The ongoing series of collaboration projects from Ecliptic Brewing continues. The Portland brewery teamed up with Seattle’s Ravenna Brewing to create Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager. Shipping begins next week. Look for it in cans and on tap at better beer retailers thereafter.
“I met Tommy, Audra, and the rest of the Ravenna crew last year,” says John Harris, Ecliptic Brewing’s owner and brewmaster. “We had a good time tasting beers and talking about current beer styles and trends. I like collaborating with a Seattle brewery every year, and Ravenna was the perfect choice for 2023.”
Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager starts with a malt bill that includes Pale and Pilsner Malts. The juicy part of the equation comes from the use of Enigma, Cashmere, and Mandarina Bavaria hops. The beer is described as having notes of white grape, red currant, and lime-orange citrus flavors bursting all at once on the palette. ABV: 5.5%. IBU: 35.
“In the planning process we landed on Enigma hops and brewing something other than an IPA,” says Harris. “Both breweries love lager beer, and the concept of bringing the newer hop varieties and their juicy, citrus, and slight tropical flavors/aromas into a beer just made sense. Thus, we bring to the universe a juicy lager beer–lending aromas and flavors reminiscent of ones you see in the IPA style, but in a lower ABV lager.”
“We loved meeting John and the Ecliptic team at our Seattle taproom last summer,” says the crew at Ravenna Brewing. “As we chatted while sampling beers from our respective breweries, we talked styles, techniques, and ingredients we are all excited about. Sharing ideas with exceptional brewers is undoubtedly one of the best aspects of the industry. When John invited us to collaborate on a beer, the answer was an immediate and enthusiastic ‘yes!’. Some of us on the brew team have been enjoying John’s creations and contributions to the craft beer world for nearly twenty years, and it’s a treat to be able to put our heads together with John and Phil as we work on creating a beer to share with the community.”
Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager will be released in 16-ounce cans and draft throughout Ecliptic Brewing’s distribution network on April 19th. A release party is planned on April 27th in Portland, as well as May 2nd in Seattle. Visit Ecliptic’s website for up-to-date details on this release and release events.
For more news about recent beer releases, visit the Washington Beer Blog’s New Beer Releases page.