Today is Wednesday February 2, 2011 also known as Groundhogs Day. Today is another miserable weather day here on Long Island, but instead of snow its now freezing rain. Thankfully most of the areas groundhogs didn't see their shadow so Spring will come early this year. It already has as Spring Seasonal varieties are hitting the shelves and taps. This is your last chance to enjoy your Winter brews which are still great for about a month or so considering the weather in February and March are still much colder. However the Spring brews are here.
Some beers are new to the market and some are the usual suspects. One new brew to this season's collection is Long Trail Pollinator. The Pollinator is an English Style Golden Ale originally brewed from 1997-2003 as a lighter offering to Long Trail's line of ales. Now the Pollinator is back as the Spring Seasonal in both 12oz bottles and on draft! Look for this brew at finer craft beer bars and retail outlets.
Some other returning Spring Seasonal beers are Noble Pils by Samuel Adams, Glissade by Sierra Nevada, Aprihop by Dog Fish Head and Vinyl Lager by Magic Hat to name a few solid brews. There are a ton more craft Spring Seasonals, too many to name. There are also plenty of other Bock beers and you can't forget the Barley Wine Style beers also come out this time of the year. Plenty of good beer to be drank in the upcoming season.
An old favorite brew for this time of the year is Dog Fish Head's Aprihop. The Aprihop is an American IPA with apricot added to the flavorings. The apricot flavor isn't overwhelming but in fact balances delightfully with the hops. This brew is a favorite fruit beer amongst the hop heads and there's no wonder why. This beer is available in limited quantities in both 12oz bottle and on draft.
The Noble Pils is back for good from Samuel Adams and is one of the best pilsner style beers ever brewed. Using all 5 noble hops, Jim Koch spares no expense in his ingredients. These hops include Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Tettnang Tettnanger, Spalt Spalter, Saaz, and Hersbrucker Noble hops all from Germany or Czech Republic. This seasonal brew is available in 12oz and 22oz bottles and also on draft.
The Glissade by Sierra Nevada is a unique seasonal in that it is a Golden Bock style beer that is well balanced and crisp. This brew is very drinkable but beware the 6.5% abv will sneak up on you quick. The Glissade was first released last year taking the place of the old esb (early spring beer). This brew as well as the Vinyl Lager by Magic Hat is only in its second year of release at a Spring Seasonal. The Vinyl Lager is an American Amber Lager with a medium body and is highly sessionable. This smooth brew comes in at 5.1% abv so you can certainly have a few or more of these and still have a decent conversation. Both the Glissade and Vinyl Lager are available in 12oz bottles and on draft and growler systems.
So it seems like a few major craft breweries have finally found the right beer to represent their spring portion of the ever so popular seasonal segment. Why is it that the Spring Seasonals took much longer then the other seasonals to find their place? Is spring beer the forgotten seasonal? No one knows for sure but spring is certainly welcomed this year.
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