Tag Archives: san diego

Green Flash Brewing will begin canning, sending canned beer to Florida

Press Release: This month, Co-Founder and CEO, Mike Hinkley of Green Flash Brewing Co. announces the national and year-round debut of three Green Flash beers in 12oz cans, as an extension of their existing packaged beer assortment. With orders shipping to all US distribution partners beginning in May, 6-packs of canned beers will hit store shelves in June. The new can offerings will include: Jibe Session IPA, Passion Fruit Kicker (a fruited American Wheat Ale), and Sea to Sea Zwickel Lager. Green Flash first introduced cans with Jibe Session IPA in September 2015, to an extremely limited distribution in only a few states. The reception from consumers was overwhelmingly positive, and they are now expanding their offerings and rolling out national distribution.

“Green Flash continues to evolve, learn and grow through our interactions with our customers,” explains Mike Hinkley. “Our biggest fans want to bring Green Flash with them to more and more occasions, and cans provide them that opportunity.”

Green Flash plans to produce 18,000 cases in 2016, up from 2,000 cases in 2015. With limited canning abilities available, Green Flash estimates that cans will make up just 1% of the total packaged beer sold this year. A percentage that is expected to increase when they install a permanent canning solution. The three beers that Green Flash has chosen for the can program were selected for their winning flavor profiles and year-round drinkability. Jibe Session IPA will be positioned as a can-only offering. Available in both cans and bottles is a new 2016 release, Passion Fruit Kicker. This fruited American Wheat Ale is one of the bestselling new front-line beers in the Green Flash lineup and recently scored a Gold medal at the Los Angeles International Beer Competition. Making a can-only first time national debut is Sea to Sea – a Zwickel Lager that celebrates the brand’s opening of the new Green Flash brewery in Virginia Beach, and brewing beer on both coasts by the end of the year.

GF16_ProductImage_12ozCans_Trilogy_WEB

The Green Flash canned beer lineup product overview is as follows:

Jibe Session IPA is navigating the brand into new hop territory. Well-balanced, floral, citrus and vibrant hop character defines our idea of what a perfect session ale should be. At 4% ABV, this session is so good, we are trimming our sails and riding the wind.

Passion Fruit Kicker is a jaw-dropping, mouth-watering, smooth brew with sweet, tart, fruity flavor. We layer passion fruit tea and passion fruit juice with wheat malt and 2-row malted barley to bring you this exhilarating crowd pleaser. 5.5% ABV

Sea to Sea is an unfiltered Zwickel lager layered with German Pilsner malts, Hallertau Mittelfreüh and Czech Saaz hops, 2-row barley, and traditional Pilsner yeast. This sessionable brew has a light body with subtle sweet malt and fruity hop flavors, notable lager yeast, and a crisp, clean finish. 4.0% ABV

In addition to the importance of cans affording craft beer fans even more occasions where they are able to enjoy Green Flash beer, Mike Hinkley has a personal connection to canning that makes the project even more meaningful. He explains, “My father worked in aluminum can production plants for almost fifty years. From the time I was a boy, I knew how to identify the markings on a can of Coke, Pepsi, or Budweiser, and be able to tell if my Dad made the cans. I took a lot of pride in that. My Dad is retired now, but it is very cool to see my Dad drink Green Flash from a can.”

Six-packs of Green Flash 12oz cans will begin shipping nationally from the brewery on May 9th, and consumers can expect to start seeing the Green Flash cans at retail in June.

About Green Flash Brewing Co.
Green Flash Brewing Co. is located in San Diego, California, and was established in 2002 by co-founders Mike and Lisa Hinkley. Brewmaster, Erik Jensen, leads brewing operations. Green Flash is an award-winning brewer of fine, craft ales, and specializes in brewing assertive and distinctive beers, such as nationally acclaimed West Coast I.P.A.: an award-winning beer whose wide acceptance has helped define a category. Green Flash is available in bottles and on draft nationally – offerings include a growing lineup of seasonal and limited release ales, including several barrel-aged beers from their Cellar 3 series. Please visit the Green Flash website www.greenflashbrew.com for more information.

