MKE Brewing Introduces New IPA Named Litta Bitta

The 2014 year-round and seasonal calendar for MKE Brewing Co. will be the most innovative for the young microbrewery in its’ history. To commemorate the occasion they are launching the first new seasonal in over a year. Litta Bitta White IPA will lead off this exciting calendar year in fine fashion.

Available while supplies last over the next 2 months, Litta Bitta’s inviting light pepper and citrus aromas abound up front and blend well with lemon and grapefruit flavors as a result of a lemongrass infusion. This balanced and refreshing White IPA finishes with a touch of wheat that beckons you back for more. Clocking in at 50 IBUs and 6.5% ABV this will be the perfect White IPA to brighten up the winter doldrums and get everyone thinking about spring.

The recipe for Litta Bitta is a result of friendly internal brewery competition in 2013 where the brewers challenged themselves to create different recipes for the “12 months of IPA’s”. Each IPA was brewed and served at the Milwaukee Ale House, MKE Brewing Co.’s brewpub. This particular recipe for White IPA, created by lead brewer Brian Blazel, was so popular that it was the only IPA recipe to be repeated throughout the year. “I am both honored and excited to have one of my recipes make it into the line-up this year” says Blazel.

Owner Jim McCabe added, “Our company culture attracts and fosters passion and creativity. The Litta Bitta release spotlights what our team is up to every day. We all feed off of incredible collaboration and our fans get to enjoy this glimpse of real craft brewing.”

The name Litta Bitta ia a reference to the brutal feud between the two founding fathers of Milwaukee, Solomon Juneau and Byron Kilbourn. In the mid-1800’s, the respective leaders of Juneautown west of the river and Kilbourtown east of the river could not come to a resolution to unite their two settlements with a common bridge.

The Bridge War, as it came to be known resulted in a bloody feud lasting more than a year, until the two settlements came together for a unified resolution for the future of Milwaukee in 1846. Interestingly enough, this is why all of the bridges Milwaukee are slightly askew and none run directly east and west.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Firestone Walker Launches New Look for Core Beers

Paso Robles, CA—Firestone Walker Brewing Company is set to unveil new labels and corresponding six-pack sets for its core beers, bringing fresh energy to the packaging of DBA, Pale 31 and Union Jack. Enhancements include a more unified color palette and enhanced visual emphasis on the brewery’s “Lion v. Bear” iconography.

To help spread the word, the brewery has released “My New Package,” a short video featuring co-proprietor David Walker’s wry take on this development.

“The new packaging isn’t a complete departure, but it’s a leap forward,” said Jamie Smith, the brewery’s vice president of marketing. “The overall look is familiar, but DBA, Pale 31 and Union Jack will now jump out more vividly as a family of beers. Our shelf presence will be stronger than ever.”

The new packaging was designed in house by the brewery’s marketing team. The final designs were created from the vantage of both form and function, not only seeking a more impactful retail presence, but also a meaningful look that speaks to a sense of place and heritage.

“The unifying gray background on the new labels is inspired by the shades of textured metal that you see at our brewery,” said Andrew Wickstrom, the brewery’s design director. “We kept the secondary colors for DBA (blue), Pale 31 (yellow) and Union Jack (red) while creating new logos that represent the personality of each beer. The lion and bear icons are now more crisply defined as well. Overall, we think it’s a nice balance between fun, fresh and familiar.”

The lion and the bear represent brewery proprietors and brothers-in-law David Walker and Adam Firestone. The lion celebrates Walker’s British heritage, while the bear is a nod to Firestone’s California roots. With claws out and fists up, they mirror the spirited sparring that has been a driving creative force behind the brewery since day one.

“The lion and the bear tell the story of the brewery,” Smith said. “They go right to the heart of the brand and the beers. There’s power in an icon, and we want to illustrate this more prominently.”

The new packaging for DBA, Pale 31 and Union Jack will begin rolling out on October 15. Corresponding new tap handles featuring the new beer logos will follow soon.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.