New Belgium and Half Acre Collaborate on Oatmeal IPA
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MyBeer Buzz
We brought you a peek at the keg label, and now this from new Belgium & Half Acre:
Ft. Collins, Colo., March 16, 2015 – New Belgium Brewing and Chicago’s Half Acre Beer Company join forces to create Oatmeal IPA, a fruity, tropical hop-bomb with a creamier sip than the average IPA. The beer is available on draft, while supplies last, through New Belgium’s Hop Kitchen Series. 
Oatmeal IPA first came to life about four years ago, when New Belgium’s brewmaster, Peter Bouckaert, visited Half Acre where he met with owners Gabriel Magliaro and Matt Gallagher. That’s when they planted the seeds for a collaboration beer.
In late 2013, the first beer in this two-part collaboration was released as Avoine IPA, an oat-spiked IPA brewed at New Belgium and released throughout Chicago (Avoine means “oats” in French). In February of this year, the Half Acre team traveled to Fort Collins, Colo., to brew the second installment: Oatmeal IPA.
This 2015 release is honey-hued with a velvety mouthfeel that offers brilliant pine, grass and guava courtesy of Citra and Centennial dry-hopping. Oatmeal IPA is ultra-tropical and appears softer than the traditional IPA, but be warned – lurking beneath the smooth oats and toasted malts, are vibrant hops with a bitter bite.
“Having Avoine IPA only available in Chicago was just too much of a tease,” says Specialty Brand Manager and Blender Lauren Salazar. “I couldn’t resist bringing it back and sharing it with everyone. You just can’t get better than the Half Acre guys—we’ll always have a soft spot for them.”
Oatmeal IPA comes in at 6 percent ABV and 60 IBUs. Pricing varies by location. To find this beer and other New Belgium beers near you use the New Belgium Libation Location tool: http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/locator.aspx. 
For more information about New Belgium Brewing, visit www.newbelgium.com. You can also follow New Belgium on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/newbelgium and Twitter @NewBelgium. Half Acre Beer Company can be found at http://halfacrebeer.com/.
A cushion, buffer, or a pillow—however you describe it, a spoonful of oats helps the hops go down. For newest Hop Kitchen Series release, we’ve brewed the silky-smooth, ultra-tropical Oatmeal IPA, a collaboration with our Chicago friends at Half Acre Beer Co.
Over the last two years, our Hop Kitchen Series has been a springboard for launching new adventures in hops. We’ve introduced the delicate French Aramis hop variety to our fans, traveled down the road of hybrids with a Hoppy Bock, and trekked around the world with last year’s globally flavored Hop the Pond. A few times, we’ve even invited friends along for the adventure: We’ve teamed up with neighbors Odell Brewing for FOCOllaboration APA, and San Diego’s Alpine for multiple rounds of the always-popular Super IPA.
Oatmeal IPA began roughly four years ago, when our brewmaster Peter Bouckaert visited Half Acre during a trip to the Windy City. Bouckaert hit it off with Half Acre owners Gabriel Magliaro and Matt Gallagher—who actually lived in Colorado during New Belgium’s early days—and the seeds for a collaboration beer were planted.
“[We] used to live in Colorado when New Belgium was about the same size as we are today,” says Magliaro. “To go back and make beer with Peter, Lauren [Salazar] and everyone is personally and professionally badass for us.”
This two-part collaboration first appeared as Avoine IPA, an oat-spiked IPA brewed at New Belgium and released in late 2013 throughout Chicago (Avoine means “oats” in French, by the way). The second installment became Hop Kitchen Oatmeal IPA, which clocks in at 6% ABV and 60 IBUs. Like the name suggests, Oatmeal IPA’s brewed with a healthy dose of oats, which lends a silky texture to the swallow. Pair that with hefty additions of Citra and Centennial hops, and the result is a fruity, tropical hop-bomb with a creamier sip than the average IPA.
“Having Avoine IPA only available in Chicago was just too much of a tease,” says specialty brand manager and blender Lauren Salazar. “I couldn’t resist bringing it back and sharing it with everyone. You just can’t get better than the Half Acre guys—we’ll always have a soft spot for them.”
Swing by our beer finder to find Oatmeal IPA on draft near you.
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