Craft beer lovers rejoice! You will have a chance to try the original recipe New Albion Pale Ale starting this month.
Not familiar with New Albion? The New Albion Brewery was founded in 1976 by Jack McAuliffe in Sonoma, California. While the brewery was ahead of its time and financing issues caused the brewery to shut down only six years later, McAuliffe and his brewery have had an enormous influence in the craft beer movement of today.
New Albion is considered as the nation's first craft brewery, and McAuliffe a pioneer in the field. The likes of Ken Grossman (founder of Sierra Nevada), Jim Koch (founder of Samuel Adams) and Russian River Brewing (makers of the much-acclaimed Pliny the Elder and Younger) have all paid homage to New Albion's influence. The original New Albion sign can even be found in the Russian River Brewery. New Albion is one of the reasons we can enjoy the craft beer revival we have today.
Unfortunately the New Albion Brewery is not starting up again. However, Jim Koch announced that he would help McAuliffe create the original New Albion Pale Ale. It was only available at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival, but will now be available in bottle format for the nation to enjoy.
The beer is described as such according to the press release:
- “New Albion Ale is a deep, golden beer brewed with American Cascade hops and a 2-row malt blend. The Cascade hops, sourced from the Pacific Northwest, create a moderate hop bitterness and lingering citrus and floral notes, balanced by the upfront cereal character and sweet finish from the malt.”
Look for it in stores this month (January 2013).
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Beer of the Moment: Firestone's Pale 31.
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