Captain Lawrence Reformulates Seeking Alpha Triple IPA & Rebrands Their IPA Family

Every few months, Captain Lawrence releases a limited batch of specialty four-packs of very unique beers. This time around, it’s the Seeking Alpha triple IPA. That’s right, triple—we’ll see your imperial IPA and raise you another blast of hoppy goodness. It’s a big, bitter monster of a brew; the Village Voice rightfully called this 11% alcohol beer “a palate-smashing beast of an ale designed for those times when a lesser IPA simply won’t cut it.”

Seeking Alpha, featuring Tomahawk, Mosaic, Cascade, and Citra hops, and created with alpha acid concentrate, debuted last year, but features a modified recipe now. “It’s ten times better than last year,” says owner Scott Vaccaro. “The second time around, we hit it on the head.”

Seeking Alpha represented Captain Lawrence, along with a few other not-quite-normal beers, at the Extreme Beer Fest at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston March 20-21. Hosted by Beer Advocate, the Fest describes itself as “the ultimate throwdown of craft beer creativity. Join us as we celebrate brewers who push the boundaries of brewing and raise a fist at the norm.”

Two years ago, the fest was cancelled due to a massive snowstorm. As the boys headed out of Elmsford on Friday, the snow was falling in New York, but the show went on in Boston. Also making the trip–the Frost Monster imperial stout and some sour ales.

If extreme brews aren’t your thing, Captain Lawrence offers a variety of far more accessible beers. The newbie Effortless IPA (india pale ale), an easygoing 4.5% alcohol beer, makes its debut in early April. On up the hops scale, the Palate Shifter imperial IPA features new packaging and a new name, but the same heady, hoppy, fruity brew. Several beers are going through a rebranding; even the venerable Freshchester Pale Ale will get a new label and six-pack design, though the flagship beer, and its homespun name, will stay the same.

But another taproom standard may get a new name: the Captain’s Kolsch. Got any ideas for renaming the German-style ale?