Green Flash Brewing adds to year-round lineup, releases calendar for 2016

Press Release: Green Flash Brewing Co. is pleased to announce its craft beer lineup for the coming year, the first under Brewmaster Erik Jensen’s leadership, including the inaugural debut of Passion Fruit Kicker, an American Wheat Ale with Passion Fruit, and Tangerine Soul Style, a Tangerine India Pale Ale, this month. Craft beer lovers in all 50 states will be able to enjoy an array of uniquely Green Flash craft brews— long-time favorites and Jensen’s new, experimental offerings.

“We are looking forward to sharing with Green Flash fans across the nation what our talented team has been brewing,” says Green Flash CEO and Co-Founder, Mike Hinkley. “Each of these beers is a labor of love and reflects our passion for the craft.”

Kicking-off the year is Tangerine Soul Style, an IPA that delivers a punch of tangerine citrus flavor and will be available nationwide for the first time this month. Brewed with American malts and a blend of Citra and Cascade hops— plus the addition of real tangerine puree added post-fermentation, it’s a variation on Green Flash’s Soul Style released in 2014. Also available this month is Passion Fruit Kicker, Green Flash’s take on the American Wheat Beer style. This drinkable wheat ale has a sweet, tart, fruity flavor via cold steeped passion fruit tea from local San Diego Tea Gallerie and real passion fruit concentrate.

In keeping with Green Flash’s reputation for craft beer innovation Cosmic Ristretto Baltic Porter with Espresso, the first graduate of the Genius Lab pilot brewing program, will be released this February. The bold, complex, java-centric (a ‘ristretto’ is a concentrated shot of espresso) brew was originally brewed by Brewers Kevin Barnes and Ron Angelo Jr., and has previously only been available in Green Flash’s San Diego tasting room. Cosmic Ristretto has an intense coffee flavor via the addition of espresso extract, plus caramel characteristics derived from Candico, a caramelized Belgian candy sugar that is added directly to the kettle and fermented out.

The Genius Lab program, launched in 2013, offers everyone at Green Flash an opportunity to brew original, small-batch brews under the guidance of Brewmaster Erik Jensen. The five-barrel pilot system was designed to be one-tenth the size of the Green Flash’s production brewery (50 barrels). The scaled down system allows team members to explore different styles and techniques with relatively good confidence that it can be repeated on the full-size system. The first Genius Lab brew to be scaled up was Jensen’s inaugural recipe for Green Flash, Golden Naked Promise, bottled for the 2015 National Homebrewers Conference in San Diego.

“We’re really proud of our experimental beer program. It allows our team members to innovate and collaborate to develop new beers,” explains Green Flash Brewmaster, Erik Jensen. “It complements our longstanding philosophy of not brewing necessarily to style, to develop something unique and delicious.”

Also previously only available in Green Flash’s San Diego tasting room is Dia de los Serranos, a Double Stout with Serrano Chiles that has been likened to Mexican hot chocolate. Due to its popularity, it will debut in 22 oz. bottles in February. The rich brew features a ‘caliente’ kick of fresh Serrano Chiles which are processed by hand to remove the stems and then steeped at a high temperature for one hour, the solution is later added to the fermented beer. Dia de los Serranos was first poured as a cask creation by Brewer Joe Lisica.

Sea to Sea Session Lager, a tribute to Green Flash’s Virginia Beach, Virginia brewery slated to open later this year, will arrive in May— just in time for summer. A take on the traditional all-American lager, Sea to Sea is a hybrid European-American Pilsner crafted with German and domestic malts. Lightly dry hopped and naturally carbonated, the drinkable lager has a fresh hop aroma and is full of flavor (unlike the ubiquitous fizzy, yellow beer).

