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 Releases 2023 Euphoria Pale Ale For Fresh Beer Friday
An annual tradition in the Southwest for seventeen years now, Euphoria is a collaboration with Venture Snowboards in Silverton. Now it’s the Ska signal for fall arriving in Durango.
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing’s beloved cold month seasonal Euphoria Pale Ale will return to the brewery World Headquarters on tap and in canned 6-packs on Friday, October 6.
An annual tradition in the Southwest for seventeen years now, Euphoria is a collaboration with Venture Snowboards in Silverton. Now it’s the Ska signal for fall arriving in Durango.
Euphoria has a big malt backbone with plenty of caramel sweetness and just a touch of toast; but it’s the epic grapefruit hop aroma and flavor, provided by a huge dry hop addition at the end of fermentation, that really make this seasonal beer shine. It all comes together as a warming, yet refreshing 6% ABV Pale Ale that Durango spends all year looking forward to.
Euphoria Pale Ale will get the spotlight at Ska on Friday, October 6 at 5pm for Fresh Beer Friday.
Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Ska Brewing.
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.
Fresh Beer, Iconic Music, and Art All Over: Ska Brewing Is 28 Years Old
DURANGO, CO— Many of Ska Brewing’s friends in the beer, music, and art industries will gather on September 8 and 9 in Durango, Colorado to celebrate 28 years of Ska beer. The weekend of shenanigans will include an art show by the one-and-only Nan Coffey, multiple collaboration beers, and the annual Brewers Invitational and Anniversary party that Fishbone will headline.
Now for the second year, San Diego-based contemporary artist Nan Coffey will make a ska-punk-rock pilgrimage to Durango to help Ska kick off the anniversary weekend with an art show on the second floor of Ska’s World Headquarters. Nan’s style that she calls “Art All Over” has caught the interest of many Ska and Punk bands who she’s produced art for over the years, including The Specials, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Less Than Jake, Frank Turner and of course, Fishbone. Meet Nan, get signed prints, and get the party started on Friday, September 8 from 4 to 7pm.
Tickets are still available for the Ska Brewing Brewers Invitational and Anniversary slated for Saturday, September 9. The celebration will feature headliner Fishbone with guests Catbite and The Dendrites, as well as 28 of Ska’s brewery friends pouring their beers. Several of these beers are collaborations made with Anarchy Brewing, Goldspot Brewing, and Guanella Pass Brewery especially for the occasion. Guests can also sample some of Ska’s newest beer releases: Double Modus Hoperandi and its fresh hopped sister featuring Billy Goat Hop Farm hops, Ska Cold Pale, and the 2023 batch of Oktoberfest.
For more information about Ska Brewing’s 28th anniversary weekend celebration, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. Media inquiring about The Art of Nan Coffey can contact Coffey at info@nanwashere.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 Returns To Utah
Ska has continued to innovate and push the boundaries of craft beer at home, and in recent years Utah’s laws have changed— all allowing the brewery to bring much more of its portfolio over the state line.
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing has returned to distribution in The Beehive State through a partnership with M&M Distribution, making Utah the eleventh state where Ska beers are available. Utahns and visitors can now find Ska beers on draft and in 12 oz. 6-packs in Tooele, Salt Lake, Wasatch, Utah, Davis, and Summit counties.
In 2022 in a long overdue move, Ska entered into Wyoming for distribution to share its liquid with like-minded, outdoor-centric neighbors. In that same spirit, Ska now returns to Utah.
Some of Ska’s best-selling beers, such as the 5% ABV Raspberry Blonde, were previously unavailable in Utah due to laws limiting the ABV in grocery stores, restaurants, and bars. Ska has continued to innovate and push the boundaries of craft beer at home, and in recent years Utah’s laws have changed— all allowing the brewery to bring much more of its portfolio over the state line.
“We’ve heard from a lot of folks that they’re no strangers to making the pilgrimage across the border to procure our beers to take back to Utah,” says Ska Brewing Co-Founder and CEO Dave Thibodeau. “We couldn’t be more thrilled about these legislative changes and cannot wait to once again share our flagships along with some of the new beers we’ve created just across the border.”
Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries abu Ska Brewing.
Reach out to David Noyes at dnoyes@skabrewing.com for information about carrying Ska brands at your establishment.
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 is first North American brewery to implement CanCollar® Corsair™ for plastics replacement in its packaging
Ska Brewing has never been keen on plastic packaging, but recently identified an alternative that supports its sustainability goals.
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing has completed the installation of a CanCollar® Corsair™ provided by WestRock. Ska is the first craft brewery in North America to implement this automation solution, which will enable the company’s transition from plastic rings to a fiber-based solution for its multipack product wraps.
Ska has never been keen on plastic packaging, but recently identified an alternative that supports its sustainability goals.
Enter WestRock, a global paper and packaging leader dedicated to sustainability whose portfolio includes solutions for craft and artisanal beverage producers. The company’s CanCollar® Corsair™ machine automatically applies various CanCollar® paperboard-based multipack formats to 24-pack trays of product, which gives Ska the ability to package all of its canned brand offerings — including four-packs and six-packs — using a solution that reduces plastics consumption by up to 95 percent when compared to alternative plastic multipack options.
“The CanCollar, which promotes circularity, will immediately reduce the amount of plastic Ska contributes to the environment by approximately four tons per year,” says Ska Brewing COO Steve Breezley. “This contributes to a reduction in overall waste and the carbon footprint associated with the shipping and storage of our products. The innovation, ethos and ethics behind this solution are what we’re all about.”
The installation of the CanCollar® Corsair™ is one of Ska’s ongoing, never-finished efforts to build a more sustainable future,” says Co-Founder and CEO Dave Thibodeau. “We saw the opportunity to implement this fiber-based CanCollar and we’re jumping on it. We hope it will become the industry standard moving forward.”
From the choice of aluminum cans over bottles and the recycling of bowling alley lanes and old denim in the tasting room design, to the reduction of water consumption in the brewhouse and so many other initiatives to reduce waste, Ska Brewing has been a thought leader paving the way for environmental innovation over the course of its nearly 28 years in business. The brewery would love to share these strategies with anyone who asks.
Beer lovers can look for all of Ska’s canned brand offerings to sport recyclable fiber collars applied by the CanCollar® Corsair™ on shelves starting in April.
Media inquiring about Ska Brewing or their sustainability objectives can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. Questions about WestRock can be directed to Robby Johnson at robby.b.johnson@westrock.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.
ABOUT WESTROCK
WestRock (NYSE: WRK) is a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging solutions, with more than 50,000 teammates in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Our integrated packaging capabilities offer end-to-end solutions to help customers address their greatest challenges.
Ska Brewing Reports 2022 Impact; Previews New Sustainability Initiatives
Ska Brewing is coming off of a dynamic year in business engaged in the craft beer, music, art, biking, and local Southwest Colorado communities in which it is ingrained.
Photo of Ska’s xeriscaped beer garden courtesy The Brewtography Project
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing is coming off of a dynamic year in business engaged in the craft beer, music, art, biking, and local Southwest Colorado communities in which it is ingrained— with even bigger plans to support its community with sustainability initiatives in 2023.
Here is Ska Brewing’s 2022 Year In Review.
BEER
In 2022, Ska Brewing brewed approximately 25,000 BBL of beer that was served on tap at the brewery World Headquarters and distributed nationwide. Ska’s distribution footprint grew to 11 states last year with the addition of Wyoming in the fall.
Ska debuted several new canned beers last year, such as the new age Checkered Future IPA that brought together old school hops and new brewing techniques; Raspberry Blonde Ale that gave a fresh take on a classic style; the Faceplant Lager brewed with Tailwind Nutrition electrolytes; and the Peppermint Bark Stout crafted with Animas Chocolate Company peppermint bark. The brewery also brought back famed mainstays Mexican Logger, Oktoberfest, Euphoria Pale Ale, and Mexican Lager Style Dark.
Up next in Ska’s canned beer lineup is The Ska Lager, a snappy, crisp, bright, and easy-drinking at only 4.8% ABV. This new no-nonsense offering will hit shelves in March.
