Widmer Brothers & New Seasons Market Team Up For Hop Chockers IPA

Portland, OR – February 22, 2016 – Two companies with deep local roots – Widmer Brothers & New Seasons Market – today announced the launch of a collaboration beer: Hop Chockers IPA. The beer is the first collaboration for New Seasons Market and is being launched in celebration of the market’s 16^th birthday.

Hop Chockers IPA is available now at all New Seasons locations with growler filling stations, as well as the Widmer Brothers Pub. The genesis of the collaboration was a strong, longstanding relationship between the two Portland originals.

“For 16 years we have been very close to Widmer Brothers Brewing,” said Chris Tjersland, Partner Brand Development Manager at New Seasons Market. “The Widmer Brothers team, and Kurt and Rob Widmer themselves, have been a part of the New Seasons community since we opened our first store. We continue to be committed to connecting our customers with local producers and bringing them the best possible food, so we thought it was fitting to celebrate this milestone with a collaboration beer this year”

Hop Chockers combines two rye malts and four hop varietals, which give the beer a balanced combination of spice and fruitiness. With hops from the Pacific Northwest, New Zealand, and Australia, including the newest Aussie hop: Enigma, Hop Chockers imparts aromas of peach, fruit punch, lime zest, and chardonnay. Two types of rye malts and crystal malt lend a pleasing spiciness and caramel flavor that finishes with a moderate bitterness and lingering fruity flavors.

“When we got together with the folks at New Seasons to brainstorm for this IPA, they really wanted us to get creative with the hop profile,” said Corey Blodgett, lead innovation brewer at Widmer Brothers Brewing. “We decided to use a mixture of Meridian, Wakatu, and Enigma hops, which give Hop Chockers a complex flavor and aroma. Using rye in the mash gives this beer an interesting dichotomy of pleasant spiciness and robust fruitiness.”

The beer is available for a limited time on draught only at the Widmer Brothers Pub and all New Seasons locations with beer on tap: Cedar Hills, Grant Park, Nyberg Rivers, Mountain Park, Progress Ridge, Williams, Slabtown and Woodstock. For more information on Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit widmerbrothers.com or see what the brewery is up to on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.