Braxton made the big announcement the other day about their first anniversary party, and within that announcement they let us know that they are releasing a TON of new beers. These Braxton Releases will all be available during their party on March 26th… which I’ll talk about in a moment, first I want to explore these new beers!
Dropping A Beer Bomb
Get ready, there’s a lot to talk about here. When Braxton announced they were throwing a party, we knew it was going to be a good time after their smashing success of a Block Party/Dark Charge Release back in December, but I’m not sure anyone could have predicted what they threw out at us. Let’s start with Trophy:
Trophy Pale Ale:
- This beer has quickly become a favorite of mine in their taproom, it features a rotating hop with the same base recipe that rotates every quarter. On top of the beer itself, 5% of the proceeds will always go back to Covington as a way to give back. The brewery announced that during their first anniversary party we’d get a chance to get our hands on Trophy in a 22oz bomber for the first time, enabling us to bring this fantastic pale ale back to our beer fridges. What we don’t yet know is what hop will be showcased in this version… it will be the second Trophy of the year, and the first of four bottled trophy’s to be released in 2016. There isn’t a limit on bottles that you can purchase… so stock up, though you will be able to find this in select retailers across NKY after the party if you don’t buy enough. – In addition to the release, Braxton will also be awarding their first Trophy Grant, which is the accumulation of the proceeds from year one, presented to a local non-profit.
Catalyst:
- The next beer is called Catalyst. This new member of the Garage Series is a Czech Pilsner. The beer is a celebration of the success of lagers throughout it’s first year. Head Brewer’s Evan Rouse and Richard Dube have made no excuses to their love of the beer style, and I can’t wait to see what they do with a crisp Czech Pils!
1st Gear:
- 1st Gear is a Belgian IPA, celebrating the style with a dose of Galaxy, Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Upping their game in the hoppy department will certainly please a lot of the hopheads across Cincy. After the smashing success of both their Crank Shaft IPA and ShopTalk double IPA it’s pretty clear that even with the brewery’s love for lager, IPA is still king for a lot of people.
Yesterday’s Headlines:
- When they sent out their survey to their Braxton Builders, one of the questions was what beer styles would you most like to see brewed in the coming year? My answer must have been the same as a lot of other people’s as evidenced by the Berliner Weisse called Yesterday’s Headlines. I can’t even explain how excited I am about tasting this!
Variants:
- In addition to the three beers, each one of these will have two variants on tap as well. Now, just so you know… This makes a total of 9 new beers on tap for the event. Nine. Beers. They’re going to be rolling out the tappings throughout the day to make sure that everyone gets a chance to try to try something new. So if you’re wanting to sample it all, you’re gonna have to hang around (remember to get a driver!).
The Music
The anniversary party isn’t just an excuse to release a bunch of new beers… this is a showcase for another one of the brewery’s loves… music. The MadLot next door to the brewery will be home to live music throughout the day:
- Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle
- The Tillers
- Motherfolk
- Red Wanting Blue
Rest assured that if you find yourself outside enjoying the music there will be food trucks and outdoor beer service to make sure the party is as good outside as it is indoors! The food hasn’t all been announced yet, but you can definitely look forward to some great food to go with the great beer!
My Take On It All
If you made your way out to Braxton’s Block Party/ Dark Charge release back at the beginning of December, you’ll know that they know how to throw a hell of a party, but what makes this different is the focus of the celebration. During the block party the focus was just as much about the other beers that were being tapped from local and regional breweries that had been crucial to the success of Braxton. It was a celebration of their neighborhood… Block Party… get it?
Their anniversary party is a little more ‘self centered’ in the absolute best way possible. This is a celebration of the brewery being open a year… where they started, where they are, and where they going is what you should be focusing on. They’ve announced a ton of great stuff, and part of me is pretty sure we haven’t heard it all yet. Knowing how they roll down there in Covington, I’m fairly certain they’ve saved a couple surprises that they’ve still to release (heck… we still haven’t heard details about the variants of the new beers). This is going to be a party thrown by Braxton, for Braxton and all their fans across the city. It’s going to be crowded… it’s going to be loud… It’s going to be awesome.
Stay tuned here to the blog, I promise that as soon as I get word on any more details, I’ll share them with you! And keep your eyes open at the 1yr party, you might spot me in the crowd with a big grin on my face and a beer in each hand. Until then, head over to the event page on Facebook and let all your friends know you’ll be there and that they should to!