MUSIC
Ska Brewing was born out of an affinity for music, which the brewery continues to stoke by hosting Ska, punk, and other relevant bands of all shapes and sizes to play at the brewery. The legendary third wave Ska group Hepcat and opener Rude Girl Revue traveled to Durango to perform an epic show at Ska’s 27th Anniversary Party and Brewer’s Invitational.
SOUTHWEST COLORADO
Ska was a proud supporter of many events that took place in its hometown Durango, Colorado— including Durango’s annual winter festival Snowdown, the 50th anniversary of The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, the Durango Independent Film Festival, Animas River Days, Downtown 4th of July Celebration, Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships, Thirsty 13 and many more.
Ska partnered with Fort Lewis College on multiple efforts, including a hop biotransformation research project that yielded the Skyhawk Single Hop IPA; and a hard seltzer branding deep dive with the Fennell-Saegert Student Marketing Agency.
Each year, Ska donates upwards of $50,000 in product, money and time to nonprofits organizations such as La Plata Open Space Conservancy, Manna Soup Kitchen, Fort Lewis College, United Way, KSUT, KDUR, Women’s Resource Center, LaPlata County Humane Society, and Trails 2000, among many others.
Ska Distributing continued to serve the Southwest Colorado market by bringing craft beer brands to the area from across the state and beyond, including new auditions to the portfolio: Bruz Beers and Weldwerks Brewing Co.
COMMUNITY
Outside of its hometown, Ska engaged with the beer community at large through collaborations with Living The Dream Brewing in Littleton, Colorado and Manhattan Brewing in Manhattan, Kansas.
Beyond beer and music, Ska is passionate about art— especially art that showcases Ska music. During the Ska anniversary weekend in September, Ska hosted San Diego-based artist Nan Coffey for an art show that brewery visitors can still peruse on the second floor of the building.
Beyond beer, music, and art, Ska is passionate about biking. The brewery was a sponsor for Rides & Vibes in Grand Junction, the Fruita Fat Tire Festival, and 12 Hours Mesa Verde, among others. This year, Ska is stoked to be the official beer of the Session Series, Triple Bypass, Salida76, and Beti Bike Bash by Team Evergreen Cycling.
SUSTAINABILITY
Ska has long committed to reducing waste and developing brewery and distribution systems that minimize its carbon footprint— from recycled jeans in the walls as insulation and reused bowling alley wood as tables, to solar panels, solar lighting, wind energy credits, and recycling of all cardboard, paper, plastic, glass and metal waste. Ska was one of the first craft breweries in the country to package its beer in infinitely recyclable aluminum cans, and now has many packaging systems in place to further conserve resources, including Ionized air rinse instead of water rinsing and an efficient, on-demand, de-aerated water system. These are just a few of Ska’s sustainability programs that the brewery is constantly improving upon.
In 2023, Ska is pleased to continue these efforts alongside the implementation of two sizable and unprecedented sustainability initiatives. The brewery is installing a machine that will allow for the transition of all can collars from plastic to paperboard, making Ska one of the first breweries ever to utilize this equipment in the move away from plastic packaging materials.
Secondly, Durango’s Table To Farm Compost will now be the recipient of all of Ska’s spent grain. This transition from cattle feed and landfill to compost will reduce methane emissions and align with Ska’s commitment to local partnerships.
Ska will publish more information about these efforts in coming weeks.
Media inquiring about Ska Brewing 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 Launches Distribution In Wyoming
Ska Brewing beers are now available across Wyoming.
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing and Western Distributing Company announced a new distribution partnership this week, with plans to kickoff sales in this new territory at events in Casper on Thursday and Friday. Residents and visitors in the Cowboy State can now find Ska beer on tap and in cans from Laramie to Casper to Jackson and beyond.
After 27 years and now as one of Colorado’s five largest craft breweries, Ska is quite frankly flabbergasted that they haven’t poured proper beers for their neighbors in the north until now.
“Sharing the border with Wyoming, we travel there often for our outdoor pursuits— and it was starting to get weird not offering our beer there,” says Ska Brewing Co-Founder and CEO Dave Thibodeau. “After making the connection with Western Distributing a while back, this expansion of our reach out West feels like a long time coming.”
