Stone Brewing, California’s pioneering maker of eccentric beer, is turning 20 years of age and is ready celebrate with the release of a new beer: Stone 20th Anniversary Citracado IPA, a beer brewed using avocado flower honey and Citra hops. The beer will be sold in 22 oz. bottles and in kegs throughout Stone’s nationwide distribution footprint.
Turning 20 years of age is a big deal for any small business and the Stone team wanted to brew a beer befitting of such a momentous occasion. After a round or two of brainstorming, the Stone crew decided to create a hoppy beer containing unconventional and local ingredients. The local region is known for its citrus and avocado production, so the decision was made to create a beer that pays tribute to these two agricultural goods. The name of the beer, Citracado, is of course derived from “citra”, a type of hop, and “cado”, which refers to the use of native avocado flower honey. It just so happens that the street on which the Stone brewery is located in Escondido is also called Citracado Parkway. With so many indicators pointing in this direction, the decision was made to create a beer that emphasizes the flavors of citrus and avocado flower honey, and Stone 20th Anniversary Citracado IPA was born. Stone co- founder Greg Koch says the beer is the perfect tribute to what Stone Brewing stands for, as well as a form of gratitude to Stone’s adoring fans.
“Thanks to the incredible support from our fans, we have been able to do what we do for the last 20 years while upholding our rugged independence and core company philosophies,” said Koch. “We’re excited to close in on two full decades of high-quality brewing, and Stone 20th Anniversary Citracado IPA is our special way of saying thank you to all craft beer supporters. Cheers to what the future holds for true craft!”
Stone has brewed many special, commemorative anniversary beers to mark its previous milestone birthdays. Many of these were a huge hit with craft beer fans and critics and Stone is going to relive these great experiences of the past by re-brewing several of the beers. The ones slated for rebirth are Stone 5th Anniversary IPA, Stone 10th Anniversary IPA and Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA. These beers will be sold along with the new 20th Anniversary IPA in a special Stone Anniversary 4- pack, which will arrive in stores the week of September 12, 2016. Koch says this re-brewing will provide fans with an opportunity to revisit the past and reminisce about Stone and its many craft beer achievements.
“Our 5th, 10th and 15th anniversaries were significant achievements for Stone Brewing, and each year was celebrated with a bold, flavorful IPA that was groundbreaking for that time,” said Koch. “Fans will be able to relive a bit of Stone history with some of our most beloved Stone Anniversary Ales, featured only in the Stone Anniversary IPA Collection. This is the first time we’ve rebrewed these IPAs since their debut. We’re thrilled to provide this very unique opportunity for our fans to relive the past with us. It’s the perfect way to reminisce!”
Here are some quick facts on Stone’s new 20th Anniversary beer:
- Name of beer: Stone 20th Anniversary Citracado IPA
- Online Info: stonebrewing.com/anniv/20
- Alcohol Content: 9% by volume
- Bitterness: 80 IBUs
- Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning August 8
- Hop Varieties: Nugget, El Dorado, Centennial, and, of course, lots of Citra!
- National 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, WA and Puerto Rico
- International Distribution: Australia, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Panama, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand
- Find Beer: find.stonebrewing.com
Stone 20th Anniversary Citracado IPA sounds like a wonderful way to commemorate the many achievements of this iconic brewery. Look for it starting this week, and relive 20 years of incredible beer memories.
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