Brewers Association: Swing into Spring with Craft Beer Seasonals

“Spring craft beers help bring to life the change of seasons, stimulating your palate with spring spices and fresh flavors,” said Julia Herz, publisher of CraftBeer.com and craft beer program director of the Brewers Association. “Craft beer is all about diversity, which is reflected in the assortment of beer styles produced by breweries during the spring season.”

Seasonals finished 2014 as the second largest style category in craft, accounting for 17.2% of craft volume and 18.0% of dollar sales, according to IRI retail data. The freshness of the beer and the new flavors offer beer lovers a unique experience. The spring seasonal craft beers featured on CraftBeer.com this year showcase refreshing ingredients that have descriptors like fruity, citrus and floral.

To help bring these flavors into the kitchen and onto the table, consider CraftBeer.com’s new Beer & Food Course, which guides you through sessions on beer styles and food pairings. Just as oysters can be enjoyed year-round, there is also a Belgian-style Saison for every season. Try the lemon- accented character of a spring Saison to complement these briny morsels. In addition to Belgian-style Saison, German-style Kolsch is a great spring beer to pair with a spring dish. A departure from the heavier beers of winter, Kolsch’s body complements the lighter fare of a spring salad with strawberries or perhaps a preparation of young fiddleheads in a pasta.

Hop into the new season with some of these tasty offerings:

·

Anaheim Brewery | Conrad’s Kolsch | Anaheim, CA

· Atwater Brewery | Mai Bock | Detroit, MI

· Avondale Brewing Co. | Strawberry Kolsch | Birmingham, AL

 · Cape May Brewing Co. | Cape May Honey Porter | Cape May, NJ

· Crow Peak Brewing Co | Redwater Ale | Spearfish, SD

 · Hopworks Urban Brewery | Rise Up India Red Ale | Portland, OR

· Kannah Creek Brewing Co. | Crossed Irons | Grand Junction, CO

· Mayflower Brewing Co. | Spring Hop Ale | Plymouth, MA

· MKE Brewing Co. | Weekend @ Louie’s | Milwaukee, WI

 · Ska Brewing | Vernal Minthe Stout | Durango, CO

· Southern Star Brewing Co. | Red Cockaded Ale | Conroe, TX

· Tennessee Brew Works | Walk the Lime | Nashville, TN

 · Troegs Brewing Co. | Cultivator Helles Bock | Hershey, PA

· Uinta Brewing Co. | Tinder | Salt Lake City, UT

 · Worthy Brewing Co. | Farm Out Saison | Bend, OR

Visit CraftBeer.com’s “Craft Beer Spring Seasonals 2015” for a more comprehensive list of craft beer spring seasonal selections and descriptions. To round out the experience, consider a tour at your local craft brewery.