Great Divide Peach Grand Cru Slated for Early October Release

(Denver, CO) – Great Divide Brewing Co. is thrilled to announce its newest limited release beer, Peach Grand Cru. Brewed with fruit picked at the peak of ripeness, this strong Belgian-style ale marries two of the Centennial State’s well known offerings: great beer and fresh Palisade, Colorado peaches.

The small, Western Slope town of Palisade is a household name throughout Colorado for its highly-anticipated seasonal peach crop. To brew Peach Grand Cru, Great Divide sourced organic peaches from Palisade’s Rancho Durazno, a farm owned by longtime family friends of brewery Founder and President Brian Dunn.

First brewed as a single 7-barrel pilot batch in 2012, Peach Grand Cru is a true small batch success story. With its powerful fresh peach aroma and complementary Belgian yeast character, visitors to the Great Divide Tap Room reveled in the beer’s ability to extend peach season beyond summer’s end. Overwhelming demand for the beer inspired the brewery to immediately start planning for a larger batch for 2013’s harvest season. A larger batch, however, was no easy feat, as over 1600 pounds of peaches are used to brew one 50-barrel batch.

Packaged in large format bottles with a hearty 12% alcohol by volume, Peach Grand Cru is meant to be shared with friends and paired with great foods. Among the many food pairing possibilities, Great Divide recommends stuffed mushrooms, smoked chicken quarters, roasted baby artichokes, buttermilk blue cheese, and, of course, grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream.

In addition to the 750ml bottles, limited draft will also be available in select markets where Great Divide distributes. With a scheduled early October release, the brewery intends for Peach Grand Cru to be consumed fresh, but savored well beyond the orchard.

Great Divide brews some of the globe’s most balanced yet assertive and flavorful beers. These beers have landed an impressive amount of acclaim, earning 17 Great American Beer Festival medals and 5 World Beer Cup awards. Named “Top Brewer In Colorado” by Ratebeer.com (2013), 12th on their list of “Best Brewers In The World” (2013) and 7th on BeerAdvocate’s “All-Time Top Breweries On Planet Earth” (2010), Great Divide is one of America’s most decorated breweries. But why take their word for it? Crack open a bottle and decide for yourself.