Point Introduces New Spring Seasonal: Apricadabra Apricot Wheat

Apricadabra! Say the magic word and enjoy a magic moment when you savor Apricadabra Apricot Wheat Ale, the refreshing new spring seasonal beer from the Stevens Point Brewery.

Delightful, aromatic and perfectly balanced, Apricadabra Apricot Wheat Ale is being introduced during February in six-packs and 12-packs of 12-ounce NR bottles, 12-ounce can 12-packs and on draft wherever Point’s handcrafted beers are sold.

Brewed using caramel and Vienna malts, malted white wheat, El Dorado hops and fresh apricot juice, Apricadabra Apricot Wheat Ale is a traditional unfiltered Bavarian hefeweizen ale displaying a hazy, golden straw color. Point Brewmaster Gabe Hopkins and his team of brewers ferment the beer using an authentic hefeweizen yeast imported from Bavaria, and lightly spice it with El Dorado hops.

Beer and fruit are a natural combination, according to Hopkins. In the case of Apricadabra, the apricot complements the malted white wheat well, he said. “The beer offers a hint of apricot flavor and aroma combined with traditional hefeweizen flavor characteristics. The wheat lends a delicate crispness to the beer, which is light in body but quite big on flavor and aroma,” he said. The El Dorado hops, a relatively new variety from Washington State’s Yakima Valley, America’s premier hop-growing region, pairs well with fruit and is equally suitable as an aroma or bittering hops, Hopkins added. “With a pleasant nose, fruity finish and mild hop bitterness, it’s a perfect session beer for a warm spring evening.”

Fruit beers, including fruit-flavored wheat beers, have always been a popular segment of the growing craft beer market and are especially trendy today, reported Joe Martino, Stevens Point Brewery Managing Partner. “Brewing a wheat beer with apricot is something a bit different, and it gives our new spring seasonal that magic touch that we believe will delight our audience as spring arrives,” Martino said. “Discovering unique flavors is what craft beer enthusiasts like to do and Apricadabra Apricot Wheat Ale delivers the goods.”

Stevens Point Brewery, founded in 1857, uses only the highest-grade barley malts, specialty malts, grains and the choicest hops to brew its handcrafted beers, including flagship Point Special Lager, which won the gold medal in the American Premium Lager category at the 2003 Great American Beer Festival.

In addition to Apricadabra Apricot Wheat Ale, the brewery’s seasonal products include Point St. Benedict’s Winter Ale, a rich, dark beer available from November through February; summer favorites Point Coast Radler, a thirst-quenching mix of beer and natural citrus flavors, and Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat, an award-winning unfiltered wheat ale; and Point Oktoberfest, a Bavarian-style Märzen beer for the fall.

Stevens Point Brewery’s year-round lineup features Point Onyx Black Ale, a robust dark ale; Point Belgian White, a Belgian-style wheat ale; Point Cascade Pale Ale, an American-style pale ale; Point Amber Classic, an American-style amber lager; and Point Beyond the Pale IPA, a robust, hoppy India Pale Ale. Point also brews four year-round IPAs available only in the IPA variety 12-pack: Point Spruce Tip IPA, Point Peach Mango IPA, Point White IPA and Point One Shot IPA.

Year-round products also include the Whole Hog Limited Edition “big beers:” Whole Hog Espresso Stout, Whole Hog Six-Hop India Pale Ale and Whole Hog Scotch Ale. Seasonal brews include Whole Hog Russian Imperial Stout, Whole Hog Barley Wine Ale and Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale.

Point also brews three unique James Page specialty beers sold only in convenient 12-ounce cans: A Cappella Gluten-free Pale Ale, Casper White Stout, and Yhaba Dhaba Chai Tea Porter.

Point’s Ciderboys Cider Co. hard ciders blend unexpected fresh fruit flavors with apple cider. Ciderboys’ year-round products are First Press, a traditional hard cider; Raspberry Smash, alive with the tartness of raspberries; and Strawberry Magic, a blend of fresh strawberries and apple cider. Ciderboys also produces winter seasonal Mad Bark, made with natural cinnamon; fall seasonal Cranberry Road, a pairing of apple cider and cranberries; and seasonals Pineapple Hula, made with fresh Hawaiian pineapple; Peach County, which combines pure peach flavor with apple cider; and Grand Mimosa, a winter seasonal made with succulent California oranges.

Gourmet soft drinks from the Stevens Point Brewery include Point Premium Root Beer, Point Premium Diet Root Beer, Point Premium Orange Cream, Point Premium Vanilla Cream, Point Kitty Cocktail and Point Premium Black Cherry Cream Soda.

For more information about the Stevens Point Brewery, please visit www.pointbeer.com or call 1-800-369-4911. Tours of the brewery are available; schedules are listed on the website.