Karl Strauss and AleSmith Debut Blink of an IPA Collaboration Beer
Not only does kveik yeast ferment incredibly quickly, but also it is known for producing bright, citrusy esters fit for an India Pale Ale.
SAN DIEGO, CA— Karl Strauss Brewing Company has a brand new beer in its collaboration series! Introducing Blink of an IPA, an experimental India Pale Ale brewed with AleSmith Brewing Company. This limited release is fermented with Norwegian kveik yeast and will debut on October 10th in cans and on draft throughout California.
Long-time friends and first-time collaborators, Karl Strauss and AleSmith are both known for experimenting with their small batch releases. Neither brewery had previously brewed with kveik yeast, which meant that Ryan Crisp (AleSmith’s Director of Brewery Operations & Head Brewer) and Matt Johnson (Brewmaster of Brewery Operations at Karl Strauss) were eager to jump in and experiment.
“Both Ryan and I wanted to brew a Kveik IPA. Hops are usually the star in an India Pale Ale, so it was a lot of fun to primarily focus on the yeast for this particular IPA. Kveik is really such a unique strain. We were amazed how well it fermented at higher temperatures– from 78°F to 98°F!” – Matt Johnson, Karl Strauss Brewmaster of Brewery Operations.
Not only does kveik ferment incredibly quickly – within days, instead of weeks like typical ale yeast – but it is known for producing bright, citrusy esters. This makes is a natural fit for an India Pale Ale.
Blink of an IPA weighs in at 6.5% ABV with aromas of stone fruit and pineapple. It is brewed with Simcoe, Citra, Ekuanot, El Dorado, and BRU-1 experimental hops. The beer is light in body, intense with orange and fresh fruit flavors, and finishes with a pleasant, lingering bitterness.
Blink of an IPA will be one of Karl Strauss’ featured collaborations at Collabapalooza, their celebration of independent beer coming up on Saturday, October 19th. But fans of Karl and AleSmith can snag this collab even earlier, beginning on Thursday, October 10th. This limited release IPA will be available on draft and in 16oz can 4-packs at Karl Strauss’ Brewpubs, Tasting Room, and at craft accounts throughout California.
For more information about Blink of an IPA, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT KARL STRAUSS BREWING COMPANY
Karl Strauss Brewing Company has been proudly independent since 1989, pioneering the craft beer scene with innovative and award-winning beer releases like Aurora Hoppyalis IPA, Queen of Tarts Dark Sour, and Boat Shoes Hazy IPA. For more information, visit www.karlstrauss.com or call the brewery at (858) 273-2739. Share it. Cheers.
ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY
Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions. In addition to being well established within its hometown of San Diego, AleSmith was acknowledged by the RateBeer community as the 6th Best Brewery in the World in 2018. The brewery is also a three-time winner of the Champion Brewery Award at the San Diego International Beer Competition, where it received a Gold Medal in 2019 for Nut Brown English brown ale. Further recognition for individual beers includes a 2018 California Craft Brewers Cup for Pale Ale .394 and a 2017 Bronze Medal for Wee Heavy at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is celebrating its 24th year in business and occupies a 109,942 square-foot facility with a state-of- the-art brewery. AleSmith’s range of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, Nut Brown Ale, and San Diego Pale Ale .394 is distributed in 28 U.S. states and 8 countries.
Fresh off San Diego Beer Week, Karl Strauss Makes $8.5K Donation to San Diego Brewers Guild
“Collabapalooza captured the collaborative spirit of the San Diego brewing community.”
SAN DIEGO, CA — Karl Strauss Brewing Company is a proud supporter of the San Diego Brewers Guild and their efforts to promote and represent local, independent craft breweries. Karl Strauss has a long history of caring for their community, and in keeping with this tradition, they are making a donation to the Guild fresh off of another successful San Diego Beer Week.
In preparation for Beer Week, KARL served as the host brewery for the annual collaboration beer release from the San Diego Brewers Guild, the Capital of Craft IPA. KARL’s team members helped sell this beer to accounts throughout the region and KARL is donating a portion of their Capital of Craft sales to the Guild.
In addition to Capital of Craft, KARL’s donation to the Guild includes a portion of the proceeds from their second annual Collabapalooza event, hosted Saturday November 10 in North Park. Collabapalooza featured more than 50 local, independent breweries and an epic beer list of one-off collaborations and rare releases.
“Collabapalooza captured the collaborative spirit of the San Diego brewing community. There was a sense of camaraderie everywhere you turned. People learning about beers, sharing stories, reminiscing with old friends and bonding with new ones… it was a really special event and we’re honored to donate a portion of the proceeds to the San Diego Brewers Guild.” – Matt Rattner, Co-Founder & President, Karl Strauss Brewing Company.
In total, Karl Strauss is donating $8,500 to the San Diego Brewers Guild.
