Founders Brewing Company

Founders Brewing Releases Oktoberfest to Raise Awareness for ArtPrize

oktoberfest 2020

Oktoberfest – Founders Brewing Co.

Founders Brewing Co. has announced that they will launch Oktoberfest, a Märzen style lager brewed using imported German malts and hops. Oktoberfest presents a gorgeous copper hue with a rich, malty and slightly sweet backbone. Founders’ Oktoberfest is similar to a traditional Reinheitsgebot style, brewed in accordance to a 1487 German law that limits the ingredients to water, barley and hops. Debuting this August, Oktoberfest is the seventh release Founders has brewed to raise awareness for ArtPrize, an open international art competition in the brewery’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“Brewing traditional German-style beers, especially malt-forward lagers, isn’t something we’re especially accustomed to,” said Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki. “I’ve really begun to enjoy drinking Märzens over the past few years and decided to get serious about a recipe. Oktoberfest is brewed with malt and hops imported from Germany for a rich, malty character that still manages to stay light on the palate. Whether you’re celebrating Art Prize or Oktoberfest, this is the beer to do it with!”

Oktoberfest (6%) will have a retail price of $9.99/6-pack. It will be available as of August in 12-oz cans and on draft in the Grand Rapids and Detroit taprooms, and across the brewery’s distribution network, except Utah. Please note that prices will vary by market. Previous releases for ArtPrize include Green Zebra, Pale Joe, Spectra Trifecta, Mosaic Promise, Inspired Artist Black IPA and Trigo. Continue reading

Founders Brewing adds Marvelroast to Limited Series

Marvelroast

Founders Brewing Co. – Marvelroast

Founders Brewing Co. has announced Marvelroast as the latest addition to the Limited Series lineup. Marvelroast was originally a Detroit Taproom favorite, and starts out as an Imperial Golden Ale enhanced with the addition of coffee, vanilla and cocoa nibs in the brewing process. But it doesn’t end there. A final dose of milk sugar lends a smooth and sweet finish, making this a delicious treat reminiscent of your favorite iced coffee drink.

“Having two taprooms full of craft beer connoisseurs is a real blessing for our team. We get a lot of great ideas and feedback and are able to do a lot of experimentation as a result,” said Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki. “When a new beer gets great response in our taprooms, the logical move is to try to find a home for it in our distribution lineup. That’s what happened with Marvelroast. I think the perfect balance of coffee, vanilla and cocoa are going to make this beer a real treat this summer.” Continue reading

Founders Brewing Announces Unraveled IPA to Year-Round Lineup

unraveled ipa

Unraveled IPA now available year-round

Founders Brewing Co. has announced Unraveled IPA, the newest addition to the brewery’s year-round lineup. Unraveled IPA is a juicy IPA, incredibly flavorful and aromatic. This juicy IPA is dry hopped with traditional hop pellets and lupulin powder, an innovative hop product that separates lupulin from the hop flower. Wheat and oats form a smooth backdrop to carry all those wonderful hop characteristics, while the pour is beautifully clear. Unraveled IPA made its debut in the Founders taprooms as “Mucho Lupu” and was released as part of the brewery’s Mothership Series in 2019.

“This is one of my favorite IPAs to come out of the brewery in a while,” said Brewmaster, Jeremy Kosmicki. “The hop character is aggressive with its citrus and tropical flavors and aromas while the addition of lupulin powder – rather than relying on over dry-hopping with just pellets – helps keep the grassiness in check. It has great balance and is clean, bright and refreshing.” Continue reading

Founders Brewing Announces Release of Civilized Brut IPA

Civilized Brut IPA

Civilized Brut IPA – First seasonal release of 2020

Founders Brewing Co. has announced Civilized Brut, the first seasonal release of 2020. Civilized Brut is brilliantly bubbly, refreshingly crisp and stunningly clear, similar to a fine Brut Champagne. Designed for a more sophisticated IPA drinker, it has a clean and restrained bitterness. The clarity and malt sweetness allow the hop notes to tantalize your senses in a bold yet never-overpowering way. Civilized Brut marks the first seasonal release in Founders Brewing Co.’s 2020 Brand Calendar.

“Nothing says refreshment like a dry, sparkling, hop-forward IPA,” said Brewmaster, Jeremy Kosmicki. “Civilized Brut has just the right amount of bitterness and hop flavor to not overwhelm the clean and dry finish of this beer, while the high effervescence makes it feel like a party in every sip.”

“As the majority of brewers are introducing hazy, New England Style IPAs in the market, we have decided to take another road,” said President Dave Engbers. “Civilized Brut is a crystal-clear IPA that’s bursting with effervescence and elegant aromatics. Perfect for champagne and IPA aficionados alike.” Continue reading

Founders Brewing to Release Azacca IPA in Cans

Founders Azacca IPA Founders Brewing Co. has announced the return of seasonal favorite, Azacca IPA, to its lineup. Available through March 2019, Azacca IPA features an updated can design that showcases the artwork inspired by the beer’s namesake and singular hop character. First introduced to the brewery’s seasonal lineup in 2016, Azacca IPA features Azacca hops from Yakima-based Roy Farms and celebrates the versatility of a single-hop in an American-style IPA.

