Diamond Knot IPA Heading To 12oz Cans In April

Diamond Knot will celebrate its 20th anniversary with the release of its flagship IPA in 12 ounce cans the first week of April.

“We are ready for our next chapter,” said Bob Maphet, Diamond Knot’s president and CEO. “We are proud of our IPA that has stood the test of time; 20 years in the making. It deserves to be our first style in cans on the shelves.”

Distributors steadily encouraged DK to begin can packaging over the past two years. With the expansion of the company’s iconic Brewery & Alehouse and the opening of the Brewpub @ MLT finally finished, it was time for the company to embark on its next project: 6-pack cans. Distribution will be throughout the Great Artisan Beverage network that spans all of Washington state, northern Oregon and western Idaho.

“It’s been a long two years in waiting, but it’s been a valuable two years,” said Sherry Jennings, DK’s director of sales and marketing. “We’ve been able to watch the can explosion, not literally, to see exactly where we want to be positioned. Our IPA is going to do well in cans, and just in time for the summer.

“We’re all in the ‘Wow!’ stage of the project, especially after the pilot cans arrived at the brewery. The beautiful artwork is the perfect complement to the great brew inside.”

Sibyl Design designed the can more than two years ago, while the team recently added the whimsical story included on the can’s side:

“Loch Ness has its serpent, while the Salish Sea is home to the most giant of octopus. Sailors say a tentacled behemoth sensed prey, but was foiled by all those cans of salmon when it ripped open the Diamond Knot in 1947. In honor of the tenacity of the Diamond Knot crew, we’ve canned our IPA, a monster at the time it was first kegged in 1994. Hop forward, with aromas of grapefruit and cedar; enjoy the bitterness imparted by Galena and Columbus hops.”

Diamond Knot India Pale Ale finishes at 6.2% ABV and 40 IBUs, which makes it drinkable with all foods.

Blonde Ale Hits Shelves April 1

Diamond Knot’s popular year-round Blonde Ale is bottled and ready to hit shelves April 1. Based on a pre-Prohibition era lager recipe, the company’s Blonde Ale is surprisingly complex despite being one of the brewery’s lightest beers.

“We call it the perfect gateway craft beer,” Jennings said. “We’ve turned many yellow beer drinkers into craft beer drinkers with the help our this fun brew.”

Wheat, corn, flaked barley and malted barley all lend their respective goodness to this summer ale. Diamond Knot Blonde Ale finishes at 4.2% ABV and 13 IBUs. It can be found on draught year-round, while the 22 ounce bottles are available April to August.