Drink of the Week: Green Flash Imperial IPA

Our September/October issue is hitting newsstands, and in it we highlight 50 of the world’s most obsessed-over beers (as well as a few of their worthy understudies). But cult-worthy favorites extend beyond what we could fit into the magazine, including today’s Drink of the Week—the Imperial IPA from Green Flash Brewing. A longtime favorite of hopheads across the country, this big beer clocks in at 9.4% ABV, reaches a whopping 101 IBUs and is considered by many to be imperial IPA drinking at its finest. And though it’s definitely a big beer, it doesn’t overwhelm, instead finding a foothold in the subtleties of each sip—a hint of pine needles here, a bit of fresh grapefruit there—and the nuances go on and on. Greenflashbrew.com for distribution info.

For more favorite cult beers, check out “Join the Cult” in our September/October 2012 issue, and for a seasonal breakdown of other renowned brews we love, click here. 

Quick Sips: Tasty Bits from Around the Web

A new Kickstarter project that documents more than 900 user-friendly cocktail recipes and photos. Kickstarter

One big-name distillery dumps a bunch of booze after an experiment goes awry. Alcademics

Drink like the Germans and tip back a beer with breakfast. New York Times

One writer breaks down the cost of craft cocktails. Forbes

A returning Olympian tries his hand at the prestigious “Beer Mile.” USA Today

Drink of the Week: Pueblo del Sol Rosé 2011

Like a good wine deal? When it comes to big taste on a tight budget, South American wines deliver, and today’s Drink of the Week—the raspberry-hued Pueblo del Sol rosé from Uruguay—is no exception. With notes of ripe berries, food-friendly acidity and steely minerality on the finish, it’s the perfect pairing for an al fresco dinner party, and at 9 bucks a pop, it’s practically a steal. $9, klwines.com

And for more budget-friendly wines we love, check out “Frugally French” in our July/August 2012 issue.

Quick Sips: Tasty Bits from Around the Web

This drinks-dispensing frock gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “cocktail dress.” Fast Company

A new round of drinking stats puts beer on top for most drinkers around the country. LA Times

Alice Feiring on the world’s most unusual wine regions. Daily Beast

The agave syrup debate rages on. Food Forager

China’s thirst for inexpensive European wine continues to swell. Reuters

Is truly fine wine really out of reach for the majority of imbibers? Wine Spectator

A guide to Atlanta's most iconic drinks. Eater

Drink of the Week: Boulevard Brewing’s 80-Acre Hoppy Wheat

With temperatures forecasted to top 100 degrees here in Portland, Oregon this weekend, we’re planning to keep cool with a frosty pint in hand, and today’s Drink of the Week—Boulevard Brewing’s 80-Acre Hoppy Wheat—is just the beer for the job. The latest release from one of Kansas City’s most popular craft breweries, this hybrid sipper fuses two refreshing beer styles—a wheaty hefeweizen and a hoppy IPA—for a thirst-quenching beer loaded with floral hop aromas and sun-toasted wheat flavors. Boulevard.com for distribution info.

And for more beers that’ll help you stay cool this weekend, check out “In From the Cold” in our July/August 2012 issue.

The 2012 Paris of the Plains Festival

Kansas City has quickly become known as a mecca for topnotch food and drink, and next week there will be yet another example of this with the kickoff of the Paris of the Plains Cocktail Festival, which Imbibe is proud to sponsor. Starting on August 19, bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts will converge to celebrate the best of Kansas City's drinks scene for what is sure to be a fantastic week of cocktail appreciation. There will be seminars, tastings, dinners, parties and competitions in some of the city's best cocktail spots. Head over to the festival's website for more details and ticket info, and for more on KC's cocktail scene, check out Anne Brockhoff's feature from our Jan/Feb 2012 issue.

Quick Sips: Tasty Bits from Around the Web

A coffee-fueled photo gallery of growers in Central America. Facebook

Four bears walk into a cabin … and help themselves to some beer. USA Today

Will our nationwide drought help or hurt this year’s grape harvest? Reuters

The White House gets its very own brewery—and Obama is a fan. USA Today

The hard cider comeback continues. Wall Street Journal

One man’s sudsy request after spending six days stuck in the Alps. NBC News

Drink of the Week: Chameleon Cold-Brew Coffee

We’ve had a very productive week and are pretty sure today’s Drink of the Week—Chameleon Cold-Brew coffee—is partly to thank. Made in Austin, Texas, from a slow-steeped mix of organic coffee beans and filtered water (no sugar added), this super-smooth, cooling concentrate goes down easy with notes of cocoa powder, sweet cream and a hint of nutmeg. Look for it in most major markets on shelves in Whole Foods and Wegmans, and online at chameleoncoldbrew.com.
$22/for four 16-oz. bottles, chameleoncoldbrew.com

Quick Sips: Tasty Bits from Around the Web

Career cocktail servers in Las Vegas keep casino customers in good spirits. Las Vegas Sun

Guess which beer company Heineken just put in a $4 billion bid for? Wall Street Journal

Are EU rules for organic wines strict enough? Experts weigh in. Decanter

How esoteric can a wine list be without alienating its customers? New York Times

Out of beer? One man calls 911. ABC

Drink of the Week: Unity Vibrations Ginger Kombucha Beer

We’re in the midst of a kombucha craze with more bottles of the tart, tangy elixir on the market than ever before, and in our July/August Summer Drinks issue we highlight a few of our favorites (you can check out a few more bottles we love here). Taking the craft of kombucha one step further is today’s Drink of the Week—Unity Vibrations’ ginger kombucha beer, which fuses the tea-spiked tonic with another fizzy favorite—beer. Combining freshly brewed kombucha with New Zealand hops and organic ginger root, this beer ferments in open oak casks and then conditions and naturally carbonates in the bottle for a serious (it clocks an 8% ABV) hybrid sipper that offers flavors of candied ginger, tangy vinegar and bitter hops. And they’re not the only ones crafting these tasty brews—you’ll spy the potent kombucha ales from Astoria, New York-based Beyond Kombucha on tap and in bottles around NYC, and last year beer importer Vanberg & DeWulf introduced their lambic-kombucha combo, Lambrucha.

Unityvibrationskombucha.com for distribution info and retailers.

Quick Sips: Tasty Bits from Around the Web

Are wasps a wine lover’s best friend? NPR

Italy’s fresh and fizzy lambrusco makes a comeback. New York Times

Ruth Reichl on how to brew a better batch of lemonade. Gilt Taste

Moscato moves into the hip hop mainstream. Food Republic

A trio of wines fit for an Olympian? Wall Street Journal