Robbie Chandler calls it undrunkable.
It is the new Spröcketbier from Stone Brewing Co.
Chandler, who works in the Stone warehouse, and Rick Blankenmeier, the brewery’s quality assurance supervisor, created the black rye Kolsch-style ale for an internal company competition.
Spröcketbier, which is 5.4 percent alcohol by volume, won and is now available nationwide.
“I call it an undrunkable because you can drink it all day and still stand up,” the outspoken and bearded Chandler said with a laugh.
Chandler and Blankenmeier are on a national tour promoting the beer. They stopped by the Tremont Taphouse in Cleveland last week. The tour has been a whirlwind, with them stopping by event after event, and then immediately moving on to the next city.
“Everyone says we have a great beer so far,” Blankenmeier said about the fan reaction.
New Great Lakes beer
Great Lakes Brewing Co. has a new out-of-this-world beer coming: Spacewalker American Belgo.
It’s an 8.2 percent Belgian-style ale. Great Lakes spokeswoman Marissa DeSantis said it’s a limited edition brew set for this year; other details will be released later.
As with all Great Lakes beers, Spacewalker comes with a story.
The label says, in part: “Perhaps one of space’s greatest mysteries is why so many of its explorers hail from Ohio. In honor of the 25 courageous astronauts who have called Ohio their terrestrial home, and the nine Ohio men and women who’ve logged hours walking in space, we present this adventurous brew.”
Bernie Beer
The Winks Bar and Grille, 25800 Central Parkway, Beachwood, will host a special tapping of Bernie Beer on Thursday.
The hoppy brown ale — an homage to former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar — was made by Cellar Rats Brewery in Madison. Kosar will be at the bar from 5 to 6 p.m. to celebrate.
Death coming
Death is coming. And it will be hot. But drinkable.
Rivertown Brewing Co. in Cincinnati is re-releasing Death, a Russian imperial stout made with Jalokia peppers and ghost peppers, on June 1.
The beer — which clocks in at an impressive 11.7 percent alcohol by volume — first made an appearance when the Cincinnati brewery released a series of beers called the Four Horsemen. It proved so popular that it’s riding back into town.
The beer is hot. But not too hot.
“We try to ensure that it’s very drinkable,” co-owner Randy Schiltz said. “We don’t want people having lip swelling and tongue swelling and all that kind of stuff. … We want people to enjoy it and not scream in pain.”
Mix six
Riverside Wine, 911 N. Mantua St., Kent, is now offering mix and match six-packs.
That’s not so unusual. But the good news is, there’s no mark-up for buying a single bottle. A six-pack costs $6? Then a bottle is $1.
And if you want to drink that beer at Riverside, there’s a $1.50 charge. For example, a bottle of Southern Tier 2XOne goes for $1.84. Just add $1.50, plus tax, if you want to drink it there.
Owner Robert Morson said it’s a way to stay competitive with grocery stores expanding their beer offerings. He estimated that Riverside has anywhere from 300 to 400 beers available as singles.
Coors Light Summer Brew
MillerCoors has released Coors Light Summer Brew, a beer infused with natural citrus flavors.
The limited-edition beer is available in 12-packs of 10-ounce cans, which feature a bright orange and yellow citrus-inspired design over Coors Light’s Rocky Mountain landscape.
The brewer also has released a new design for its Coors Light can.
“We wanted to roll out some new ways to really up the refreshment factor and grab the attention of beer drinkers,” Sarah Ross, senior director of marketing for the Coors Family of Brands, said in a prepared statement.
Beer sampler
• Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron has released its seasonal Whippet Wheat.
• Scene magazine has reported that Early Bird Brewing Co., a new nanobrewery, plans to open near Ohio City in Cleveland.
• The Burning River Fest, a music, beer and environmental awareness festival, is set for July 25-26 in Cleveland.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his beer blog at www.ohio.com/beer. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.