Tupps hitting the hard seltzer market with Blur

Image courtesy of Tupps Brewery.

Craft brewing is no longer just about beer, as more and more local and national brewers are turning to hard seltzer as a way to diversify their product lines. The latest North Texas entity to take the leap is Tupps Brewery of McKinney, as the company is set to introduce its Blur Hard Seltzer line later this week.

“We’ve always been interested in exploring new products, says Keith Lewis, founder and president of Tupps. "The seltzer growth has been incredible, so once we found time in our production schedule, we knew it was go-time. With Blur we wanted to take the craft spirit we’ve cultivated at Tupps and put our stamp on the seltzer category. It has been a fun process working with my daughter and two sons to refine these flavor combinations."

Blur will be available in a variety 12-pack box to start, with six-packs of individual flavors to follow. The four "flavor combinations you never knew you needed" include: Mango Dragon Fruit, Lemon Blueberry, Passionfruit Watermelon and Hibiscus Apple. Each has only 105 calories, 2 grams of carbs and less than 1 gram of sugar.

“We taste tested so, so many different flavors, says Chris Lewis, head brewer at Tupps. "I’m actually surprised at how quickly we all agreed on these four flavor combinations. We all came to love the taste and really look forward to everyone enjoying these seltzers."

An official launch party for Blur will take place at Tupps on Saturday, October 3, from 12-9 p.m. Customers will be able to enjoy free seltzer samples, along with live music and a Blur-inspired menu served by the Barley Gastrovan food truck.

“We hope to host many launch parties and pop-up tasting events all over DFW in the coming weeks, says Katie Baker, marketing and events director at Tupps. "We know with Covid-19, things have been a bit off and weird, but we want to keep this a fun and exciting launch for everyone.”

Look for Blur Hard Seltzer at Kroger, Market Street, Central Market, Spec's Total Wine and other DFW wine/liquor stores.

Lakewood's latest IPA promises level-up big hazy experience

Image credit: Lakewood Brewing Co.

Now reaching level three of its yearlong IPA series inspired by retro gaming and the almighty hop, Lakewood Brewing Co. of Garland has announced the release of Level3: Dungeon Escape.

Billed as a double dry-hopped imperial hazy IPA, Level3: Dungeon Escape was brewed with Denali, Citra and Cashmere Cryo hops to create a "level-up big hazy experience." According to a press release, the beer has a big, dank and fruity aroma with tropical notes of pineapple and papaya.

“We’re gearing up for the boss fight and need all our IPA points for the win!” says Wim Bens, founder and president of Lakewood. “This series has been so much fun and the beers keep getting bigger and bolder. Level 3 certainly delivers for the hop haze craze.”

Level3: Dungeon Escape will be available in four-packs of 12-ounce cans beginning Friday, October 2. Look for it at select retailers, or visit the Lakewood Drive-Thru to pick up beer to-go.

3 Nations launches Symbol Brewing side project

Image credit: 3 Nations Brewing Co.

A new North Texas brand is debuting this week, the concept behind it built around three little words: "Simply. Good. Beer."

From the team at 3 Nations Brewing Co. of Carrollton, Symbol Brewing Co. is an initiative designed to give head brewer Gavin Secchi the opportunity to experiment with recipes falling outside the bounds of the brewery's everyday lineup.

"Symbol Brewing is our innovative, rotating line of beers focused towards craft beer lovers," says John Royer, business manager at 3 Nations. "Our 3 Nations beer portfolio, like most local breweries, tends to be a consistent lineup of great tasting beers. Gavin is a strong brewer with a lot of recipes and we want to take advantage of this opportunity."

Regarding the "simply good beer" elements of the brand's identity, those words apply not only to what's found inside Symbol Brewing's cans, but also to how its products will be portrayed in the marketplace.

"The marketing is minimalistic and meant to be 'all about the beer,'" explains Royer. "We believe that symbols create conversation, so rather than naming beers we just wanted to create relevant symbols."

As for what consumers can expect in terms of availability, the Symbol Brewing line is intended to be a series of limited edition, one-off beers.

"We will rotate three new exciting brews created by Gavin every other month," says Royer. "This is a limited series as we just don’t have the capacity to brew larger amounts of Symbol Brewing beers.  It is just our way of having fun and keeping it fresh."

The initial run of Symbol Brewing beers is shipping now to select retailers across North Texas. Styles include Pastry Gose, Strawberry Hefeweizen and West Coast IPA. Look for them in four-packs of 16-ounce cans.

HopFusion picks Baltic porter for honorary Etzel beer

Image courtesy of HopFusion Ale Works.

For the fifth release in the series of beers being made to honor local homebrewer Greg Etzel, HopFusion Ale Works of Fort Worth will delve into a darker color spectrum with its chosen recipe.

Simply entitled Etzel, the eponymous offering is a Baltic-style porter with an ABV of 8.7% and 36 IBU.

"We chose Greg's Baltic porter because it was one of his favorite beers to brew and he had won many awards with this recipe," says Matt Hill, co-founder of HopFusion.

With that in mind, Hill and fellow HopFusion owner Macy Moore plan to enter Etzel in several upcoming competitions. The hope, of course, being to build upon the recipe's heritage by winning a few additional awards.

"Greg was a great person, great brewer, and a great friend," adds Hill. "It was a no-brainer to be involved with this project, and I felt honored that we were chosen to brew one of his beers."

Etzel Baltic Porter will available on tap at HopFusion beginning Thursday, September 10. As with other beers in the series, a portion of the proceeds from sales will go to charities selected by the Etzel family.