FULL SAIL BREWING RELEASES 27 WHEATWINE ALE

Full Sail Brewing Co. has released a special beer, 27 Wheatwine Ale to celebrate its 27th anniversary. The Wheatwine is brewed in the barleywine style, said Jamie Emmerson, Full Sail’s executive brewmaster, but contains no barley malt; instead, it is mashed and brewed with 100 percent wheat malt.

“As a brewer that believes deeply in environmental responsibility, Full Sail made the decision several years ago to invest in a mash filter,” Emmerson said. “This investment saves over a million gallons of water a year, and as a brewer, there is nothing more sustainable than reducing our water-use impact.”

The beer has a rich golden hue and is brewed with Wheat and CaraWheat malts and hopped with a blend of United Kingdom and Northwest hops. Complex aromas of apricot, spice and citrus lead to a smooth palate, blended with notes of caramel, marmalade, and green hop overtones. The beer comes in at 9.5 percent alcohol by volume and 53.5 International Bittering Units.

Learn more at http://www.fullsailbrewing.com.

AVERY BREWING CO. RELEASES SOUR ALE AGED IN MADEIRA BARRELS

Antonius’ Carmen, No. 23 in Avery Brewing Co.’s Barrel-Aged Series, is a sour ale aged in Madeira barrels, a type of barrel Avery has never before explored.

“I love Madeira because it’s sweet and interesting and old,” said Adam Avery, founder and CEO. “But it’s hard to find Madeira barrels, so as soon as they became available, we snatched them up because we wanted to give this a shot.”

Rather than make a sweet beer and then add more sweetness from the Madeira, Avery’s brewers wanted to make a sour beer to contrast the flavors from the barrels. The beer has aromas of lots of dark cherries, with a very clean, lactic sourness and a tannic dryness from the oak, said Andy Parker, Avery’s chief barrel herder.

“This tastes totally different from any sour we’ve ever done because those barrels are baller,” Parker said. “If we’d gotten these barrels six years ago, we would have made a beer that overwhelmed the barrels. But we’ve aged beer in so many types of barrels — rum, tequila, bourbon, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, rye whiskey — that we could try the Madeira that came from these barrels, accurately predict what the barrels would add to the beer and then build the beer around that.”

Antonius’ Carmen is only sold through the Avery Tap Room and debuted on Sunday, Oct. 26. Bottles are 12 ounces and sell for $12 each. Only 291 cases were produced, and fans can buy as many as 12 bottles. For more information, visit http://www.averybrewing.com.

FCB RELEASES BEER, HOSTS FOOD DRIVE AT ANNUAL HALLOWEEN PARTY

From its home at 1020 E. Lincoln Ave. Fort Collins, The Fort Collins Brewery recently released the newest addition to the FCB full-time beer lineup, 1020 Pale Ale. This beer has a citrus aroma and underlying flavors of pine and grapefruit zest, with a smooth, light body and crisp, clean bitterness from the Magnum, Cascade and Chinook hops.

“With our 10-year anniversary coming up in October, we had a great opportunity to reflect and plan for the next 20 years,” said Thomas Barnett, operations manager. “It was through that process that 1020 was born. We’re very excited to add an easy-drinking pale ale to our year-round brands.”

The 1020 Pale Ale, which clocks in at 5.3 percent ABV and 40 IBUs, will be available year-round to FCB’s 22-state distribution territory in draft and six-packs of 12-ounce bottles and in FCB’s Brewer’s Lunchbox, a variety 12-pack.

On Friday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 10 p.m., Fort Collins Brewery’s annual Halloween party will play host to a food drive for the Food Bank for Larimer County. FCB is encouraging guests to bring a nonperishable food and/or a cash donation to gain entry into the Halloween Party, located in FCB’s back parking lot.

The Halloween Party will include live music from The Blue Heron Band and food and beer provided by Gravity 1020 and FCB, along with a costume contest. Learn more at http://www.fortcollinsbrewery.com.

OSKAR BLUES CAN’D AID FOUNDATION RAISES $1M

When Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis learned of other local businesses that suffered damage due to the severe flooding that struck the Front Range in September 2013, he jumped into action. Starting with a personal donation of $150,000, Katechis reached out to the craft brewing industry and fans of Oskar Blues and issued a matching challenge through the end of 2013.

In just three months, the new Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation raised and distributed $515,000 for flood relief and recovery efforts, directly assisting 235 families, 65 businesses and five organizations. Since then, the foundation has developed national partnerships in a variety of focus areas, including outdoor recreation, arts and music, and environmental sustainability.

In addition to the $700,000 CAN’d Aid has given for Colorado flood-recovery efforts, an additional $150,000 has gone toward grassroots community projects all over the U.S. Oskar Blues Brewery matches every dollar raised by CAN’d Aid, and as the foundation enters year two, there is no sign of slowing down. Big focus areas will include partnering with nationally touring bands and working with groups such as Grassroots Outdoor Alliance and bike-centric companies.

For more information about the Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation, to make a donation or to get involved, visit http://www.foundation.oskarblues.com.