The 34th annual release of Redhook Brewing's classic Winterhook has hit for the holiday season. Each year the brewery puts a different twist on their winter seasonal, for 2018 Redhook has brewed a dark hoppy lager. The 2018 Winterhook dark lager is brewed with with toasty malt aromas combined with the hallmark winter ale flavors of caramel, chocolate and coffee malts, and pine. Dank hop notes of experimental 527 hops are balanced nicely with lager yeast – providing a smooth backdrop for both the malt and yeast to stand up.

More from a press release:

Winterhook will be available through December in six-pack bottles in stores throughout Washington, and on draft at Redhook’s Brewlab and select Seattle bars and restaurants. The beer is also part of Redhook’s Hoppy Hook Pack variety pack.

 “Creating a unique recipe every year for Winterhook is a fun challenge, and this year we wanted to do something different from years past,” said Crandall, who first created this version at Brewlab in Capitol Hill. Following the beer’s success on tap at Brewlab, Crandall decided that it would be the perfect beer as 2018’s version of Winterhook. “The hoppy dark lager recipe is something unique from previous versions – combining elements of various beer styles yet delivering on that winter beer character that our fans have come to expect from Winterhook.”

Winterhook’s packaging recalls a winter wonderland in Seattle, with a nod to hops in cleverly cold colors; it was designed by Sasquatch Agency.

To celebrate the launch of this year’s Winterhook, Redhook will host an ugly sweater party and clothing drive at Brewlab on December 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. Pints of Winterhook will be just $4.50; and Redhook is teaming up with #hashtaglunchbag for the clothing drive. Donations will go to Mary’s Place for women and children and The Bridge Care Center.

Winterhook will also be pouring at Washington’s Winter Beer Festival at Hangar 30 in Magnuson Park in the Sand Point neighborhood of Seattle on November 30, and December 1.

For additional information on Redhook Brewery, visit redhook.com and follow the brewery on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Or, to find Winterhook near you, visit Redhook’s beer-finder: http://www.Redhook.com/find-beer.

 

Winterhook

Redhook’s legendary winter ale, brewed annually since 1984, is crafted with an evolving mix of malts and hops, each iteration different from the last. In 2018, head brewer Nick Crandall made a Hoppy Dark Lager, combining the hops of a dank IPA, the malt of a brown ale and yeast profile of a bock – characteristics that make for a perfect winter beer.

Malts: Pale, Munich, Caramunich III, Coffee Malt, Dark Chocolate

Hops: Alchemy, ADHA527, Chinook, Eureka

ABV: 6 %

IBU: 60

 

About Redhook Brewery

Redhook was born out of the entrepreneurial spirit of early 1980s in the heart of Seattle. While the term didn’t exist at the time, Redhook became one of America’s first craft breweries with a focus on creating a better beer. Redhook recently returned to its Seattle roots with Brewlab, its small batch innovation hub in the heart of Capitol Hill. At Brewlab, head brewer Nick Crandall has a knack for crafting inventive beers born out of innovation, creativity and experimentation. Redhook’s beer lineup includes ESB, Long Hammer IPA, Big Ballard Imperial IPA, Bicoastal IPA and a variety of seasonal and limited release beers, including My Oh My Caramel Macchiato Milk Stout, Tangelic Halo Tangerine IPA, Winterhook, and more. Redhook beers are available on draught and in bottles and cans around the country. Redhook Brewery, Est. Seattle, WA 1981.