Downey Brewing Company | The Razz Raspberry Radler

Michigan seemed to have missed the memo on Spring. From late April snow to consistent summer heat in June, Michigan seemed to have missed the memo on Spring. As Michiganders emerge from drinking beer locked inside from COVID-19, to drinking beer on their porches outside, Downey Brewing’s The Razz is here for your cool-down beverage needs.

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Maxline Brewing | Raspberry Basil Saison

While springtime in Colorado can be tumultuous with unpredictable weather, a picturesque sunny and clear day in the Centennial state means one thing: patio season. Located in a city that runs deep with craft beer heritage and culture, Fort Collins-based Maxline Brewing has one of the best patios in town due to its heavy rotation of live music and food trucks during the warmer months.

A popular seasonal that comes back year-after-year, just in time for patio weather, is Maxline’s Raspberry Basil Saison. While we can’t enjoy this delicious beer on their patio currently, we can certainly grab a crowler or six-pack to imbibe at home—with shades, of course.

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Ultimate 6er | Goses & Other Lip Puckering Treats

While searching the aisles of my local beer store, I thought about what types of beers do people want to hear about? Stout season is coming, and so is porters, browns and the big guns like barleywines and barrel-aged everything. But, not everyone likes those types of beers. So what are some easy drinkers that many people will enjoy but don’t see this time of year? The selection of sours I tried was on point, and I quickly realized how many interesting smaller sours are not that tart, but people will set it aside for the simple reason of what section it is. So here’s a list of delicious brews that only have a little acidic bite, but pack a great amount of flavor!

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Rowley Farmhouse Ales | Chantal

Santa Fe, New Mexico, was the first capital city in North America. In this historical place with centuries of traditions, there’s a small-scale independent brewery that offers playful twists to classic beer styles. Chantal, their robust French saison, shows this brewery’s passion for brewing.

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Black Shirt Brewing Co. | Electric Ladyland Raspberry Saison

Black Shirt Brewing Co. debuted Electric Ladyland Raspberry Saison, its third foeder-aged beer, in their taproom on February 3, 2018. Electric Ladyland spent 12 months in a foeder and was then conditioned on 500 pounds of raspberries. It weighs in at 7.5% ABV and 37 IBU. We drank it approximately a month thereafter out of a crowler.

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Stem Ciders Celebrates One Year in Chicago, Looks Ahead to 2018

At the 2017 Cider Summit in Chicago, Denver’s Stem Ciders was officially introduced into the Chicago market. One year later, they’ve carved out a nice foothold in the growing cider offerings throughout the city and have been able to stand out in a very crowded space.

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Hi-Wire Brewing | Ringmaster’s Reserve Series – Raspberry Wheat Wine

ABV: 13.0% | IBU: 40

I just enjoyed the strongest beer I’ve ever had. Coming from one who actively seeks out high gravity beer, I feel like that’s something of an accomplishment. Even more so considering it’s from North Carolina, a state where the statutory limit of alcohol in beer is 15.0%. And while I don’t see much point in setting a legal limit at all, it’s very much preferable to the previous limit of 6.0% (I mean, really?). Thankfully this was lifted in 2005 when former NC governor Mike Easley signed NC HB 392 into law. I feel safe speaking for beer aficionados across the state when I say, “Thanks, Mike.”

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Shorts Brewing Company | Soft Parade

ABV: 7.5% | IBU: 15

The mad genius of Soft Parade is that it’s a year-round beer. When you look at that label—which I’ve obsessed over before—it screams a late summer beer (which is why I’m talking about it now). However, it has the heft to get you through fall and summer and a sweetness to pick you up with the blooming each spring. Shorts says they created it to appeal to wine drinkers, and I think they might have failed. Instead, they created a product that can hit the beer drinkers who want sweet and unique, the people who want a heavy hearty ale, and the people who want to just get fucked up (that 7.5% ABV always comes as a shock).

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Cooking with Beer | Lil’ Raspberry Cookies

Hopefully the only hearts that get broken this Valentine’s Day are these cookie hearts when you take a big bite out of them. For this holiday edition of Cooking with Beer, I’ve teamed up with Epic Brewing Company to showcase their newest brew to cans, Lil’ Brainless Raspberries. This sweet treat is easy drinking with the perfect amount of raspberry punch. This flavor profile is why it was chosen to create the raspberry filling for the lemon shortbread cookies. Not to mention the pretty in pink cans were extremely hard to resist. If you’re trying to impress your crush or you’re just really into cookies, bake a batch of these Lil’ Raspberry Cookies. If you’re really trying to win extra brownie points, get an extra sixer of Lil’ Brainless Raspberries to go along with them. Happy Valentine’s Day, lovers!

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Mobcraft Beer | Beelzebub’s Run

ABV: 7.6%

IBU: 23

Have you ever had a great idea for a beer but no means to realize it? Do you lay awake at night longing for that imperial rice lager aged in fish sauce barrels that nobody seems interested in brewing? Well, don’t lose hope; Mobcraft, the world’s first crowdsourced brewery, might just be the answer to your dreams.

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