Meet Ska Brewing’s beers and some of its characters at these kickoff events:
Thursday, October 13, 2022
4-6pm: Ska tastings at Discount Liquor, Mesa Liquor and 2nd St. Liquor and Wine
7pm: Featured Ska taps at Gaslight Social during the Bumpin Uglies show
Friday, October 14, 2022
4-6pm: Ska tastings at Liquor Shed and Poplar Wine and Spirits
6pm: Ska tap takeover at Frontier Brewing for The Brewery Comedy Tour
If you would like to attend one of these events for your coverage or have media inquiries about Ska Brewing, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.
Reach out to Zac Atkinson at zac.atkinson@westdist.com for information about carrying Ska brands at your establishment.
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 Releases A New Beer… That’s Not an IPA
Ska Brewing Raspberry Blonde Ale Hits Shelves in March 2022.
DURANGO, CO– Just in time for the turn of the season, Ska Brewing presents a fruited rendition of its oldest and most decorated recipe, True Blonde Ale. Raspberry Blonde will tap for the first time at Ska on Friday and cans hit shelves across Ska markets next week.
“Our last several big can releases might suggest otherwise, but we experiment with more than just hops,” jokes Ska CEO Dave Thibodeau. “In this case we’ve been excited for this fruit addition in our beloved True Blonde Ale, which goes as far back as the brewery does.”
True Blonde Ale was Ska’s first brewed, tapped, and canned recipe. Over the years it has earned two World Beer Cup® awards and a Good Food Award from the Good Food Foundation. It has also been recognized at the Colorado State Fair, the LA County Fair, the European Beer Star awards, the Australian International Beer Awards, and the L.A. International Beer Competition. Most recently True Blonde was awarded a 2021 Great American Beer Festival® medal in the English Ale category, bringing this beer’s GABF® award count up to five.
Raspberry Blonde is crafted with subtle Cascade hop additions that balance the zest of the fruit in the recipe. At 5 percent ABV, it belongs in Ska’s wheelhouse of light-bodied, easy drinking ales and lagers like the classic Colorado Mexican-style lager, Mexican Logger, and its Grapefruit sister Rue B. Soho, Thibodeau adds. “It’s a colorful beer with vibrant, bright flavor notes.
Raspberry Blonde will tap on Friday, March 4 at Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango, Colorado. Canned 6 packs of the new beer join Ska’s year-round portfolio in all of its markets next week.
Media assets for Raspberry Blonde Ale 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 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 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 Welcomes Autumn With Euphoria Cans
“Euphoria comes in perfect time for the Broncos season. We’re officially ready for football now.”
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing’s seasonal Euphoria Pale Ale returns to the brewery’s World Headquarters this Thursday during Ska-BQ, and hits shelves in thirteen states next week. This highly anticipated beer release serves as Durango’s unofficial kickoff into winter.
Euphoria’s big malt backbone meets caramel sweetness and just a touch of chocolate, with epic grapefruit hop aroma and flavor provided by a huge dry hop addition that all comes together to make it a perfect beer for those long lift rides.
Both known as craft creators in their respective industries, Ska Brewing and Venture Snowboards began a partnership about 15 years ago. “Ska takes the same approach in crafting their beer, and we're both based in the San Juan Mountains, so teaming up seemed like a natural. Euphoria is named after Venture’s powder board - you get the same heady feeling drinking it as you do floating through the deep stuff on a blower powder day,” explains Lisa Branner from Venture.
“Euphoria comes in perfect time for the Broncos season,” says Ska Brewing’s Sales and Marketing Director Kristen Muraro. “We’re officially ready for football now.”
Celebrate the upcoming season with Ska Brewing this Thursday, September 12 at Ska-BQ the brewery’s World Headquarters at 5pm. Ska and Venture Snowboards will debut this year’s custom ska-themed snowboard and host a Euphoria celebration in November— more information will soon be available about this event at skabrewing.com.
Find Euphoria in 6-packs in all thirteen of Ska’s distribution states through colder months. Contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com with any more questions about this beer’s backstory or availability.
