Every once in a while, the stars align and things just come together. This weekend marks one of those occasions as not one, not two, but three breweries have very exciting beer releases planned. And the best part is, it’s not limited to just one release per brewery – each is releasing multiple beers, all of which could be deemed ‘can’t miss,’ at least in my opinion. Community Beer Works is dropping a monster collab with Pressure Drop Brewing, Big Ditch is releasing the next in their vaunted Lock IPA series and Thin Man Brewery is debuting a trio of delectable canned liquid. And with all of this going on, I thought it irresponsible of myself not to tell you the who, what, when, where, why and how of it all.

Big Ditch Brewing Huckster IPA / Fip IPA / Galaxy Hayburner

55 E. Huron St, Buffalo (854-5050)

From Packet and Fip to Cannon Call and Dart, Big Ditch’s Lock IPA Series has produced a number of memorable beers, the latest being Huckster, the eighth entry, and first Lock IPA in six months. The beer, named for the general stores that once existed along the Erie Canal locks, is brewed with mandarin orange, lemon, and lime zest, as well as Citra, Amarillo and Motueka hops, to add a bright, fresh citrus burst to intense hoppy aromas and flavors. $14.99 / 16oz 4-pack. (Available: draft, cans)

Speaking of Fip, Big Ditch will also be re-releasing this beer. Fip is brewed with Mosaic, Citra, Amarillo and Simcoe hops, resulting in an IPA with a burst of citrus, honeydew, and tropical punch flavor. $14.99 / 16oz 4-pack. (Available: draft, cans)

And the cherry on top of the icing on top of the sundae that is this Big Ditch release is Galaxy Hayburner, the latest in their Innovation Series of beers. This is their flagship IPA brewed with a massive amount of Galaxy hops. According to the brewery, this beer rivals Hayburner in drinkability, but adds tropical aroma and flavors of fruit punch and cotton candy to the citrus character already present in the base beer. (Available: draft)

Community Beer Works Fat Rips Double IPA / King Larry Imperial Cream Ale

520 7th Street (759-4677)

Knives Out kicked ass, and so did Planet Smashers, so I have high hopes for Fat Rips, the newest beer from the hive mind of CBW and Pressure Drop. This Double IPA features copious Mosaic and Simcoe hops and dank and resinous notes of tangerine. It’s been described as ‘thicc’ and ‘weedy.’ The time to get excited is now. (Available: draft, cans)

And what goes better with a big DIPA than an imperial crispy boy? I’m really looking forward to King Larry, the imperial version of Amazing Larry, and I honestly never thought I’d get excited for a cream ale, but, well, here we are. The king features Huell Melon, Citra, and Mandarina Bavaria hops for notes of honeydew-forward melon. (Available: draft, cans)

Thin Man Brewery  Mecha Boodle (Raspberry Sour) / Band of Gold (Lager) / Bru-One IPA

492 Elmwood Ave. (923-4100), 166 Chandler St. (393-4355), Transit (633-9630)

We all love Minkey Boodle, right? I feel like that is a pretty fair assumption. Well, how does a double fruited version of Minkey strike you? Pretty good, right? You don’t have to wait long as Thin Man is releasing Mecha Boodle this weekend. It’s Minkey Boodle hit with twice the fruit. Fruitier, thicker, redder. (Available: draft, cans)

When it comes to Thin Man, I’m only getting started. They are also dropping Bru-One New England IPA, brewed with Bru-One, Lotus and Citra hops. More hops, more haze. If you were lucky enough to be at Gene McCarthy’s Hop Fest a few weeks back, then you already know that this beer is a banger and is not to be missed. (Available: draft, cans)

And last, but certainly not least, is Band of Gold, a lager brewed exclusively with Motueka hops. What? A Motueka-hopped crispy boy? Ok Thin Man, you had me at lager. I am of the firm belief that this world needs more craft lagers, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that thinking. I cannot wait for this one.

In case you were wondering, which it’s probably safe to assure you weren’t, I will be starting my day at Big Ditch for Huckster cans, a few pints of Galaxy Hayburner and a Breuben, before heading over to CBW to take some Fat Rips. I’m also hoping to swing by Thin Man to complete the trifecta, but I’m not sure how much patience my wife is going to have for all of this. We will see. And I hope to see many of you out and about as well. It’s going to be a great weekend in Buffalo [beer].

Brian Campbell is a co-founder/Brand Manager of the BNBA’s enthusiast arm, Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at buffalobeerleague@aol.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague) and www.buffalobeerleague.com.