Ska Brewing Announces the Launch of Southwest Coast IPA: The Brew That Bridges the Divide Between East and West
Ska Brewing Southwest Coast IPA: It's Not Just a Beer, It's a Direction.
"Southwest Coast IPA: It's Not Just a Beer, It's a Direction."
DURANGO, CO— In an unprecedented move that promises to unite hop enthusiasts across the Four Corners of the United States, Ska Brewing unveils their latest creation: the Southwest Coast IPA. This groundbreaking New-World IPA is brewed with a mission—to bring together the bold, adventurous spirit of the West Coast IPA with the innovative hopping techniques of the East Coast, all while paying homage to the vibrant cultures and landscapes of the Southwest.
"With the Southwest Coast IPA, we decided to throw the rulebook into the mash tun and brew something that resonates with the soul of the Southwest,” said Ska Co-Founder Dave Thibodeau. “Think of it as a hoppy road trip through the Four Corners, but you don't need to leave your barstool."
Crafted for those who navigate life by the compass of their taste buds, this innovative IPA is as daring as a cliff dive in the Grand Canyon and as refreshing as a snowmelt river in Colorado. The Southwest Coast IPA is bright and crisp; the addition of Bravo, Idaho 7, Columbus, Simcoe, and Strata hops create a harmonious blend of grapefruit and tropical fruit aromas that dance like a desert mirage on the palate.
Available in 16-ounce cans and only in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, the Southwest Coast IPA is set to make a splash in the craft beer scene. Whether you're scaling the mesas of New Mexico, exploring the red rocks of Utah, shredding the slopes of Colorado, or surfing the waves of your Arizona beachfront property, this beer is your perfect companion.
“The Southwest Coast IPA is here to challenge what you know about IPAs and take you on a flavor journey that's as vast and varied as the Southwest itself,” said Thibodeau. “Grab a pint, kick back, and let Ska Brewing take you on a tour of the Four Corners—one sip at a time.”
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Founded in Durango, CO, by a group of friends who loved brewing beer almost as much as they loved ska music, Ska Brewing has been on a mission to deliver fearless and bold beer since 1995. Known for their eclectic style, commitment to sustainability, and a penchant for fun, Ska Brewing continues to be a beacon of creativity in the craft beer industry. For more information about Ska Brewing or the Southwest Coast IPA, please visit skabrewing.com or follow us on social media.
Crisp, Cold Pale By Ska Brewing Hits Shelves Year-Round
Ska Brewing Cold Pale will be added to a revamped winter mix pack that also includes Euphoria Pale Ale, Modus Hoperandi, and Ska Lager.
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing combined the best of all the beer worlds in their latest release, Cold Pale. This incredibly crushable Pale Ale is crisp and refreshing, and now available year-round.
“Pale Ale is my litmus test when I go to a brewery,” says Ska Brewing Co-Founder and CEO Dave Thibodeau, “so when we went to create a mainstay Pale Ale at Ska, especially because we don’t already have this style available all year, we did a lot of research and development to get the hop profile exactly where we wanted it to be. A lot of people appreciate hops but don’t want a super bitter beer, and they also don’t want a 6 to 8% IPA all the time. At Ska we like to have more than one beer in a sitting, so it seemed natural to make something more drinkable.”
The result is Cold Pale— subtle enough for people who prefer lagers over hoppy beers, and unique in hop profile to satiate those who do.
This new style category of Cold IPA and Pale Ale is brewed with lager yeast strains at cold temperatures. They’re crisp like lagers with much less ester-y aroma that’s produced by ale yeast. Cold Pale is the result of years of experimentation with hopping schedules— from kettle to early fermentation to dry hopping. Ska’s brewing team added Tettnang and Columbus hops as early fermentation additions that through biotransformation yield melon and grape flavors and aromas that these spicy, citrus-y hops wouldn’t typically produce with ale yeast. It’s then dry hopped with classic C hops (Cascade, Chinook, and Centennial) that layer on pine and fresh citrus notes. It’s a crispy, easy drinker that weighs in at 5.5 percent ABV.