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 Releases 24th Anniversary Rosé Strong Ale; Celebrating This Weekend With 30+ Brewery Friends
This invitational will feature Ska’s 24th Anniversary Rosé Strong Ale, a Cabernet Sauvignon barrel-aged mixed culture beer made with Açaí fruit and a grape blend.
WHAT: Ska Brewing’s sold-out 24th anniversary invitational will feature a triple threat of punk and ska bands— Mustard Plug, The Toasters, and The Aggrolites— as well as samples poured by more than 30 of their craft brewery friends within the region.
Kicking off the celebration is Mustard Plug, a 22-year-old punk-influenced Ska band from the midwest that most recently debuted their new album Can’t Contain It. Next up is The Toasters, who will return to Durango for the third time. This OG ska band from NYC circa 1981 played their time-honored classics from albums like Skaboom and Thrill Me Up at Ska’s 16th and 21st anniversary celebrations. Then to perform are The Aggrolites, 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.
This invitational will feature Ska’s 24th Anniversary Rosé Strong Ale, a Cabernet Sauvignon barrel-aged mixed culture beer made with Açaí fruit and a grape blend. It pours a hazy dark purple color with a light white head. Intense açaí and sweet ripe raspberry aromas fill the nose. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes create a bittersweet, herbal, wine-like powerhouse. A drinkable brew with a crisp, refreshing mouthfeel and a slightly dry, mildly bitter finish. Find this beer on tap at Ska’s 24th anniversary party and for sale to-go in 500mL bottles at Ska’s World Headquarters while supplies last.
Guests at this event can enjoy beer pours from more than 30 breweries (the complete list is on the next page), as well as samples of Ska’s new canned, non-alcoholic bubbly water, Skagua.
WHEN: Bands to perform and breweries to pour on Saturday, September 7 from 4 to 9pm, and the brewery is not otherwise open to the public during that time.
WHERE: This celebration of Ska’s 24 years in business will go down at the brewery World Headquarters in Durango, Colorado located at 225 Girard Street in the “BoDo” neighborhood.
For more information about Ska Brewing, 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.
Ska Brewing Announces 24th Anniversary Invitational Music Lineup feat. Mustard Plug, The Toasters, and The Aggrolites
Ska Brewing’s 24th anniversary will feature a triple threat of punk and ska bands.
Photo by The Brewtography Project
DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing’s 24th annual anniversary invitational will feature a triple threat of punk and ska bands— Mustard Plug, The Toasters, and The Aggrolites— to play on Saturday, September 7 at the company’s World Headquarters in Durango, Colorado.
Kicking off the celebration is Mustard Plug, a 22-year-old punk-influenced Ska band from the midwest that most recently debuted their new album Can’t Contain It.
Next up is The Toasters, who will return to Durango for the third time. This OG third-wave ska band from NYC circa 1981 played their time-honored classics from albums like Skaboom and Thrill Me Up at Ska’s 16th and 21st anniversary celebrations.
Then to perform are The Aggrolites, 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.
“Our anniversary party is my favorite day of the year, and it only gets better with age,” says Ska Brewing Sales & Marketing Director Kristen Muraro. “It brings together all of our brewery friends with some of our favorite bands, and gives us a chance to celebrate with all of our fans.”
Tickets for the Ska Brewing 24th Anniversary Invitational will go on sale on June 3, and Ska will announce the list of their brewery friends that will pour at the celebration later this summer.
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.
Ska Brewing and Rancid Collaborate on Brewstomper Golden Ale
Both the beer and its can design, taken from Rancid’s second album Let’s Go, evoke a sense of punk rock nostalgia.
DURANGO, CO— Introducing Brewstomper Golden Ale, brewed by Ska the brewery and Rancid the band. This crushable crowd-pleaser is set to debut at The Bash Music & Craft Beer Festival early this summer. In April, the brewery and the band will brew the beer for release at the first show, headlined by Rancid, in Phoenix on May 11.
