2021 IS GOING TO BE THE YEAR OF THE (BEER) DRINKER. Call it a "buyers' market". Why? You may ask. Well, like many other businesses, we are looking to hit the reset button as a matter of necessity and sanity. As destructive and monotonous as the Covid-era has been, if there is a silver lining it's that it forced us to trim the fat, and to be hyper-focused on the products people are really buying. It's easy to get caught up in the chatter that typically fills our social feeds and inbox - requests to resurrect old fan favorites from the good 'ol days or whatever's the latest flavor of the week. While we obviously want to listen to our customers, it's hard to distill that all down into something that makes sense for the business and the majority of customers.
A new craft beer landscape is going to give us a clean slate with which to hone in on things that are working and get rid of things that aren't. Think of it like cleaning out your garage. Are you storing it because you actually use it, or because its just always been there? We aren't the only ones doing this, and that's a great thing for you, because it means that the manufacturers that ferment your favorite beverage are going to have to produce appealing, high quality products, and do it consistently. There's no room for distractions this time around. The standards have once again been raised, and you are the beneficiary. To that end, in a world that is still riddled with uncertainty as to when things will "return to normal", we've devised what we think will be a compelling lineup to look forward to.
So what are we up to in beer land? What products made the cut for 2021, and what the heck is going on with the Vista Tap House? Your burning questions...answered here.
BEER PROGRAM
We made some exciting moves last year despite the pandemic, including the introduction of NITRO Cali Creamin'. It joins the growing 'Cali family' line of products along with Cali Creamin' Creamsicle (released 2019) and is now part of our year-round lineup in 16oz cans. Not only does it have a unique flavor profile, but it's also fun to pour. If you haven't tried one yet, use our Beer Finder to search near you and pick some up to see what all the fuss is about. Want more info on it first? See what makes NITRO so special and watch a sweet video on the right way to pour on our NITRO page.
We made a real effort in the last few years to simplify our beer program and this year we continued that trend. For example, The Resinator Series which included four quarterly IPAs in Power of Love, Say When, Kismet, and Hop Diggity, is gone and so are the beers in it. Thats right. After many years of honorable service you'll have to kiss Kismet goodbye 😭.
Thats the bad news. The good news is that the most popular of the bunch, Hop Diggity, is now year - round and it's better than ever. Welcome back big guy.
Blondes out, lagers in! Call Me Ginger and Born Blonde will also be getting the axe this year in favor of Tierra Madre, our Mexican Lager, which we launched early last year with fantastic feedback.
In the next month or so we will be announcing another very exciting addition to our year-round lineup for all the malt-heads reading this. A delicious breakfast stout will be welcomed into the Family with flavors reminiscent of a coffee shop latte featuring vanilla, coffee, lactose & oats. Fans of beers like 'Sin Tax' Imperial Peanut Butter Stout will feel right at home with this dangerously drinkable dark ale in hand. Stay tuned for more on that in February.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of our beer program will be the continued growth of our Hazy IPA line, the Project X Series, which we plan on releasing roughly every other month throughout the year. Inspired brews and breathtaking artistic contributions from a variety of artists, marry two forms of craftsmanship that yield spectacular results. In fact it's been generating quite the buzz. Read more about the program and latest releases here.
4Seasons also made a huge comeback in the last two years, kicking the 22oz bombers of yesteryear to the curb in favor of a 16oz can format. From American Barleywines to huge barrel-aged stouts, the Four Seasons of Mother Earth has and will continue to be the crème de la crème of our catalog. Expect something new every season this year, releasing on or around the appropriate Solstice or Equinox. Our latest release has the drinkability of a Guinness but the complexity of a fine wine. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful and balanced example of a barrel-aged beer than 4S Winter '20 - NITRO Mocha Stout. Out now - Find it here.
Photos courtesy of ColdOneJoe
Our limited can releases will continue to impress with Big Mother Anniversary Triple IPA in May, Primordial IIPA during the summer, and a fresh hop IPA in the fall. Harvest season brought a wonderful surprise at the end of the year in Wet Hop Dreams, a legacy brew that replaced Fresh as it Gets. We're pretty confident this substitution will stick this year as well so keep your eye out this Autumn for something fresh & yummy.
What about draft only specialty beers? One burning question we've been getting pretty consistently is, "Where is Imagination Land?!" Well unfortunately like many of it's draft-only counterparts (like Fantasy Island Coconut Brown), our revered Golden Stout is on hold pending some major changes to how folks consume beer on-premise at restaurants and bars. You see, Covid-19 has rendered draft sales obsolete for the most part, and without the demand there, we just simply can't justify it's production. C'est la vie 🤷♀️.
TASTING ROOMS
In case you hadn't heard, our North County, SD Tap House closed last April after eight stellar years in Historic Downtown Vista. Since then we've been working very hard to find some new digs in North County. We know a lot of folks have questions about where we are going to end up and what is taking so damn long. Well it's as simple as this - we haven't found the right place.
Covid restrictions certainly haven't helped to motivate us to work faster either as restaurant and bar restrictions continue to change month to month. Fingers crossed we can find something in the next few months and resume serving a thirsty Socal. In the meantime our original Thibodo Brewery in Vista is open for to-go cans, bottles, kegs, and merch.
Nampa on the other hand, our newly remodeled brewery tasting room in Idaho's Treasure Valley, reopened in November and is back in action, serving over 20 taps of fresh brew, with cans to-go and merch to boot. Visit our website for hours and follow us on social for updates on new beers and future events.
We are also pursuing opportunities for an offsite Tap Room. More on that as it becomes available! Let's just say you may not have to drive out to Nampa anymore! 😘
DISTRIBUTION
We get a TON of questions about where our beer is distributed. More specifically, folks are requesting distribution to currently unsupported markets. Texas, New York, Colorado, and Florida are among the top states mentioned. The reality of expansion is that it's very challenging for a myriad of reasons. We are always looking to grow and rest assured if it's in the cards, we will be there. Until then you can check to see if we are covered in your state by visiting our Beer Finder and scrolling down to our distro map.
Optimism is the overwhelming feeling we are going into the new year with. Out with the old and in with the new, as they say. Stay tuned in on social media for updates on all things Mother Earth.
Keywords: Craft beer, beer release calendar