San Leandro, CA (April 1, 2016) – The 21st Amendment Brewery is excited to be re-tooling their popular craft beer line-up to embrace the current trend of including “grapefruit” in beer. There has been a growing interest in the use of grapefruit which displays many of the same aroma and flavor notes as hops. Notably, its citrus-like and piney qualities that are found in IPAs and other hop-forward styles.
The 21st Amendment has taken it a step further, pushing the boundaries of style, and is adding it to its popular oyster stout “Marooned on Hog Island,” a collaboration withHog Island Oyster Company. “Who doesn’t love oysters with beer and with the popularity of grapefruit it seemed just right to add that too,” said 21A co-founder Nico Freccia. “I spoke with Hog Island Oyster Company founder John Finger and told him what we were up to and he thought I was insane. I told him, look John, you know oysters, but I know grapefruit and we’re adding that to this beer,” Freccia exclaimed. Hog Island Oyster Company could not be reached for comment.
21A’s Hell or High Watermelon Wheat beer is about to be released in stores just in time for summer and it’ll have a new flavor as well: grapefruit. “What’s better than one fruit in a wheat beer? Two! And with that idea we thought it would be amazing to add grapefruit,” says 21A Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan. “Look what’s happening out there with grapefruit and its popularity. We had to get on board. BesidesBallast Point Brewing and their popular trend starting Grapefruit Sculpin IPA, they are now making their Dorado Double IPA with watermelon. We just couldn’t let that stand, so we had to answer that call and add grapefruit to our watermelon wheat beer,” O’Sullivan bemoaned. “And yes of course we’re adding grapefruit to our Brew Free! or Die IPA, we’d be nuts not too…” O’Sullivan adds.
Dave Wilson, the 21st Amendment’s President, is bullish on grapefruit. “We’ve begun to contract grapefruit futures as we see this trend not stopping and we want to be on the forefront of grapefruit. The boutique aroma and flavor hops on the market right now are hard to come by and we don’t want to be caught off guard with grapefruit. We’re working with two universities on a grapefruit-breeding program where experimental grapefruits are being developed,” says Wilson. He didn’t go into great detail on the program and its secrecy, but hinted at the fact that they are close to developing an experimental grapefruit with hop flavors.
Be on the lookout for new beers with grapefruit from the 21st Amendment later this year including “Not Your Mother’s Grapefruit” soda, a barrel-aged grapefruit stout where the barrel is made of grapefruit skins and their “Pumpkin Grapefruit” beer which will be released in June.
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