Cold Pale joins Ska’s canned beer lineup this fall alongside Ska’s new Mexican-style Cold IPA, another lager yeast fermented ale recipe made with the same Mexico City-sourced yeast strain as Mexican Logger as well as agave and flaked blue maize.
Cold Pale is available in canned 6-packs across Ska’s national distribution footprint, and on tap now at the brewery World Headquarters in Durango, Colorado. This beer will also be added to a revamped winter mix pack that also includes Euphoria Pale Ale, Modus Hoperandi, and Ska Lager.
Media inquiring about Ska’s biotransformation research, Cold Pale and IPA experimentation, and any other Ska beers that pique their interest can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include True Blonde, Modus Hoperandi and Rue B. Soho. For information, music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.
Ska Brewing and Manhattan Brewing Release Canned Collaboration, 2 Tone IPA
Ska Brewing Friendship with Manhattan Brewing Sparks Modern IPA Now Available in Colorado and Kansas
MANHATTAN, KS— Ska Brewing and Manhattan Brewing Company will debut their collaboration IPA, 2 Tone, across Kansas with launch events today and tomorrow. 2 Tone IPA will also hit shelves and taps across Colorado and Kansas this week.
Jake Voegeli, who opened Manhattan Brewing in 2020 with Adam Kresbach and Garrett Paulmanwas, was formerly Ska’s Midwest Sales Manager in Kansas. Before that he was a starting center for the Kansas State University Wildcats. “Jake’s a local legend football player around Manhattan, and now he’s a thriving craft brewer,” says Peter Archer of Ska Brewing. “2 Tone was a reason for Jake to visit us in Durango, and now it’s our unofficial re-launch in Kansas after a quiet two years of pandemic.”
In the true spirit of collaboration, 2 Tone IPA was made at Ska with a pitch of Manhattan’s house yeast strain that they brought to Durango from Kansas. The two brewing teams hopped this batch with modern hop selections Sabro, Sultana and Idaho 7, and chose a hopping schedule to create juice instead of haze. This beer was brewed with the philosophy and technique that we developed through our Checkered Future IPA,” says Archer. “The hop additions are late, and there’s no real bittering addition either.”
2 Tone IPA cans sport purple and silver, Wildcat colors, and they’ll be available at retailers across Kansas and Colorado at liquor stores and on tap while supplies last. Find the Ska and Manhattan teams at these release events:
Thursday, June 23
Barley's Kitchen- Shawnee, KS + Tap, 3-6pm
Friday, June 24
2 Tone collaboration Lunch + Tap Takeover
The Anchor - Wichita, KS, 5-7pm
Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about 2 Tone or these release events. Media assets are available for download here.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award- winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. For information (a lot of it), more music, and a good time, visit skabrewing.com.
ABOUT MANHATTAN BREWING CO.
With nearly 20 years of collective experience in the craft beer industry, Manhattan Brewing Co. is focused on brewing and serving high-quality craft beers in a family-friendly atmosphere in the heart of downtown Manhattan. This town is our home, and we want to bring the best possible beer experience and education to the wonderful people of Manhattan. We want to create a place for everyone to come out and have a good time with friends and cultivate a craft beer culture Manhattan can be proud of. Find us at mhkbeer.com.
Collaboration Beers Abound at Living The Dream Brewing Company
It’s unofficial collaboration brew season at Living The Dream Brewing Company, who are partnering with several Colorado breweries on beers to be served at Collaboration Fest, and to support the Pink Boots Society.
LITTLETON, CO– It’s unofficial collaboration brew season at Living The Dream Brewing Company, who are partnering with several Colorado breweries to create specialty beers that span styles and concepts; to be served at Collaboration Fest, and to support the Pink Boots Society.
