New Belgium Brewing & Four Roses Bourbon Launch THE Beer for Bourbon Lovers

For Immediate Release – November 1, 2021

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (November 1, 2021) – New Belgium Brewing and Four Roses Bourbon today announced the highly anticipated 2021 release of Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale – a pioneering, and highly distinctive beer brewed using a custom-built, proprietary infusion method which pulls flavors from bourbon-steeped charred oak and marries it with a malty sweet, deep amber ale. 

First released by New Belgium in 2018, Oakspire quickly became a favorite among beer and bourbon lovers alike.  This year, seeking to up the ante with innovation and world-class bourbon flavors, the brewery collaborated with Four Roses Bourbon, known for their smooth, fruit forward and slightly spicy bourbons, to invent a brewing process that would represent the absolute best of both beverages.

“The process of brewing Oakspire is truly a brewer’s take on distilling, turning bourbon-soaked oak char into a unique and delicious beer,” said Astrid Moresco, Specialty Brand Manager at New Belgium Brewing. “We loved collaborating with Four Roses to bring Oakspire to life through creativity and craftsmanship. If you love bourbon – or just love beer – this is one you must try.”

How exactly are those signature flavors extracted? To start, over the course of a year, Four Roses collects charred oak chips from inside their bourbon barrels as they are emptied. These oak chips contain caramelized wood sugars, which add notes of brown sugar, caramel, and toffee, and add color to the whiskey while it ages. Next, a barrel maker in Minnesota toasts a custom blend of oak spirals which are then soaked in Four Roses’ bourbon. Meanwhile, New Belgium’s world-class brewing engineers construct a series of custom, stainless steel vessels to hold the charred oak and wood spirals. New Belgium’s high-rye base ale then circulates through the vessels during maturation, infusing the flavor from the charred oak and bourbon-soaked spirals, resulting in a stunning, one-of-a-kind bourbon ale with a cult following.

“Four Roses and New Belgium make for great partners because we both are committed to our craft and our own processes, and New Belgium’s innovative approach brings the result of our individual crafts together perfectly,” said Four Roses Chief Operating Officer, Ryan Ashley. “Oakspire takes a different approach from the traditional bourbon barrel ale that brings the rich Four Roses flavor notes forward in quite a remarkable way.”

THE beer for bourbon lovers, Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale is available for purchase at select retailers across the country.  For more information on Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale, visit newbelgium.com. To find the nearest Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale or any of New Belgium’s other offerings, visit our beer finder. 

Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale was brewed and bottled with the following characteristics:

• Alcohol: 9%
• Style: Bourbon Barrel Ale
• Hops: Nugget, Sabro
• Malt: Pale, Munich, Caramel 80, Rye, Roasted Barley
• Visual: Deep Amber
• Flavor and aroma:  Expect notes of toffee, vanilla, caramel, and hints of coconut and dark fruit  
• Availability: Select retailers nationwide

About New Belgium Brewing

New Belgium was founded in 1991 in Fort Collins, Colo., by Kim Jordan, a social worker, who built her company the only way a social worker would: People first. From the beginning, New Belgium established norms that were and still are rare in the business world: fully paid healthcare premiums for all coworkers, paying a living wage, open-book management, renewable energy sourcing, a free onsite medical clinic staffed by a doctor trained in trans medicine, and much more – practices that, all together, represent a unique ‘human-powered’ business model that has expanded over the years, especially in advocating for human-powered business practices among larger companies. New Belgium expanded to Asheville, N.C., in 2016; Denver, Colo., in 2018, and San Francisco in 2021, and is currently the fastest-growing craft brewer in America. The company is famous for its flagship beer, Fat Tire Amber Ale, along with year-round favorites like Voodoo Ranger IPA (America’s #1 IPA brand), Dominga Mimosa Sour, and La Folie Sour Brown Ale; as well as an award-winning wood-aged sour program and innovative limited release beers. To learn more about the full product lineup and New Belgium’s Human Powered Business model, visit NewBelgium.com.

About Four Roses Distillery

Established in 1888, Four Roses combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to distill and age 10 distinct Bourbon recipes, each with its own unique flavor profile. With distilling and warehousing operations in Lawrenceburg and Cox’s Creek, Kentucky, respectively, Four Roses is dedicated to producing award-winning Bourbons with smooth and mellow tastes and finishes. Four Roses is available in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.fourrosesbourbon.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Contact:

Megan Olson                                                              

[email protected]

Jordan Shellhaas

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