California is one of the nation’s top craft beer states. Known for its countless breweries and palate pleasing malt beverage creations, California has been a leader in the craft beer movement for many decades and some of the nation’s greatest and longest- lived breweries call the Golden State their home.
Now, two breweries that are arguably the most influential in the state of California have combined their collective talents to create a new beer. The breweries are Stone Brewing Co and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co , which have joined together to create a collaboration beer, Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA (NxS = North by South). This barrel- aged IPA is available right now in 22 oz. bomber bottles and in draft form in select bars and retail establishments where Stone beer is presently sold.
Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele is thrilled that Stone and Sierra Nevada have worked together on a new beer.
“Since Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has been an inspiration for Stone, and me personally, for our entire brewing careers, we were thrilled to be asked to brew a beer with one of the most admired craft brewers in the world,” explains Steele. “When brainstorming this collaborative recipe, there was no doubt that we should brew a memorable IPA and we wanted to combine unique elements from each brewer. For Stone, that meant barrel-aging a portion of the beer at our barrel warehouse.”
Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA was brewed using batches of a base IPA bittered with Magnum hops. Then, additional hops are added, including Amarillo, Chinook and Cascade, the latter of which is a Sierra Nevada signature. The batch was then divided in two, with half of it going into gin- infused barrels and the other half making its way into rye whiskey barrels. Then, the two were combined and the aged brew was dry- hopped for additional complexity and character. It sounds like a complicated and time- consuming process, but what else would you expect from two breweries known for going the extra mile and demanding high levels of quality?
Stone and Sierra Nevada recommend drinking this beer fresh because, according to the brewing team responsible for Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA, the distinctive hop character will become subdued over time and the beer will taste more vanilla- like, woody, and spicy. That still doesn’t sound half bad, but the moment I get my hands on a bottle, I’m going to take the advice of the experts and drink it as soon as possible. Wait, who am I kidding? There is no way I could have something this intriguing in my home and not devour the entire contents of the bottle immediately.
Here are some quick facts for Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA
Name: Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA
URL: stonebrewing.com/collab/nxs
Alcohol/Volume: 8.2%
Bitterness: 70 IBUs
Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning December 7, 2015
Hops: Magnum, Amarillo, Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, Mosaic
U.S. Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT and WA
International Distribution: Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand and United Kingdom
Find Beer: stonebrewing.com/collab/nxs#extra
Here are some Tasting Notes, provided by Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele
Appearance: Pours deep gold with amber hues.
Aroma: Peach and citrus hop aromas followed immediately by the spicy, piney notes of gin and the vanilla aspects of oak.
Taste: A really nice blend of fruity hops, oaky vanilla notes and finishes with a pleasant hint of spicy spirits and good hop bitterness.
Palate: Medium body and bitter with a little bit of warmth.
Overall: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has been an inspiration for us at Stone for many, many years, so we were thrilled to be able to collaboratively develop this beer. We wanted to combine elements of both breweries in the recipe, which is an IPA that includes partial barrel aging and classic hopping, including some of both breweries’ favorite hops: Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, Amarillo and Mosaic. We brewed some of this beer in early summer and then transferred it to our barrel warehouse, where it was aged in a combination of gin-infused bourbon barrels and rye whiskey barrels for about three months before we blended it with the beer we brewed in October. The result is a hoppy IPA with the added elements of wood and spirits. The blend is a beauty.
Suggested Pairings, provided by Stone Craft Beer Ambassador “Dr.” Bill Sysak
Appetizers: Coconut shrimp, pork satay, goat cheese-stuffed mushrooms, Filipino lumpia, pumpkin ravioli
Soups & Salads: Tofu chili, cheddar cheese soup, chicken and white bean soup, pear and endive chopped salad, mixed greens with miso and ginger dressing
Entrées: Roasted turkey, pork loin, pho, root vegetable hash with fried egg, pasta carbonara
Cheeses: Parmesan, Fiscalini Bandage Wrapped Cheddar, Manchego, pepper jack
Desserts: Carrot cake, peach cobbler, apple strudel, spice bread
Cigars: Drew Estate Herrera Esteli, Davidoff Winston Churchill, Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Candela Lonsdale
About Stone Brewing Co.
Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, San Diego-based Stone Brewing Co. is the 9th largest craft brewer in the United States. Stone has been listed on the Inc. 500 | 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list 11 times, and has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. The multifaceted company will be the first American craft brewer to own and operate its own brewery in Europe, and is also building a production brewery and destination restaurant in Richmond, Virginia. Brewing at both locations is anticipated to begin in spring 2016. Known for its bold, flavorful and largely hop-centric beers, Stone has earned a reputation for brewing outstanding, unique beers while maintaining an unwavering commitment to sustainability, business ethics, philanthropy and the art of brewing. For more information on Stone Brewing Co., please visit stonebrewing.com or the company’s social media sites: Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and The Stone Blog.
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