Upland’s Raspberry Wins Gold at World Beer Cup

From Upland:

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA—Upland Brewing Co. is honored to announce their Raspberry sour ale was awarded Gold in the American-Style Sour Ale category at the World Beer Cup in Nashville, TN on May 3, 2018, wrapping up the Craft Brewers Conference at Music City Center. The World Beer Cup, developed by the Brewers Association in 1996, is the most prestigious bi-annual beer competition in the world. With 8,234 beers, 2,515 breweries, 101 style categories, 66 countries, and 295 judges, the competition is strong.

Raspberries were one of the first whole fruits Upland began experimenting with and part of their first sours release over a decade ago. The base blonde ale is aged for 6-8 months in large oak barrels, foudres. During fermentation, yeast, Brettanomyces and other souring microorganisms create a tart, dry and refreshing sour ale. Selected barrels are transferred and aged on 375 lbs of Raspberries for an additional 3 months. For this latest batch, there are around 3 lbs of raspberries per gallon of beer. The result is fresh raspberry aromas melding with floral wine-like notes that create a wonderful, rich raspberry flavor accompanied by refreshing tartness. 

“To have Raspberry recognized, a beer we’ve been crafting since 2006, feels absolutely incredible. I couldn’t be more proud of our brewing team for relentlessly working to improve our processes and create truly remarkable beer.  We’re humbled to receive such a prestigious award for years of refining our craft and ultimately, for doing something we love to do,” said Pete Batule, Head of Brewing Operations.

Celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year, Upland’s experimentation with sour ales began in 2006 when they traded a few cases of beer for some oak barrels from Oliver Winery, also from Bloomington. Their sour program continued to grow thanks to their Secret Barrel Society, a group of loyal fans, and Upland’s constant pursuit of innovative flavor and ingredient combinations. In 2016, they opened the Wood Shop, a brewery solely dedicated to crafting wood-aged sours.

Upland was not the only Indiana brewery to walk away with a World Beer Cup award. Metazoa Brewing Company, The Tap (Bloomington), Bier Brewery, and Blind Owl Brewery also brought home distinguished recognition for their beers. 

Upland celebrated with a special tapping of Raspberry at their Wood Shop Brewery on May 5 and remaining bottles will be reserved for special events and tastings at future dates.

About Upland Brewing Co.
Located in Bloomington, Indiana, Upland Brewing Co. has an intriguing brewing story that dates back to 1998. Our mission is to brew remarkable beers in remarkable ways, staying true to the artisan, progressive spirit found in our part of the Midwest. Upland is currently the third largest brewery in Indiana and brews more than 50 different styles of beer annually.

Experience Upland Sour Ales