Fresh off a tapping of the Treat Yo Self Stout made with Lady Justice Brewing for Stout Month, Living The Dream brewers collaborated on three beers that are now available while supplies last. Meet them here.
Pink Boots Society
A celebration of the Pink Boots Society International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day, A Kühl Of Their Own is an experimental Lager that was brewed at 105 West Brewing in Castle Rock. It’s inspired by all things fun in the sun, baseball, peaches, Big League Chew®, and cold beer. The name is a clever combination of a classic women’s baseball movie reference, and the German word Kühl, meaning cool, cold, or chilly. This beer will be available at Living the Dream, Platt Park Brewing Co., and 105 West Brewing Co.
Monumental Beer Works
For Collaboration Fest 2022, Living the Dream wanted to partner with Western Slope breweries who they often visit when they’re out playing in Colorado’s wilderness. First up, they called previous Living The Dream team member Brian Fischer of Monumental Beer Works and the two breweries created Hurricane Hazy IPA. It’s inspired by a Hurricane cocktail, infused with flavors of passionfruit, orange, lime, and cherry.
“It’s very fulfilling seeing Monumental succeed and grow,” said Jason Bell, Founder of Living the Dream.
Ska Brewing
In another Collaboration Fest 2022 partnership, Living the Dream teamed up with Ska Brewing to brew Living The Ska Dream Double IPA. The focus in this brew was hop additions, and lots of them. Brewers used nine unique hops and multiple hopping techniques. “We wanted a big base to build on but didn’t want to get into the ‘Triple IPA’ range,” says Living The Dream Head Brewer Rob Meehan. “We’ve got bittering, aroma, whirlpool, dip hop, and dry hop additions to show how each variety can add something unique based on type of addition.”
Living the Dream is excited to work with Colorado beer icon Ska to create something truly unique that can be enjoyed across the state.
Try all of these storied beers, and more, in the Living The Dream tasting room and at the collaborating locations while supplies last. Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about any of the above.
ABOUT LIVING THE DREAM BREWING CO.
Living the Dream Brewing is a craft brewery established in 2014 in Littleton, our home base for adventure in Colorado. Built on a foundation of brewing beer using only the finest ingredients, Living the Dream celebrates the people, places, and activities of the Centennial State. Live the life you've imagined, and join us at livingthedreambrewing.com.
Ska Brewing Forecasts IPA Style Trend with Checkered Future IPA
Checkered Future is Ska’s answer to uncertain times: moving forward with innovation and acceptance that what’s to come is unwritten.
DURANGO, CO– Old school hops meet modern varieties and techniques in a new age IPA that Ska Brewing will debut in cans across its markets this month. Checkered Future IPA is here.
Long a house of IPA experimentation and the home to Colorado classic IPA Modus Hoperandi, Ska has released three hazy offerings in the past few years: Hazy IPA, Double Hazy IPA, and Tropical Hazy IPA. Now, Checkered Future bridges the gap from Modus to haze with this fresh style.
“Checkered Future employs a blend of everything we've learned and the hops we've experimented with over these last few years of IPA recipe development,” says Ska Brewing Co-Founder Dave Thibodeau. We chose very specific hop varieties for their myriad hop aroma compounds that showcase particularly well with these newer hopping techniques, which has allowed us to create a relatively clear IPA with bright, juicy tropical fruit aromas yet with a bit of the classic West Coast-style, citrusy, piney perceived bitterness we’ve been missing in the hazy era.”
If the checkered past is a compilation of the bright with the dark, then Checkered Future is Ska’s answer to uncertain times: moving forward with innovation and acceptance that what’s to come is unwritten. “We haven’t named a beer beyond stylistic designation in several years, but this new IPA called for a name with a story,” says Ska’s Sales & Marketing Director Kristen Muraro.
A Checkered Future release party will go down at Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango on February 15, featuring live music, a limited edition Ska and Venture Snowboard giveaway, and $2 pints of the new IPA.
