New Belgium Brewing’s Hempire Expands Into Kansas

From New Belgium:

Hemp, Hemp, Hooray! New Belgium Brewing’s Hempire Expands Into Kansas

State FINALLY allows legal sale of banned hemp beer The Hemperor HPA

(FORT COLLINS, CO ) New Belgium Brewing is excited to announce that legal-drinking age residents in the great state of Kansas can now enjoy The Hemperor HPA, a hemp pale ale brewed with hops and hemp hearts. Shipments of this once banned beer began arriving in the Jayhawk state last week.

Although The Hemperor HPA contains no THC or CBD, New Belgium’s application to sell The Hemperor HPA in Kansas was rejected in early 2018 by the State of Kansas Alcoholic Beverage Control, which prohibited hemp as an ingredient in any alcoholic beverage based on interpretation of existing industrial hemp laws. Upon further review this September, at New Belgium’s request, it was determined that sales of The Hemperor HPA should be allowed, citing additional research and recent changes to state law.

“We’d like to think Kansans could no longer bear living life without experiencing the Hemperor’s game-changing union of hops and hemp,” said Jesse Claeys, New Belgium spokesperson. “It could also be that Kansas, like many other states in our glorious union, finally got a whiff of how versatile and sustainable of a crop industrial hemp can be, and how it could play a much bigger role in our economy.”

Released in April of 2018, The Hemperor HPA is brewed with hemp hearts (the meat of the seed, minus the shell) and dry-hopped with Simcoe and experimental HBC 522 hops to create dank, pungent hop aroma balanced by a sweet, mildly bitter finish.

The restrictive regulatory process around brewing with hemp inspired New Belgium to work to raise awareness of the social, environmental and economic benefits of industrial hemp. New Belgium partnered with GCH Inc., the company founded by Willie Nelson and family to build brands inspired by his journey as an artist and advocate, in supporting the pro-industrial hemp advocacy campaign the American Hemp Campaign. One dollar from every barrel of The Hemperor HPA sold is donated to raise awareness and promote pro-hemp bills in the House & Senate.

“Thanks to the efforts of New Belgium and others leading the advocacy charge to bring back U.S. hemp farming, we have a real shot at success with the Farm Bill,” said Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp, the nonprofit advocacy organization leading American Hemp Campaign efforts. “Now is the time for everyone to raise their voice to ensure legal commercial hemp farming is included in the final bill that goes to President Trump.”

New Belgium encourages beer lovers to learn more and take action at www.thehemperor.com, where people can find tools to contact lawmakers. To date, nearly 2500 people have sent nearly 4500 letters to legislators asking for support of industrial hemp.

The Hemperor HPA

ABV: 7%
IBU: 55
Yeast: Ale
Hops: Nugget, Cascade, HBC 522, Simcoe
Malts: Pale, White Wheat, Midnight Wheat

Special Ingredients: Hemp hearts and natural flavor

About New Belgium Brewing

New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work, one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses and tops Bicycling Magazine’s Best Companies for Cyclists. The 100% employee-owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses, and a Certified B Corp. In addition to Fat Tire Amber Ale, New Belgium brews fourteen year-round beers: Citradelic Tangerine IPA, Fat Tire Belgian White, The Hemperor HPA, Voodoo Ranger IPA, Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA, Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA, Sour Saison, Honey Orange Tripel, Dayblazer Easygoing Ale, 1554 Black Lager, Bohemian Pilsner, Abbey Belgian Style Ale, Trippel and a gluten-reduced beer, Glutiny Pale Ale. To learn more, visit NewBelgium.com and follow the brewery on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.