This year, Green Flash’s craft offerings will include:

January 2016

Pacific Gem Single Hop Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV & 40 IBU

Hop Odyssey Series, limited release available January to April 2016

West Coast IPA Double India Pale Ale, 8.1% & 95 IBU

Soul Style IPA India Pale Ale, 6.5% & 75 IBU

Tangerine Soul Style IPA India Pale Ale, 6.5% ABV & 75 IBU

Passion Fruit Kicker American Wheat Ale with Passion Fruit, 5.5% ABV & 5 IBU

Le Freak Belgian-Style Imperial India Pale Ale, 9.2% ABV & 101 IBU (Gold medal winner, Great American Beer Festival 2015)

Imperial IPA India Pale Ale, 9.0% ABV & 101 IBU

30th Street Pale Ale, 6.0% and 45 IBU (First released to celebrate Green Flash’s 6th anniversary)

Jibe Session IPA India Pale Ale, 4% ABV & 65 IBU

February 2016

Cosmic Ristretto Baltic Porter with Espresso, 8.2% & 45 IBU

Dia de los Serranos Double Stout with Serrano Chiles, 8.8% ABV & 45 IBU

May 2016

Sea to Sea Session Lager, 4.0% ABV & 23 IBU

Styrian Golding Single Hop Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV & 40 IBU

Hop Odyssey Series, limited release available May to August 2016

August 2016

Treasure Chest 2016 India Pale Ale Limited edition, 6th annual release in support of breast cancer charities

September 2016

Nugget Single Hop Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV & 40 IBU

Hop Odyssey Series, limited release available September to December 2016

This year, Green Flash has retired its Double Stout Black Ale and Hop Head Red Double Red India Pale Ale and hop head favorite Palate Wrecker Double IPA is on an indefinite hiatus.

The 2016 craft beer offerings will be available year-round in all 50 states, wherever Green Flash beers are sold.

About Green Flash Brewing Co.
Green Flash Brewing Co. is located in San Diego, California, and was founded in 2002 by Mike and Lisa Hinkley. Brewmaster Erik Jensen leads brewing operations. Green Flash is an award-winning brewer of fine, hand-crafted ales and specializes in brewing assertive and distinctive beers, such as the nationally acclaimed West Coast I.P.A.: an award-winning beer whose wide acceptance has helped define a category. Green Flash is available in bottles and on draft nationally – offerings include a growing lineup of seasonal and limited release ales, including several barrel-aged beers. Please visit the Green Flash website www.greenflashbrew.com for more information.

Green Flash’s Hop Odyssey Series has some hoppy beers coming soon

Press Release: Green Flash Brewing Company is celebrating its hoppy roots with the final release of the 2015 Hop Odyssey series, the boldly hoppy Segal Ranch Session IPA, and the debut of its 4th annual Hop Odyssey series— a national beer program that focuses on exploring new hop varietals, fresh combinations and innovative brewing methods. Hop Odyssey 2016 is comprised of three pale ales that showcase carefully selected hop varieties from around the world, an ode to Green Flash’s dedication to brewing adventure. The 2016 series will traverse three international destinations, kicking-off with the release of single-hop ale Pacific Gem Pale Ale (New Zealand), followed by Styrian Golding Pale Ale (Slovenia) and culminating with Nugget Pale Ale (United States). By focusing on each individual hop variety, Green Flash brewers are again taking craft beer aficionados on an epic journey by putting their own bold take on the classic, drinkable Pale Ale.

The 2015 Hop Odyssey was a study of the Session IPA style. For the 2016 series Green Flash brewers brought their attention to the Pale Ale style to explore an interest in Simpsons Golden Promise, a classic UK pale malt.

“For this year’s National Homebrewers Conference in San Diego, we crafted a British-inspired pale ale, Golden Naked Promise, for which we selected Golden Promise malt,” explains Green Flash brewmaster Erik Jensen. “This was my first recipe for Green Flash and we wanted to further delve into and experiment with Golden Promise as our malt base for the 2016 Hop Odyssey.”

For the second consecutive year, an identical malt profile is the foundation of the Hop Odyssey series so the characteristics of each unique hop variety are able to dominate. Each 2016 series single-hop ale is built on a malt base of domestic 2-Row malted barley, English Golden Promise and Premium English Caramalt.