Find Checkered Future where you buy Ska Brewing beers, for the foreseeable future. This IPA will join Ska’s year round lineup of cans and be available across all of Ska’s markets.
Media assets for Checkered Future are available for download here. Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with any questions.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award- winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. For information (a lot of it), more music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.
Ska Brewing Mesa Guava IPA Comes to Year-Round Canned Fruit-ion
Ska Brewing will bring the Southwest-inspired flavors of its Mesa Guava IPA to all of its distribution states this week.
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing will bring the Southwest-inspired flavors of its Mesa Guava IPA to all of its distribution states this week.
Mesa Guava IPA first debuted as a limited batch in cans in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona earlier this year. Now it’s back due to popular demand, joining the year-round portfolio and hitting all of Ska’s markets.
This new IPA was born through a brainstorm with Whole Foods. Fitting for both its Central American roots from which ska music originates and its compatibility with hop-forward flavors, guava was selected as this IPA’s key ingredient. Bold notes of Trident, Strata, and Idaho 7 hops meet tropical undertones in this balanced, medium-bodied beer.
“The fruit reinforces this beer’s sense of place at Ska and in the Southwest,” says Ska Brewing Co-Founder and CEO Dave Thibodeau. “Follow the mesa country to where the fruit originated from, and you’ll find the cultural inspiration for Ska Brewing.”
“I’ve been wanting to do something with guava as long as I’ve lived in the Southwest,” adds Kristen Muraro, Ska’s Sales and Marketing Director and 20+ year Durango local. “I’m excited, too, because this beer will be the first to join Ska’s year-round canned beer portfolio since the release of Double Hazy IPA cans earlier in spring.”
Mesa Guava IPA debuts at Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango on Friday, September 10. It will be available in 6-packs in all eleven of Ska’s distribution states on a year-round basis.
For more information about Ska’s newest IPA, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include True Blonde, Modus Hoperandi and Rue B. Soho. For information, music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.
Ska Brewing Adds Double Hazy IPA to Can Lineup
This 9.2% ABV IPA, brewed with Idaho 7, Azacca, and El Dorado hops, is big brother to The Hazy IPA from Ska Brewing.
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing is doubling down on its hazy IPA options this week with the release of Double Hazy IPA. This new beer taps at Ska’s World Headquarters on Friday, March 12, and is now available in cans in all of Ska’s markets.
The full-bodied Double Hazy IPA pours golden orange and wafts piney aroma, with notes of pear and pineapple that balance out its bold hop profile. This 9.2% ABV IPA is brewed with Idaho 7, Azacca, and El Dorado hops. It’s the big brother to The Hazy IPA that came out in 2019, and the Tropical Hazy IPA, Breakthru Beverage’s first beer release after the pandemic outbreak that quickly became one of Ska’s most popular beers in 2020.
“Everyone loves a good Double IPA— we get requests for this beer style all the time,” says Ska Brewing Sales and Marketing Director Kristen Muraro. “Making a hazy one seemed to round out our hazy line up just right.”
Ska Double Hazy IPA is now available across Colorado and Ska’s eleven-state distribution footprint in 12-ounce canned 6-packs as a year-round SKU.
Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Ska Brewing and the new Double Hazy IPA.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award- winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. For information (a lot of it), more music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.
Ska Brewing Low Calorie and Low Carb Aggrolite IPA Arrives For Swimsuit Season
The low-calorie, low-carb Aggrolite IPA is now available across Ska’s nationwide distribution footprint.
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing’s latest canned offering is a delicious sidekick for athletes and adventurists. The low-calorie, low-carb Aggrolite IPA is now available across Ska’s nationwide distribution footprint.
Aggrolite IPA is a collaboration with one of Ska’s favorite bands, The Aggrolites, who played at the brewery’s 24th anniversary invitational in 2019. The Aggrolites started as a a compilation of two bands, one reggae and one ska in genre, that came together in Los Angeles in 2002 to create the soul and funk-inspired “dirty reggae music” that they’re known for.
