Craft Brewing and Distilling News for August 6, 2015

•San Diego-based craft brewer and distiller Ballast Point is set to begin rolling out a new line of canned premixed cocktails by mid-August. The lineup, packed in 12-ounce cans, will include a Bloody Mary (10% abv), Rum & Ginger (7% abv), Rum & Cola (7% abv) and Gin & Tonic (6.2% abv). The newcomers are made with Ballast Point spirits, including its Fugu Vodka, Three Sheets Rum and Old Grove Gin.

•Specialty beer importer Merchant du Vin is introducing Germany’s Ayinger Oktober Fest–Märzen to the U.S. The 5.8% abv seasonal märzen is brewed in the traditional Bavarian style, and available in four-packs of 11.2- and 16.9-ounce bottles and 7.92-gallon kegs. Merchant du Vin’s import portfolio also includes England’s Samuel Smith’s, Scotland’s Traquair House, Belgium’s Lindemans lambics and Germany’s Pinkus, among others.

•Escondido, California’s Stone Brewing Co. is commemorating its 19th anniversary with the launch of Stone 19th Anniversary Thunderstruck IPA. Debuting August 10, the 8.7%-abv expression is brewed entirely using Australian hops, including Ella, Vic Secret, Galaxy and Topaz varieties, and Australian Fairview malt. Stone 19th Anniversary Thunderstruck IPA will be available on draft and in limited quantities of 22-ounce bottles across a 42-state footprint. Stone Brewing—which, in addition to its Escondido headquarters, is currently building an East Coast facility in Richmond, Virginia—is the ninth-largest craft brewery in the U.S., according to the Brewers Association.

Tagged : Ayinger, Ballast Point, Brewers Association, Fugu Vodka, Lindemans, Merchant du Vin, Old Grove Gin, Pinkus, Samuel Smith's, Stone Brewing Co., Three Sheets Rum, Traquair House

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