“Rancid and Op Ivy (both founded by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong), provided the soundtrack to our lives as we were planning out the brewery in the early ‘90s,” said Dave Thibodeau, co-founder of Ska. “Their music, along with a heavy dose of an unnamed American light lager, really are the roots of what has become Ska’s World Headquarters today.”
Both the beer and its can design, taken from Rancid’s second album Let’s Go, evoke a sense of punk rock nostalgia, bringing you back to the days of sweaty, indie garage shows and oodles of easy drinking beers,” said Thibodeau. “This is a beer concept we should have brewed up a long time ago, and we have Rancid to thank for making it happen.”
“Working with Ska was really was a no-brainer,” said Freeman. “They make great beer and they‘ve got that Do-Shit-Yourselves ethos that’s woven into all of our DNA.”
It’s been no secret that the Ska Brewing crew are massive Rancid fans, with not-so-subtle nods to Freeman and Armstrong over the years via beers such as Hoperation Ivy and most recently Rue B. Soho— but it wasn’t until Ska’s sales characters, Kristen Muraro and Arlo Grammatica “found” their way backstage at a Rancid show that discussions of collaboration began. Many beers and a couple shows later, Brewstomper Golden Ale will debut this summer.
At 5% ABV Brewstomper is a crisp, refreshing golden ale designed to be enjoyed with music and friends, the type of beer that doesn’t dominate the conversation, it simply enhances it. While the hops and malt work quietly backstage without bravado, the show certainly couldn’t go on without them.
Brewstomper Golden Ale will be the featured beer throughout the summer at the 2019 Bash Music & Craft Beer Festival, with Rancid as headliners joined by Pennywise, The Mighty Mighty BossToneS, L7, and more. Brewstomper will also be available in cans throughout all of Ska’s markets.
For more information about Brewstomper Golden Ale, 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.
Ska Brewing Celebrates 20th Year of Mexican Logger
For twenty years now, this beer’s release has served as Durango’s unofficial kickoff into springtime.
DURANGO, CO— The always anticipated release of Ska Brewing Mexican Logger is possibly premature with Purgatory Mountain under 10 feet of snow, but here regardless. For twenty years now, this beer’s release has served as Durango’s unofficial kickoff into springtime.
Mexican Logger was Ska’s first session beer when the recipe debuted in 1999. It became Colorado’s first craft lager in a can in 2011, and then won back-to-back Great American Beer Festival® awards in the International Style Pilsner category in 2015 and 2016.
Ska Mexican Logger is crisp, clean, and refreshing — made for hot afternoons with a side of lime. The beer is a crushable 5 percent ABV, and brewed with a lager yeast strain from Mexico City. That same yeast strain now ferments Ska’s Rue B. Soho Grapefruit Lager as well.
Find Mexican Logger on tap and available to-go at Ska Brewing on Wednesday, March 20. Durango-based “Western garage” band Lawn Chair Kings will serenade the tasting room with skank-inducing rock-country-punk hybrid tunes at 5pm.
Mexican Logger will be available through spring and summer in canned 6-packs across Colorado, Arizona, Southern California, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Utah.
For more information about Ska Brewing or its beloved Mexican Logger, 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.
Ska Brewing's Pearody Returns For Spring
Available this year in 12 oz 6-packs across Ska’s 13-state distribution footprint seasonally while supplies last
DURANGO, CO - Ska Brewing’s Pearody Ale hits the brewery’s World Headquarters in cans this week and will be more widely available this year in 12 oz 6-packs across Ska’s 13-state distribution footprint seasonally while supplies last.
A crisp, refreshing ale brewed with pears, this beer is hopped with Perle, Tettnang, and Citra hops. Pearody’s champagne-like qualities stem from its creation as a celebratory beer for the City of Durango’s 40th Snowdown festival last year. “I get asked all the time when we’re bringing Pearody back, and now I have an answer,” says Ska Sales & Marketing Director Kristen Muraro. “This beer was so popular that we decided to share it with all of our markets.”
Packed full of fresh fruit and hop flavors and sitting at a sessionable 4.5% ABV, this beer is a clutch sidekick for any winter or springtime activity.
Pearody will be available seasonally in canned 6-packs across Colorado, Arizona, Southern California, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Utah.