Aggrolite is light-bodied with slight citrus and pine notes from the use of Cascade, Mandarina Bavaria, and El Dorado hops, and a light golden orange color. This beer contains only 99 calories and 4g of carbohydrates per can, with 4.2% ABV. Aggrolite pairs well with bike rides, boating, and bikinis.
Show Ska your Aggrolite activities with the #SkaAggrolites hashtag, and tag @skabrewing for a chance to be featured.
Find Aggrolite at select retailers across its thirteen state distribution footprint, and in cans at Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango, Colorado. Please check the Ska Website, www.skabrewing.com, for adjusted hours and to-go offerings.
For more details on Ska’s Aggrolite IPA, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award- winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. For information (a lot of it), more music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.
Ska Brewing Cans The Hazy IPA of 2019; Announces Coming Brand Refresh
Ska’s The Hazy IPA is a New England-styled IPA rich with juicy and citrus-forward tropical notes obtained through a variety of proprietary hopping techniques.
DURANGO, CO— After much experimentation on its Mod pilot system, Ska Brewing is excited to finally offer a hazy IPA in a can— The Hazy IPA of choice after an array of test batches. This new offering from Ska will be available October 1, and it will go down as the beer that sparked Ska’s coming brand refresh.
Ska’s rendition of this popular beer style is a long time coming, named The Hazy IPA because it’s the recipe that Ska’s brewers determined would go in a can after many different batches. This 6.5% ABV, full-bodied New England-styled IPA is rich with juicy and citrus-forward tropical notes obtained through a variety of proprietary hopping techniques.
Unlike Ska’s other canned offerings, there’s not a character or a punny name associated with this beer style. Instead the artwork pops with bold colors and Ska’s trademark checkerboard stripe that wraps the can. “When we put all of these comic book elements together, we realized this was a good direction to ultimately refresh our entire line of beer cans,” says Ska’s co-founder and CEO Dave Thibodeau.
The Hazy IPA will release in cans and on draft at Ska’s World Headquarters on October 1. This beer will also be available in canned 6-packs and on draft in select accounts across Ska’s 13-state distribution footprint. The Hazy IPA cans are the first glimpse at Ska’s refresh of select brands with announcements to follow in coming months.
For more information about Ska Brewing or its new hazy offering, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award- winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. For information, music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.
Ska Brewing Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Groundbreaking Modus Hoperandi IPA in a can
Bring on the Summer of Modus.
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing, home to Colorado’s OG IPA in a can, is celebrating 10 years of its Modus Hoperandi recipe with custom label artwork, specialty merchandise, and a summer full of Modus events and specials. Bring on the Summer of Modus.
A nod to its punny name, Modus Hoperandi was the first of many India Pale Ales that helped establish Ska as a skilled IPA house, and one of the country’s original canned IPAs when it debuted in 2009. To-date, this beer is one of Ska and Colorado’s most award-winning, with recognitions in seven national and another seven international beer award programs— including the Stockholm Beer and Whiskey Festival and the European Beer Star. Modus will go down as the first canned IPA available in Sweden, and a convert beer for many a macro fizzy lager drinker in Colorado and beyond. Earlier this year, USA Today called Modus one of America’s most delicious beers.
Modus Hoperandi is a beer that the Ska team has put the most effort into developing, says Ska Brewing co-founder and CEO Dave Thibodeau. It was a rigorous process that included blind tasting every Colorado IPA they could get their hands on. “We knew that we wanted pine, and citrus, and Ska staff palates lead us toward Modus’ bold flavor and 6.8 percent ABV,” he adds.
Ska is celebrating the 10th anniversary of this groundbreaking IPA in a can with a limited Modus Hoperandi and Modus Mandarina 12-pack (six of each IPA) and custom cans, with deals and events all summer long.
Share your Modus story with the hashtag #mymodusmemories and follow along to celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of Colorado’s favorite IPAs.
For more information, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award- winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. For information (a lot of it), more music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.