News of New Beer…For Our Area And Otherwise

If the recent development of Alpine Beer Company’s beers showing up on draft around Roanoke wasn’t enough, yet another very respected West Coast brewery is being introduced to the area as we speak, so far in the form of bottles showing up on store shelves.

San Diego’s AleSmith Brewing Company, producers of the acclaimed Speedway Stout, has entered into distribution for the area, and at least a few of their more year round ales should be available for sale in the next day or two. The sumptuous Speedway Stout, a velvety smooth, rich and delicious Imperial coffee stout, leads off a list of beers for our area that includes their Anvil ESB, their year round IPA, and a few others. I only recently tasted the Speedway, and for any big stout fan, it is simply a must try if you haven’t had it yet. Most of AleSmith’s beers are available only in 22oz bottle format.

In more regional brewery news, two Williamsburg breweries have collaborated to produce a red rye IPA, in celebration of a growing craft scene in that area. Williamsburg AleWerks and The Virginia Beer Company, a new brewery with plans to open later this year, collaborated to produce the beer, and will debut it at the city’s Whistle Belly Beer and Food Festival on August 2^nd. The beer will also be available at the AleWerks taproom on August the 6^th.

Apparently, there is also a new double IPA in the works for AleWerks as well. So far, a name only entry has shown up on a couple of beer websites, and a label design is available on the internet as well. With just the name so far – Secret Admirer – (as well as style) to go by, it’s hard to know what to expect from the beer, but with the reputation the other brewery’s bigger IPA – Bitter Valentine – it’s worth getting excited about.