Fire Up the Dragon

New Holland’s bourbon barrel stout gets the royal treatment at Winter Beer Fest and beyond
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New Holland Brewing Co. has focused on the popularity of its bourbon barrel-aged stout and is punching up Dragon’s Milk variants for 2016. In fact, their lineup at the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival will play host to an all-Dragon’s Milk lineup.

“We let our brewers stretch their legs, with the creative challenge of creating and executing one-off variants of Dragon’s Milk, some of which may never be available again,” says Brett VanderKamp, president and founder of New Holland.  Some variations will also be released in bottles (see below).

“Nothing beats a Dragon’s Milk on a winter day, except maybe a Dragon’s Milk you’ve never had before,” VanderKamp adds. “It’s fun and lighthearted and we’re as anxious to see how some of them work as (customers) are!”

Touted as “the Unlimited Release,” stout fans will have 16 varieties from which to choose:

  • Dragon’s Milk
  • Dragon’s Milk Coconut Rum Barrel
  • Dragon’s Milk Mexican Spice Cake
  • Dragon’s Milk Peanut Butter
  • Dragon’s Milk Mint Chocolate
  • Dragon’s Milk Maple Coffee
  • Dragon’s Milk Brandy Barrel Apple Pie
  • Dragon’s Milk Bacon
  • Dragon’s Milk Chocolate & Orange
  • Dragon’s Milk Sarsaparilla
  • Dragon’s Milk Black Cherry
  • Dragon’s Milk Hazelnut
  • Dragon’s Milk Vanilla Chai
  • 2015 Dragon’s Milk Reserve Triple Mash
  • 2014 Dragon’s Milk Reserve with Raspberries
  • 2015 Dragon’s Milk Reserve with Toasted Chilies

New Holland is also hosting “Blues and Brews Bonanza” at Billy’s Lounge on Friday, February 26, from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. There will be Dragon’s Milk and many other special beers, along with cocktails from New Holland’s line of spirits and live music featuring The Strapping Owls and Megan Dooley.

Billy’s Lounge

1437 Wealthy St .SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
616-459-5757
www.billyslounge.com

 

Dragon’s Milk Reserve Bottle Releases

New Holland will be releasing Dragon’s Milk Reserve variants quarterly in 2016.

After expanding their cellaring capacity to more that 3,500 oak barrels, New Holland was able to double or triple the amount of each reserve to be brewed and sold.

Instead of creating a mad rush to get all four styles at once, more consumers will be able to find and purchase the special releases as opposed to 2015, when the whale-hunters (limited release beer stock-pilers) snatched up stock faster than most people could get to the store.

The first scheduled release, Vanilla Chai, will be shipped at the end of January.

“We’re looking forward to releasing the Vanilla Chai reserve,” says VanderKamp. “And the 2016 releases will definitely be an exciting and busy time in the brewhouse. These small runs of Dragon’s Milk are both to satisfy the creativity of our brewers, but also the palates of our fans.”

The second quarter release will be Dragon’s Milk Reserve with Coffee and Chocolate. More information on the third and fourth quarter releases will be provided as 2016 unfolds.

Day of the Dragon

A release party for the Dragon’s Milk Reserve Vanilla Chai variant is January 23 at the Pub on 8th in Holland. Flights of Dragon’s Milk variants will be available, as will 4 packs (or cases) of the 2016 Vanilla Chai release. A special menu feature will be available to pair with your beer.

Note: growler, howler, crowler fills, or individual bottle sales of the Dragon’s Milk Reserves will not be allowed.

New Holland Brewing Co. Pub

66 E 8th Street
Holland, Michigan 49464
www.newhollandbrew.com