Named after the Haitian god of agriculture, the Azacca hop has an intense tropical aroma with hints of citrus and mango. A touch of caramel malt gives a sweet backbone to support the righteous fruit character of this beer. Showing a burnt orange color and registering at 7% ABV, your taste buds will worship this heavenly, single-hopped delight. Azacca IPA is exclusively available in cans and on draft. The suggested retail price for Azacca IPA is $17.99 for the 15-pack cans and $8.99 for the 6-pack cans. Continue reading

Founders Brewing Releases Harvest Ale

harvest ale IPA


Harvest Ale is available nationally in bottles through October 2018.

It is definitely a great time of year for a hophead such as me. Having just left the Yakima Valley during their hop harvest, coming home to Founders’ Harvest Ale was great timing.

According to a recent report from Hop Growers of America, your next craft beer is more likely than ever to contain Michigan hops. Founders Brewing Co. is celebrating the rise of local hops with this year’s release of Harvest Ale, a wet-hopped ale. An annual mainstay since the early-2000s, Harvest Ale is the brewery’s ode to the beauty of American hops grown in their backyard. Continue reading

Founders Brewing Co. Announces Solid Gold

With summer right around the corner, Founders Brewing Co. has announced the release of Solid Gold, a new premium lager that was made available across the Founders national distribution network as of March 1, 2018. The starting point for this beer was a taproom classic, also called Solid Gold, that has been completely revamped by Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki.

Founders Solid Gold“We built Founders on an attitude of no regrets,” shares Mike Stevens, Co-Founder and CEO of Founders. “An attitude of taking risks to bring the best beer possible to our fellow renegades and rebels. Never brewing to style, but always brewing what we want to drink. Our take on a classic, Solid Gold is a drinkable golden lager brewed with the highest quality ingredients. Challenging what a lager can be? That’s something we won’t regret.”

“Solid Gold is a great starting point for people who are craft-curious,” adds Dave Engbers, Co-Founder and President of Founders. “It’s not over-complicated. It’s simple and well-rounded, full-flavored, but also light and crisp.” Continue reading

Craft Beer Tour 2017: West Michigan

These photos are of the breweries I visited in Michigan; in order, they were Founders Brewing (two visits), Bell’s Brewery, New Holland Brewing, Our Brewing, Rockford Brewing, Perrin Brewing, Elk Brewing, and Greyline Brewing Company.

After driving back and forth between Grand Rapids and Detroit, in the pouring rain, and another four hours of technical work, I was ready for Craft Beer Tour 2017 to get back on course. First stop would be the Founders Brewing taproom.

As we were pulling off the freeway it was easy to spot the huge red brick building with “Founders Brewing” emblazoned with yellow letters. As we were parking I could not but help notice the fermenters in the windows; they appeared to be three stories tall, but I could not see clearly enough to see where their feet were. I hoped I would have a good view of the brewhouse, because it looked a little too busy for me to ask for a quick personal tour like I do at the smaller breweries. Continue reading

Founders Brewing Company 20th Anniversary Photos

These photos were taken at the Founders Brewing Company 20 Anniversary party.

Sorry about the delay, but the days have been long and the Internet has been flaky at best. Just to ensure I get one update done tonight, I am going to go out of order for this article and present you photos from the Founders 20th anniversary party.

When I left off, Craft Beer Tour 2017 landed at Three Floyds; I would have loved to visit other places, but I had a real world appointment in Detroit on Wednesday morning, so I had to get to Grand Rapids that night; especially because my sister wanted to take me to dinner at Founders, I was too late to do it that night, so they would have to wait until I got back from Detroit that night. Continue reading

LMU Beer Festival 2016 Photos

These photos were taken Saturday at the LMU Beer Fest 2016, which was held on Hannon Field on the Loyola Marymount University campus. The event featured beer from 24 craft breweries, live music by Phoenix Rising, access to six food trucks and a few games of skill. As one person mentioned to me, it was one of the best inaugural events in recent memory.

The beer festival was hosted by the LMU Alumni Association and was a fundraiser to support student athletes through the Lions Athletic Fund. As it turns out there are a lot of brewery owners in the LA area that are LMU alumni, like Allison Kolb of Scholb Premium Ales and Tom Dunbabin of King Harbor Brewing; Steve Farguson of Absolution Brewing has a son that currently attends LMU.

Being the inaugural event, ticket sales were limited; I am going to guess that there were a lot of alumni that purchased tickets to the event with no real intention of attending. This is just a guess, but the VIP session had sold out and there were not very many people for that session. By the end of the day, I would guess that they had a few hundred attendees. Continue reading

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