21st Amendment Hop Crisis Returns

21st Amendment Brewery today announced the re-release of Hop Crisis, an oak-aged Imperial IPA with big malt flavor at 9.7% alcohol by volume and 94 IBUs (International Bittering Units-that’s bitter!). Hop Crisis is the latest installment in the 21st Amendment’s Insurrection Series, a limited edition, once-in-a-while, four-pack release of a very special beer that rises up in revolt against common notions of what canned beer can be. Hop Crisis was the winner of the Great American Beer Festival silver medal in 2010 in the Imperial IPA category and is rated a 99 out of 100 on the consumer ratings and social media website ratebeer.com.

21st Amendment co-founder and Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan says of the idea behind the beer, “A few years ago, when hop prices shot through the roof, making it more difficult to brew bitter beers, we decided there was only one thing to do. Make the biggest, hoppiest beer we could imagine. And we really wanted to celebrate the Imperial IPA style by doing something a little more original. Aside from the higher alcohol and intense hop bitterness, we felt aging the beer on oak would add some additional layers of flavor. Because oak can overwhelm the hops, we chose a light, subtle oak character to accentuate the dry hop bitterness and add a unique character to the beer.”

“The graphics on our four-pack box tell the story of convicts Nico and Shaun’s adventure to Free the Hops,” noted co-founder Nico Freccia. “A daring escape through the sewer pipe, surfing monster waves while being chased by a great white shark and a high speed getaway on the San Francisco cable car are all part of the adventure,” he adds. “We just really felt we had an opportunity to have some fun with this beer.”

Hop Crisis is available in four-pack cans and on draft beginning August 13th at bars and stores in all seventeen of 21st Amendment’s current distribution territories which include CA, OR, WA, AK, ID, MN, OH, MA, NY, NJ, DC, MD, DE, PA, VA, GA and NC. For up to date availability, events and promotions, visit 21A’s website at www.21st-Amendment.com.