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 Is A 2019 Good Food Awards Winner
Ska Brewing was among 21 finalists in the Good Food Awards beer category.
True Blonde at Honeyville in Durango
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Ska Brewing True Blonde was recognized as a winner at the 2019 Good Food Awards this evening at the San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center.
Ska Brewing’s Sales & Marketing Director received the award on the brewery’s behalf. “We appreciate that the Good Food Awards supports collaborative products like our True Blonde Ale,” she says. “It’s an honor to say that the beer spoke for itself in the blind tasting.”
Ska’s True Blonde is one of its oldest and most decorated beer recipes. It’s a crisp, medium-bodied blonde ale that is crafted with honey from Durango’s specialty honey producer, Honeyville. True Blonde has been the recipient of four Great American Beer Festival® medals and two World Beer Cup® awards. It has also been recognized at the Colorado State Fair, the LA County Fair, the European Beer Star awards, the Australian International Beer Awards, and the L.A. International Beer Competition.
2019 marks the ninth year for the Good Food Awards, which include 16 categories his year. Ska Brewing was among 21 finalists in the beer category.
For more information about Ska Brewing or True Blonde Ale, or to schedule an interview with Kristen Muraro who received the award on behalf of the brewery, 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.
ABOUT GOOD FOOD AWARDS
The Good Food Awards (GFA) celebrate exceptional American craft food and drink producers who create distinctive, handcrafted, and sustainable products. The GFA brings together thought leaders from every sector of the food industry to choose the most delicious products from all regions of the country in a blind tasting. Products are evaluated by region, allowing the GFA to showcase the rich variety of terroirs of the nation’s food culture, elevating craft producers with the ultimate aim of stimulating local food economies. After the tasting, high-scoring producers are closely vetted for compliance with GFA requirements for sustainable production practices. Winners and runners-up are evaluated by the Good Food Foundation and announced each January at the Awards Ceremony. Learn more at goodfoodfdn.org.
A Celebration of Regional Malt: Proximity Malt and Ska Brewing Collaborate on Green Silo Saison
Named for Ska Brewing’s new green silo filled with Proximity Malt, this beer will be available in limited 12-ounce canned 6-packs.
DURANGO, CO— Last month Ska Brewing and Proximity Malt collaborated on a Dark Rye Saison, Green Silo Saison, to recognize their partnership. Named for Ska Brewing’s new green silo filled with Proximity Malt, this beer will be available in limited 12-ounce canned 6-packs on January 11.
Ska Brewing supports Proximity Malt’s commitment to shorten supply chains by providing local, sustainable, and consistently malted barley, so much so that they added a large green silo outside their tasting room to hold more Proximity Malt.
The Green Silo Saison was created by a conference call between the great minds of Ska Brewing, Proximity Malt, and Steve Dresler— a retired brewmaster from Sierra Nevada. Dave Kuske, Proximity Malt’s VP of Operations, described the recipe development process: “We wanted to think outside the box and showcase the spicy notes and characteristics of our chocolate rye with a brown Saison.“
Green Silo Saison finishes with all of the traits you’d expect from a Saison, with the delicate notes of silky chocolate, banana, and dark cherries. The spiciness on the nose has notes of subtle black pepper, allspice, clove and nutmeg— all from the use of malt, not additional spices.
“Proximity takes great pride in working as the intermediary between the brewers and the growers. We are excited to support their commitment to the region by working together and purchasing malt grown right here in our home state,” explained Ska Brewing’s CEO Dave Thibodeau. Ska utilizes Proximity’s base and specialty malts in many of its recipes.
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.
ABOUT PROXIMITY MALT
Proximity Malt selects premium grain varieties and partners with local growers to ensure the best possible local supply. Creating efficiencies in the supply chain from field to glass reduces both costs and negative environmental impacts. Their advanced malting and roasting technologies also improve the quality, performance and flavor of malt. Proximity Malt operates malthouses in two locations: Monte Vista, CO and Laurel, DE— making them the first and largest malt company dedicated to the unique needs of craft brewing, distilling and culinary businesses. Learn more at proximitymalt.com.