Press Release: (Portsmouth, N.H.) – In the spirit of the Roman week of frivolity to commemorate Saturn, Redhook has brewed up a double red ale hop monster. The Roman festival was marked by tomfoolery and reversal of social roles so our brewers decided to have a little fun. After receiving immense praise as an experimental beer offered on occasion in the pub, Saturnaleia will now be available outside of the brewery as the next beer in Redhook’s Brewery Backyard Series. The Brewery Backyard Series beers are only available on draught in Redhook’s “backyard” markets: Portsmouth’s Cataqua Pub and a handful of bars and beer-loving restaurants in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
“We’re proud to debut Saturnaleia as the next Brewery Backyard Series. The beer received great acclaim from our pub patrons when the recipe was originally created in 2008,” said Alex Kopf, Redhook senior brewer. “The Redhook brewers were able to get very creative with this beer, using eight hop varieties. Saturnaleia is a hop behemoth with almost three pounds of hops used per barrel.”
As a Double Red Ale, Saturnaleia is a full bodied, deep red brew with complex flavors and hop character. Hops are used in every stage of the brewing process; the mash, wort, boil, whirlpool, and dry hop. The deep hop aroma and flavor come from eight hop varieties including Amarillo, Mt. Hood, Cascade, Galaxy, Sterling, Centennial, Chinook and Simcoe. All the hop bitterness and flavor is balanced by a smooth and rich caramel malt character from 2 Row, English, Crystal malts and Floor Malted Crystal. Saturnaleia has an original gravity of 19.64°, ABV of 8.3% and 80 IBUs.
About Brewery Backyard Series
Redhook’s brewers are a creative bunch and are always experimenting with new ideas for beers they want to make and drink. While not all make it into production, several times a year the brewers’ favorite beers will be brewed and released under Redhook’s Brewery Backyard Series. These limited run brews will only be available on draught in our Cataqua Pub and in a handful of bars and beer-centric restaurants in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
About Redhook
Redhook was born out of the energy and spirit of the early 80s in the heart of Seattle. While the term didn’t exist at the time, Redhook became one of America’s first “craft” breweries. From a modest start in a former transmission shop in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard, to the current breweries in Woodinville, Wash., and Portsmouth, N.H., Redhook has become one of America’s most recognized craft breweries. While Redhook has “grown up” during the past 30 years, one thing has never changed – Redhook is still brewing great beers like ESB, IPA, Copperhook, Pilsner and seasonal brews. Most importantly, Redhook makes sure to have fun doing it. Redhook’s beers are available both on draught and in bottles around the country. For more information, visit www.redhook.com.