Founders Brewing is a place I can always count on for quality. The Grand Rapids, Michigan based brewery has always satisfied my taste demands and I still regularly purchase Founders beer when I’m in the mood for something tried- and true. Today, Founders is branching out in a new direction- a direction that many breweries are moving as of late, and that direction is hard seltzer. The new product is Más Agave Premium Hard Seltzer, Founders’ first foray into the world of seltzer.
Most hard seltzer products feature a bubbly body and one of an assortment of fruit flavors, but Más Agave Premium Hard Seltzer is a little different. Rather than go solely for the fruit flavor, this seltzer is made using organic blue agave nectar along with cane sugar, natural fruit juice, and sea salt- a combination certain to invoke the flavor and character of a margarita without the booze.
Founders brewing co- founder Mike Stevens says the venture into hard seltzer was fun but also challenging, since he knows his brewery’s fans have high expectations.
“It’s always exciting to release a new beer, but it’s especially exciting to head into a new frontier,” said Stevens. “The growth of the seltzer category has been nothing short of amazing, and we’ve been interested in throwing our hat in the ring for a while now. But it had to be done right. We knew that if we were to release a seltzer, it would have to be able to appeal to craft drinkers and seltzer drinkers alike, meaning the flavor and the quality had to be top-notch while also delivering on the health credentials. Faced with that challenge, our brewing team took their time to dial in the recipe just right – and they absolutely nailed it.”
Founders fans already know and love the brewery’s beer of similar name, Más Agave, which is a sour beer aged in tequila barrels. Founders VP of Marketing Sandy Anaoker said the beer was responsible for the creation of the hard seltzer that now bears its name.
“The initial concept of Más Agave Premium Hard Seltzer stemmed from a complaint on a beer… from my wife,” said Anaokar. “I poured her a glass of the original Más Agave, a barrel-aged beer, and she thought it was way too strong for her. Determined to get her to drink one of my favorite beers, I mixed some carbonated water into her glass – and she loved it. I discussed this with Mike [Stevens], and we ‘tested’ it by going down to the taproom, buying some bottles of the beer and mixing it with some seltzer water from the bar. Thus, the idea was born.”
Más Agave Premium Hard Seltzer will be available in three flavors: Strawberry, Lime, and Grapefruit. The Lime and Strawberry will be distributed in 6-packs and will also be part of a variety 15-pack along with the Grapefruit flavor. The lime will be available on draft. The initial release will be limited to nine states: AZ, TX, FL, IL, MI, MA, PA, NJ, and NV (Las Vegas only). In addition to the gluten free qualities common to seltzer, Más Agave Premium Hard Seltzer serves up just 110 calories, 4.5 percent alcohol by volume, and 4g of sugar and 7g of carbs (Grapefruit and Lime) and 6g of carbs (Strawberry) per 12 ounce serving.
Founders Brewing has always satisfied and thus my expectations for Más Agave Premium Hard Seltzer are higher than that of other seltzers. We at Great Beer Now look forward to getting our hands on a variety pack and discovering the quality that we have grown to expect from this veteran Michigan brewery.
Sounds good especially the strawberry.