Two brand new Bell’s beers have been announced for 2019, but we have more in store for our craft beer fans this fall.
Hopsoulution, one of our Double IPAs, is joining our year-round lineup in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Hopsoulution was previously a limited, specialty release for our entire distribution area.
Twelve-ounce bottles, packaged in 6-packs, along with kegs of Hopsoulution will start shipping in September. It will remain a specialty release for the remaining 35 states in our distribution footprint (plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico), returning in the spring of 2019.
“Our fans have been asking for a Double IPA to be a part of our year-round portfolio. We’re going to start with the Great Lakes region and re-evaluate other markets in the future,” Larry Bell, President and Founder of Bell’s Brewery said.
Remarkably drinkable for a beer with an 8% ABV, Hopsoulution is brewed with several hop varieties for massive aromas of tropical fruit, citrus and pine. A mild caramel malt character and dry finish provide balance.
Also debuting this fall will be two brand new, but limited, specialty releases!
Side Yard Ale (6.8% ABV), a fresh-hopped New England style IPA, will be available exclusively for purchase at the Bell’s General Store and on tap at Bell’s Eccentric Café in downtown Kalamazoo. Packaged in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans, the beer will be brewed with Chinook hops freshly harvested from our Hop Yard located right next to our Comstock Brewery.
Each can will feature one of three labels, each showing a different image of the Hop Yard including one from last year’s harvest. It will be released in early October.
Tessie’s Golden Ale (5% ABV) will also be a Bell’s General Store and Cafe exclusive. The bottle label features Larry Bell’s Yellow Labrador, Tessie, wearing an Oberon dog collar. It will also leave the brewery in late October.
Both beers will be brewed using our brand new pilot brew system. Tessie’s Ale will be bottled using our new specialty bottling line. Both are part of a brand new innovation pipeline – a 12.8-barrel pilot brew system and specialty packaging line designed to fill 12 oz. and 750 mL bottles.
This Pilot Brewery is located where our original Comstock Bottling Hall was located, the same space where all Bell’s bottled beers were packaged from 2003 until 2016. Bell’s newer and primary Bottling Hall is capable of filling 750 bottles-per-minute.
