While every weekend of the year usually brings with it a bounty of delectable beer releases through the Western New York beer scene, the upcoming Labor Day Weekend is overloaded with more than enough handcrafted adult libations to keep those fridges and coolers fully stocked to the brim. I know it’s a lot to ask of you to scroll the social media pages of each and every local brewery to find out what’s being released and where, so I went ahead and did it for you. I hope you don’t mind.
Some of these are already available, and some will be released throughout the weekend. Take a look at this list and start planning according. And, as always, happy reading and happy drinking! Be careful out there this weekend as well.
12 Gates Brewing Company – 100 Emoji New England IPA
Availability: Cans, draft
The next in 12 Gates’ line of emoji-themed New England IPAs is 100 Emoji, which features some West Coast notes and tropical fruit.
12 Gates are also offering cases of Table Smasher Honey Kölsch for $33.99.
Big Ditch Brewing – DDH Hayburner IPA & Dayburner IPA
Availability: Cans, draft
Big Ditch Brewing is re-releasing Double Dry Hopped Hayburner and Dayburner IPA. Dayburner, brewed with Citra, Idaho 7, Cascade and Zeus hops, is a refreshing beer with orange and tangerine hop flavor, which DDH Hayburner even more bold citrus, stone fruit, and dank hop flavor and aroma than the original for a more intense hop experience; yet, this beer remains as drinkable as the original. Double dry-hopped with Falconers Flight, Galaxy and Mosaic hops. 4-packs of 16 oz. cans for $14.99.
Community Beer Works – Chick’n Pick’n Pepper’s Extree Pale Ale
Availability: Cans, draft
CBW are honoring one of their own, Pepper, their cellarman, with Chick’n Pick’n Pepper’s Extree Pale Ale, a straw-gold pale ale with a clean malt bill and mild bitterness, and is double dry-hopped with Azacca and Amarillo for a bright, citrusy aroma. 16oz 4pks are $14.99.
Eli Fish Brewing – Strawberry Shortcake Sour IPA
Availability: Cans, draft
Strawberry Shortcake Sour IPA is a kettle soured IPA filled with Azacca and lactose in the kettle, then finished with two pounds of strawberries per gallon and dry hopped heavily with Mosaic. An IPA dessert in a glass.
First Line Brewing – Pre Game: Mango Hard Seltzer
Availability: Draft
The second version of their Pre Game Seltzer is Mango; it’s delicious, refreshing, and features a higher ABV than the previous release, Blueberry Lemonade.
Flying Bison Brewing – Stocking Hill Ale
Availability: Draft
Stocking Hill Ale is an American Wheat Ale with ginger brewed with Grieve’s Brewery for Genesee Country Village & Museum. Based on a 19th century recipe, it pours a bright hazy gold with aromas and a bittersweet finish of ginger.
Flying Bison is also offering a Mixed Case sale through September 5. You can mix & match any four 6-packs of Flying Bison bottles for $30 – choose from Bisonfest, 716 IPA, Low Gear, Buffaloha, 716 Kolsch and Rusty Chain. Available at the brewery.
Froth Brewing – Apricot Mango Naranjilla Liquid Lollipop Fruited Sour & Pillow Top DIPA
Availability: Cans
The brewery describes this one as “tropical thunder.” Drops September 5 at noon. They have also just released a new batch of their Pillow Top Double IPA in cans.
Hamburg Brewing – Sour Louie IPA
Availability: Cans
Citra and Mosaic hops embellished with tartness.
Hydraulic Hearth – Sloth IPA
Availability: Cans, draft
Sloth IPA, a Pina Colada-style IPA features notes of pineapple and sweet coconut with flavors of vanilla. The beer is available to order online or in-person to-go.
Resurgence Brewing – Purple Pineapple Eaters (Blueberry, Pineapple)
Availability: Cans, draft
A new fruited sour in the vein of Fruit Pursuit with flavors of blueberry and pineapple. Notrs of blueberry up front with pineapple and vanilla on the back end. It’s tart, refreshing and easy drinking.
Resurgence is also running a mixed case sale for Labor Day weekend. They are offering the Mixed Case – 6-packs of Bridge Pilsner, Oktoberfest, Fruited Pilsner and Cosmic Truth, and the IPA Case – Citmo IPA, Surge NEIPA, and Head in the Clouds DIPA.
New York Beer Project – Prost & Supernatural
Availability: Draft
New York Beer Project has released their Prost! Oktoberfest. With notes of bready, malty goodness and caramel, this seasonal favorite pairs well with pretzels and fall festivities. They will also bring back Supernatural Passionfruit Sour on September 5 (5pm).
Steelbound Brewery & Distillery – Apple Cranberry Cinnamon Wheat
Availability: Draft
Steelbound’s Apple Cranberry Cinnamon Wheat features tart apple with slight cranberry notes at the end with toasted cinnamon. The beer is light with a subtle cider taste. Available in cans on Wednesday, September 9.
Thin Man Brewery – Gentle Persuasion Spunded Czech Lager & Crazy Juice DIPA
Availability: Cans, draft
Thin Man Brewery is keeping the Summer of Lager going with Gentle Persuasion, a spunded Czech lager brewed with Saaz and Sladek hops that’s fermented cold, carbonated naturally and lagered for eight weeks. Gentle Persuasion is crisp, herbal and lightly floral with firm bitterness. If you’ve enjoyed their past lagers such as European Sexy, Band of Gold and Bound for the Floor, this is a must-grab. Available at all Thin Man locations.
Crazy Juice Double IPA is hazy, crazy, juicy and juicy. Drenched with New Zealand hops, Crazy Juice offers a silky smooth cocktail of fruity hop aromas and flavors.
West Shore Brewing x Eli Fish Brewing Nobody Likes Millhouse NEIPA
Availability: Draft
The third and final collaboration of West Shore and Eli Fish’s trio drops Saturday, September 5. Pre-orders and bundle deals available – https://my-site-109115-100044.square.site. Super smooth and incredibly juicy with all the heavy hitter hops – Strata, Galaxy, Nelson, Citra, Mosaic, and Chinook.
Woodcock Brothers – Fizzing Drones Session NEIPA
Availability: Draft
Brewed with Azacca, Michigan Copper, Bru-1, NY Cascade and Sultana hops with aromas of grapefruit and tangerine, followed by a touch of pine and flavors of citrus, tropical fruit & earthy pine (med-low bitterness).
Other releases:
Windy Brew – Hurricane Oat Cream IPA (draft) & Autumnal Equinox Apple Pie Kolsch (draft)
Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the 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), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