The 4.5% ABV and 65 IBU Segal Ranch, the third and final 2015 Hop Odyssey release, will be available nationwide through the end of the year on tap and in bottles. The first release of the 2016 series, Pacific Gem Pale Ale, will make its debut in January 2016 and will be available for a limited time nationwide on tap and in 6-packs. The ales are 5.5% ABV with 40 IBUs.

“Through the Hop Odyssey series, we’re able to take craft consumers along on the brewer’s process of discovery to really explore the characteristics of each individual hop,” says Green Flash CEO and Co-Founder, Mike Hinkley. “Erik pursued the hops that interested him most, and used them in a manner that’s consistent with what Green Flash is known for— boldly hoppy craft beers.”

FINAL HOP ODYSSEY 2015 RELEASE

Segal_GFHO15_ProductImage_12oz6pack_web

Segal Ranch Session IPA

Using single-estate hops, hand-selected by former Green Flash Brewmaster Chuck Silva from Segal Ranch in Yakima, Washington, Segal Ranch Session IPA features Tomahawk, Centennial and Cascade. The verdant pungency and citrus aromatics from the Tomahawk hops serve as the perfect base layer to allow the flavors of bright floral and pine sap from Centennial hops to emerge on the palate. Notes of resinous citrus from Segal Ranch’s high-oil Cascade hops shine through the finish. Segal Ranch will be available beginning in October through the end of the year.

HOP ODYSSEY 2016 LINEUP

Pacific Gem Pale Ale January – April 2016

Pacific Gem’s hop intensity presents top notes of pungent pine and grapefruit rind accented by guava with a long, lingering finish.

Styrian Golding Pale Ale May – August 2016

The zesty bitter orange peel qualities of Styrian Golding hops are balanced by the English malt base, offering a slightly spicy, assertive, herbal and dry finish.

Nugget Pale Ale September – December 2016

Juicy and resonant, Oregon-grown Nugget hops offer subtle fruity qualities that feature prominently in the flavor profile with exceptional notes of peach and pear.

The final 2015 Hop Odyssey release, Segal Ranch, is now available in 6-packs, 22oz bottles and draft. All three 2016 Hop Odyssey releases, Pacific Gem, Styrian Golding and Nugget, will be available in six-packs and draft. Both series will be available in all 50 US states, wherever Green Flash beers are sold.

About Green Flash Brewing Co.

Green Flash Brewing Co. is located in San Diego, California, and was founded in 2002 by Mike and Lisa Hinkley. Brewmaster Erik Jensen leads brewing operations. Green Flash is an award-winning brewer of fine, hand-crafted ales and specializes in brewing assertive and distinctive beers, such as the nationally acclaimed West Coast I.P.A.: an award-winning beer whose wide acceptance has helped define a category. Green Flash is available in bottles and on draft nationally – offerings include a growing lineup of seasonal and limited release ales, including several barrel-aged beers.

Hernando County courting Stone Brewing

When Stone Brewing announced recently that they were looking for a site in the eastern United States to build a new brewery and distribution facility, an unlikely suitor came to the table: Hernando County, Florida.

According to an article in the Hernando Today, Hernando County Administrator Len Sossamon said the county was notified that Stone received the proposal and is considering it.

“In his proposal to lure the company, Sossamon said he played up Hernando County’s low impact fees, lack of a state income tax, accessibility to major highways and great weather.

Hernando County is competing against sites known to be friendly to craft beer like North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. These states have central locations combined with brewery-friendly laws may edge out the small, rural county in Florida- a state where a handful of legislators have recently shown contentiousness towards the state’s craft brewers. North Carolina alone has, in recent years, attracted Sierra Nevada Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, and Oskar Blues Brewery to build new facilities.

County Commissioner Dave Russell said he believes Hernando has an edge over the other states because of the county’s reputation of having a quality water supply.

‘They have terrible water, and we have great water here,’ Russell said. ‘Water is critical to brewing.'”

Russell said the infrastructure already is in place so Stone could set up shop without a long wait.

During the building of the new brewery, Stone plans to hire over 400 people in a facility that would cost over $60 million to build. The new brewery, once up and running to specifics, would produce up to 500,000 barrels of beer.

With papers submitted, the county will wait and see what ferments.