If you think that you’re able to keep caught up with all the packaging news that this city has to offer easily – you’re crazy. There is so much going on lately that even a guy like me, a “professional”, has a tough time keeping it all straight. Urban Artifact hasn’t made it easy for a blogger like me lately. Ever since their first packaged release late last year they’ve been on a mad tear putting out some really great stuff in bottles and cans.
I told you the other day about Phrenology hitting the bottling line, and you’ve no doubt seen that Pinwheel (their seasonal gose) is making its way out in cans this week – well in addition it seems like they’re rolling a new one out to all of you who fell in love with The Gadget. Meet Squeezebox.
Squeezebox
As if the brightly colored label doesn’t give you a hint already – this is a fruity, sour treat. As they refer to it on the label, it’s a “Strawberry Sour Bomb”. According to the label:
Bellows-driven free-reed chordal instruments have developed around the globe as a part of traditional music. This beer was made with 3 pounds per gallon of real strawberries.
It clocks in at 7.1% ABV with a ph of 3.55 – which if you’re keeping track, the abv is a little higher than The Gadget was, while the PH packs a slightly less tart punch (though acidity tends to manifest itself very differently in beers, so I’m not sure that this will necessarily taste any less tart).
This beer is one that I’m pretty eager to get into my face. I love the berry bomb that was The Gadget, and I anticipate that this one will satisfy that same urge that it did… just with Strawberries. It will retail in six packs of 12 ounce bottles for $14.99 at a #TapTuesday event on 4/4/17 at the Urban Artifact Taproom.
But… don’t hit the back button yet. Urban Artifact isn’t done. I think they got the point with how much we loved that last sour berry bomb they made, and they kicked this one up a notch or two… or four. There are variants.
The Variants
Each of these variants will be available at the release for $8.99 a piece, and they’ll be packaged in brightly labeled 500ml bottles.
- Lemon Basil Sorbet – you can recognize this variant by the instrument toting llama on its label (or is it an alpaca?)
- Strawberry Margarita – this label features a goat… standing on his hind legs, again… playing an accordion.
- Spicy Margarita – oh hell… I’ll get shit for this one. I suppose that this is some sort of badger like animal. Rocking out.
- Chocolate Strawberry – a turtle, wearing a ball cap is what you’ll see on this one.
This brewery only release isn’t one that you’ll want to miss. If you’ve yet to try any of these fruited sours that Urban Artifact is putting out, you’re missing a BIG piece of what’s making this city really exciting right now. They don’t skimp out on these, using only real fruit in their process, alongside a house strain of Lactobacillus.
But Gnome… I Can’t Wait!
It’s ok, dear reader. I understand the struggle. I write about these things and get the tastebuds going crazy, salivation kicks in and you move into a slight frenzy. Now you want the beer before 4/4. Good news, I know a place you can snag a sneak peek! Cappy’s is doing a local Pint Night on 3/31 and my sources tell me that a keg of the regular Squeezebox will be making its way onto their taps.
As for other fun stuff happening at the wild and tart factory known as Urban Artifact – let’s just say that you need to start prepping yourself for their anniversary party. If you thought last year was fun, don’t forget that they’re packaging this year. They’ve got some stuff in barrels that I can only imagine will be in desperate need of some beer fans to take it home!