This Week's Beer News: Pretzel Wheat is Back, Baby
Powered by pretzels, naturally
Breaking news from Tilray, the new owners (relatively speaking) of Shock Top Brewing and many other former Anheuser Busch brands: Their Pretzel Wheat beer has returned, and with it, a chance to win a trip to Munich for this year’s Oktoberfest.
Apparently it’s returning after a three-year hiatus; I only ever remember stumbling upon it once, which would have been when I reviewed it for the GDB site in 2016. I found it to be … okay. It smelled like pretzel, anyways.
It’s been almost exactly one year since Tilray announced that they’d taken eight brands off of A-B’s hands and I think this is the first time I’ve seen any mention of them since then. If they’re looking for another seasonal to focus on next, I’d take a Breckenridge Christmas Ale this year, since I’m not holding my breath for Anchor’s return in 2024. But Shock Top Spiced Banana might be fun too.
Most-clicked link in last week’s email: CraftBeer.com’s report on “Why Every Brewery Taproom Has *That* Chair”.
The two new JB Pritzker “JBeer” selections for drinkers at the DNC come from Sketchbook and Alter. More here. We’ve come a long way from only having Bud Light, Miller Light and maybe Heineken at campaign events.
The Patch.com report on the recent closing of Will County Brewing Company’s Channahon taproom is here. Our Beer Map has been updated.
In happier news for Will County Brewing Company, they were tapped to provide a special beer for the upcoming Blues Brothers Con at the Old Joliet Prison. Their Brews Brothers Lager will only be available at that gathering.
Moor’s Brewing discussed their plans to expand into Whole Foods, Total Wine and other retailers with Scripps News.
The Aurora Beacon-News reported on the fire at Stockholm’s but also the outpouring of support they received via GoFundMe, allowing them to keep paying their staff for a couple more weeks.
As we mentioned on Friday, Noon Whistle was fined by the ILCC for their cicada Malort infusion from a few months back.
The News-Gazette celebrates the 150th birthday of the Riggs family farm, which pivoted from corn and soybeans to building its own brewery and growing grains for their Riggs Brewing Company beers. (We visited a while back and loved the hefeweizen.)
Pax Vernum Brewing has partnered with a bar in Indianapolis to host a taproom so patrons don’t have to drive to rural Lapel for their beers.
Here’s a novel idea from Fort Wayne’s 2Toms Brewing: Pairing their beers with opera music.
We’re less than two weeks into August so sure, let’s start looking ahead to the corn maze beerfest at 450 North Brewing.
After closing their Des Moines taproom earlier this summer, Peace Tree Brewing’s Knoxville taproom is now closed as of this weekend.
Brewery Vivant’s Grapids pub has a new name: Vivant Brewery + Spirits. The brewery will still continue producing and distributing under the original name.
Jamex Brewing Co. in St. Clair Shores announced their closure last week.
As Petoskey’s Elder Piper Beer + Cider celebrates their first anniversary, the Northern Express profiles the couple who founded it.
Fair State Brewing officially exited bankruptcy, which is a sentence I wish we could write more. They have a plan to pay their creditors and just resigned the lease on their NE Minneapolis taproom.
Fridley’s Forgotten Star Brewing hosted their first lobster fest yesterday.
Great news, Chiefs fans: Garage Beer (now partially owned by Travis Kelce) is coming to Missouri later this month. Premium Subscribers - think that’s related to what we showed you last Wednesday?
Schlafly’s taproom will host the Rickmobile and serve Pickle Rick pickle chips and Morty-O’s spaghetti to celebrate the relase of the new Rick & Morty anime series.
Ope! Brewing’s Kyle Ciske is this week’s Meet The Brewer subject from the Milwaukee Record, where we also learn about his drumming career and his fanny-pack business.
Lakefront Brewery is now the official owner of Kenosha’s Public Brewing. More here.
The beer tent at the Wisconsin State Fair took something that was a pain for patrons - changing an empty keg — and turned it into something fun by offering tshirts and praise for being a “Keg Killer.” Pretty clever.
A chicha-inspired beer with pink peppercorns from Water Street Brewing received coverage from OnMilwaukee.
“Two years after its acquisition by Japanese brewer Sapporo, Stone Brewing’s flagship facility just finished a major $20 million expansion.”
In Miami, J. Wakefield Brewing announced that it would shutter its Wynwood neighborhood taproom, but they’re on the hunt for a new location.
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