon. Hopshifter IPA, BAOW!, which is a barrel-aged oat wine, and Surly Twelve which this year will be an Imperial Pilsner. Here’s more on each new brew:

*Hopshifter IPA

There are three things you need to know about Hopshifter, Surly’s newest year-round beer:

1. It’s a new IPA. From Surly. That should be enough, but we committed to three things in the first sentence.
2. It’s crafted to reduce gluten.
3. The next one you have may very well be different from this one.

Let’s address the last point first. Hopshifter started in our Beer Hall as a way for our brewers to tinker with experimental hop varieties. They’re often so new that they don’t have sweet names like Amarillo or Mosaic yet, just an alphanumeric code. They’d fill a tank, put it on draft, and keep drilling down. It was a Surly-wide learning process, from our brew team to the hop-hunting IPA lovers who visit our Beer Hall. We made a dozen versions of Hopshifter over the last year, dialing in what worked and eliminating what didn’t.  We’re now confident enough to send the new variations out into the world.

While the end result is now being distributed, the philosophy developed over these months remains the same: Once that tank is gone, it’s gone. The hops shift at will. Embrace the temporary.

The opening salvo is the experimental Bru-1 hop, along with Citra and Chinook. You’ll get pineapple, mango, and tropical aromatics to go with a light-bodied, moderately bitter brew. It’s the perfect introduction to this groundbreaking series of beers. If you have any questions on what Hopshifter variation you’re drinking, check the bottom of the can or the wrap. We bought a laser that etches the hop name(s) onto them. Lasers are cool.

If you’ve been to the Beer Hall, you know that we’ve had gluten-reduced beers on the menu for a while now. You can read the whole story here, but the nickel version is this: We use an enzyme called Brewer’s Clarex™ to eliminate haze in our beer. That haze consists of the proteins that trigger gluten sensitivities. Without it, you’re left with an approachable, gluten-reduced IPA that tastes like an actual IPA.

(Since we still brew with grain, we can’t call Hopshifter gluten-free, even if it meets the less-than-20-parts-per-million criteria. Hence, it’s gluten-reduced. Read the Hopshifter FAQs and the lab report on this batch.)

Other things worth knowing:

• Hopshifter will be a can-only release. We can’t guarantee gluten-sensitive draft lines outside of the dedicated ones we have in our Beer Hall.
• The malt bill is simple. Hops are the showcase.
• 6% ABV.
• Tanner put a secret monster on the can.
• Enjoy this one. It won’t be around long. (On the off-chance that this one isn’t for you, again, it won’t be around long.)

Given the limited amount we’re brewing, Hopshifter’s footprint will also be smaller than our other core brands. You can find it in select Surly markets the week of February 5^th.

*Surly BAOW! 
Little is known right now about this beer other than it is a barrel-aged oat wine that will be packaged in 750 mL bottles and be aged in rye whiskey barrels. Stay tuned for more release info on this one.

*Surly Twelve
Info courtesy of mybeerbuzz.com:

This morning we get our very first peek at Twelve 12th anniversary beer from Surlybrewing in Brooklyn Center, MN.  The beer will be an imperial pilsner brewed with Weyermann Eraclea Pilsner Malt from the Mediterranean and Spalt Select hops created by head brewers Jerrod Johnson and Ben Smith.  Look for Twelve to be packaged and bottle conditioned in 750ml bottles that will carry the Independent Craft Seal from the Brewers Association.  According to the 2018 Surly Release Calendar, this beer will be coming in June 2018.  Stay tuned for AbV.

Founders Brewing –

Founders will be adding to their year-round lineup with a new Lager. Here’s more on this beer courtesy of Founders Brewing:

*Solid Gold

Our brewery was built on an attitude of no regrets. An attitude of taking risks to bring the best beer possible to our fellow renegades and rebels. Never brewing to style, but always brewing what we want to drink. Our take on a classic, Solid Gold is a drinkable golden lager brewed with the highest quality ingredients. Challenging what a lager can be? That’s something we won’t regret. 4.4% ABV, 20 IBUs.

Solid Gold will be released in 6-pack cans, 15-pack cans and on draft throughout our entire distribution network – that’s right, no bottles.  It will have a SRP of $7.99/6-pack and $14.99/15-pack. It will start shipping in February and will be available year-round.

For those of you familiar with the Solid Gold we’ve featured in our taproom for years, this is not the same beer. Our Brewmaster, Jeremy, completely revamped the recipe and it now features lager yeast, corn and Lemondrop hops for just the right hit of flavor.

Great Divide 

Vanilla Oak Aged Yeti

Our last updated comes from Great Divide Brewing company as they extend their Yeti series with a oaked vanilla version of this popular brew. Here’s more on this brew courtesy of Great Divide’s website:

Yet another extension of our Yeti clan, Vanilla Oak Aged Yeti is the next flavor evolution for our cherished imperial stout. Sweet vanilla tones meld into the oak characteristics as the two flavors support and enhance one another. A pairing fit for a beast, the vanilla and oak are uplifted by the bold and roasty character we all know and love from Yeti.

ABV: 9.5 |  AVAILABLE: Seasonal |  SIZES: 22 oz, 15.5 gal and 5 gal kegs