STEVENS POINT, WI (April 29, 2009) – Going “whole hog” in the fast-growing craft beer market, the Stevens Point Brewery is introducing two new brews under the Whole Hog Limited Release Brewmaster’s Series label.

Whole Hog Six-Hop India Pale Ale and Whole Hog Imperial Pilsner are available in four-packs of 12-ounce bottles wherever Point beers are sold. Brewed in small batches, Whole Hog Six-Hop India Pale Ale and Whole Hog Imperial Pilsner will appeal to discerning craft-beer aficionados, according to Joe Martino, Point Brewery Managing Partner.

“The Whole Hog Limited Release Brewmaster’s Series allows us to explore adventurous big beers” Martino said. “The Six-Hop IPA and Imperial Pilsner are the first two styles in the series. We plan to introduce additional Whole Hog Limited Release beers offering our drinkers a vast range of tastes and styles,” he explained. “The first two styles in the series, are very full-bodied, heavily hopped and brewed with an alcohol content of 8.5 percent by volume. Dedicated craft-beer enthusiasts who enjoy discovering unique, highly flavorful beers are sure to enjoy them,” Martino said.

Point Brewmaster John Zappa said that even though the Whole Hog brews are very full-bodied “big beers,” they are still very enjoyable. “They are extreme beers, meant to be savored – and will appeal
to a growing segment of the craft-beer market,” he said. Craft-beer shipments grew 5.8 percent in 2008, according to the Colorado-based Association of Brewers. Regional craft breweries like the Stevens Point Brewery performed even better, with volume up 10 percent. “Because craft beers continue to show solid sales growth, now is a great time to introduce big beers like Whole Hog Imperial Pilsner and Whole Hog Six-Hop IPA,” Martino noted. “We are very excited about these new beers, which place our brewery at a whole new level in the craft-brewing industry. There will be more unique Whole Hog Limited Edition beers in the future.”

Point Whole Hog Six-Hop IPA

A deep reddish-copper in color, Whole Hog Six-Hop IPA is brewed with six varieties of hops from the Pacific Northwest: Cascade, Cluster, Perle, Sterling, Willamette and Tettnanger. The ale was first test-brewed using five varieties, said Ken Carlson, Stevens Point Brewery’s Director of Brewing. “We wanted our new IPA to be all about the complexity of the hops,” he explained. “We were looking for the perfect blend of hops and using five varieties just wasn’t enough. The ale we wanted to brew needed even more hops, so we decided to go ‘whole hog’ and add a sixth hop, giving this brew a huge hop nose and powerful hop flavor.” Whole Hog Six-Hop IPA is brewed with Munich and pale malts and a touch of roasted barley, giving it the robust body necessary to support so many varieties of hops in a single brew, Carlson added.

Point Whole Hog Imperial Pilsner

Whole Hog Imperial Pilsner is also a hoppy beer, brewed according to a traditional German-style pilsner recipe using Hallertau, Cascade, Cluster and Perle hops. “The result is a pleasantly bitter and distinctly dry golden-colored pilsner comparable to the bold, flavorful pilsners brewed in Germany rather than lighter American versions of the pilsner style,” Carlson said. “A pronounced hop flavor is a distinguishing characteristic of German-style pilsners. True to style, Whole Hog Imperial Pilsner delivers a lingering hop aftertaste, but it’s crisp and refreshing at the same time.”