* Samuel Adams has included a new release in its Harvest Collection Variety 12-pack. As the name suggests, Samuel Adams Bonfire Rauchbier is brewed with barley smoked over a beechwood fire. The variety pack includes six beers. Beyond two bottles of Bonfie Rauchbier are two each of Harvest Pumpkin Ale, Octoberfest, Irish Red, Black Lager and Boston Lager.
* Help from The Boston Beer Company’s new microloan program for craft brewers, Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, made MateVeza Morpho Herbal Ale possible. The organic ale was brewed with yerba mate, hibiscus flowers and bay leaves. A collaboration with Mill Valley Beerworks, MateVeza’s newest limited release is an ode to the Morpho butterfly of South America.
Morpho Herbal Ale is modeled after gruits, unhopped beers from the middle ages. Gruits rely on a mixture of herbs to provide the bitterness resulting in zero hop bitterness. Morpho Herbal Ale’s bitterness is provided entirely by the yerba mate and bay leaves, providing a completely new and refreshing take on the style. “In a craft beer climate dominated by ales that push the limits of hop bitterness, Morpho Herbal Ale is a rare creature,” said Jim Woods, MateVeza founder and president.