To learn more about Karl Strauss and their ongoing support of the San Diego Brewers Guild and various other nonprofits, visit www.karlstrauss.com
To learn more about the San Diego Brewers Guild and ways you can support, visit www.sdbeer.com
ABOUT KARL STRAUSS BREWING COMPANY
Karl Strauss Brewing Company has been proudly independent since 1989, pioneering the craft beer scene with innovative beer releases like Aurora Hoppyalis IPA, Queen of Tarts Dark Sour, and Wreck Alley Imperial Stout. The brewery has won 110 medals since 2009 and was honored with the “Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year” award at the Great American Beer Festival in 2016. For more information, visit www.karlstrauss.com or call the brewery at (858) 273-2739. Share it. Cheers.
Karl Strauss Brings Back Collabapalooza For San Diego Beer Week
Collabapalooza was voted “Best Beer Event of 2017” by the readers of The West Coaster craft beer newspaper, and will make its highly anticipated return on November 10th 2018.
Collabapalooza 2017
San Diego, CA — Karl Strauss Brewing Company is throwing its second annual indie beer collaboration celebration! The brewery has rallied together 30+ independent local breweries to throw a killer party during San Diego Beer Week, all in celebration of the city’s collaborative brewing community. Collabapalooza was voted “Best Beer Event of 2017” by the readers of The West Coaster craft beer newspaper, and will make its highly anticipated return on November 10th, 2018.
Each participating brewery will pour two beers — a small batch or rare beer of their choice, as well as a beer brewed in collaboration with another independent San Diego brewery. In addition to unlimited samples of these one-off collaborations and rare releases, Collabapalooza will have food from local vendors available for purchase, live screen printed t-shirts, and a ton more to be announced in the coming weeks.
“We were really pumped about the feedback from last year! The event had great energy and the beer list was phenomenal, so we’re looking forward to seeing what our brewing friends have up their sleeves this year. It’s really something to see so many independent brewers join together and collaborate with one another. It’s what our community is all about!” — Paul Segura, Brewmaster of R&D, Karl Strauss Brewing Company.
Karl Strauss has been committed to supporting their local community since they helped kick off San Diego’s craft beer scene in 1989. Collabapalooza is a prime example of this support, as proceeds from the event will benefit both the San Diego Brewers Guild and the North Park Main Street Association.
The festival will take place on Saturday, November 10th from 1pm to 5pm in the parking lot behind the North Park Observatory. General admission tickets to the festival will include a commemorative Collabapalooza taster glass & unlimited 2oz samples starting at 2pm. An exclusive VIP session will be held from 1pm to 2pm offering priority access to the festival and the first tastes of the incredible beer list, along with a Collabapalooza t-shirt.
To learn more about Collabapalooza and purchase tickets to the festival, visit www.karlstrauss.com.
Participating Breweries
Collaborations with Karl Strauss
Pizza Port Brewing Co
Stone Brewing
Burgeon Beer Company
SouthNorte Beer Co
Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing
The Lost Abbey
Bay City Brewing
Pink Boots Society
Nickel Beer Co. & South Park Brewing
Plus the following collaborations amongst San Diego breweries
Abnormal Beer Co with Green Flash Brewing & Alpine Beer Company
AleSmith Brewing Company with Newtopia Cider
Amplified Ale Works with TapRoom
Bagby Beer Company with Benchmark Brewing Company
Bear Roots Brewing Co with Escondido Brewing Co
Benchmark Brewing Company with OB Brewery
Black Plague Brewing Company with Pat Korn of Cellar 3
Booze Brothers Brewing Co with Culver Beer Co
Burgeon Beer Company with Rip Current Brewing Company
Burning Beard Brewing with Nickel Beer Co
Coronado Brewing Company with BNS Brewing Co
Council Brewing Company with Gravity Heights
Duck Foot Brewing Co with Mike Hess Brewing Co
Eppig Brewing with Modern Times Beer
Fall Brewing Company with Barley Forge Brewing Co
Half Door Brewing Co with Benchmark Brewing Company
Mother Earth Brewing Company with Battlemage Brewing
North Park Beer Co with Burgeon Beer Company
Pure Project with Modern Times Beer
Resident Brewing Co with Thunderhawk Alements
Rouleur Brewing Company with Papa Marce’s Cerveceria
San Diego Brewing Company with Thorn Brewing Co
San Diego Brewers Guild featuring Capital of Craft IPA
Second Chance Beer Company with New English Brewing Company
South Park Brewing Company with Wild Barrel Brewing
SouthNorte Beer Co with Cerveceria Insurgente
Thorn Brewing Co with Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing
Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing with Chula Vista Brewery and Groundswell Brewing Company
ABOUT KARL STRAUSS BREWING COMPANY
Karl Strauss Brewing Company has been proudly independent since 1989, pioneering the craft beer scene with innovative beer releases like Aurora Hoppyalis IPA, Queen of Tarts Dark Sour, and Wreck Alley Imperial Stout. The brewery has won 110 medals since 2009 and was honored with the “Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year” award at the Great American Beer Festival in 2016. For more information, visit www.karlstrauss.com or call the brewery at (858) 273-2739. Share it. Cheers.
Media Contact
Mark Weslar: mark.weslar@karlstrauss.com, 760.707.2426