Gritty McDuff's Releases 21 IPA to Launch Its 21st Year
Maine craft brewer Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Company (www.grittys.com) has launched its 21st year of brewing award-winning beers by introducing its exceptional new anniversary beer: Gritty’s “21 IPA.”
Gritty’s 21 IPA is currently available at beer retailers throughout Maine, and increasingly available in bars, pubs, taverns, restaurants and beer retailers throughout New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Gritty’s 21 IPA is a unique marriage of American hops, with a British body utilizing English 2-Row Pale Malts brewed in the India Pale Ale style. Significant amounts of Munich and Cara malts give the beer a rich, golden hue.
Gritty’s brews its 21 IPA in small, 14-barrel batches at its Freeport, Maine, brewery. Both Willamette and Warrior hops are added at the finish to produce a beer which begins with a hoppy aroma and taste that lead to a sweet finish.
The beer has a specific gravity of 1069, an ABV of 6.8%, and an IBU of 60. Gritty’s 21 IPA debuted at the 2008 Maine Brewers Festival in early November, and earned rave reviews from attendees. In a setting that featured Maine’s best beers from some of the state’s most respected brewers, 21 IPA proved to be an instant crowd favorite: the Gritty’s team ran through two kegs of 21 IPA at the one-day festival, and was the first beer of the day to run out.
“We’re proud of the enthusiastic feedback we’ve received from our customers over the past 20 years,” said Richard Pfeffer, Publican of Gritty McDuff’s. “It has been a genuine privilege to brew hand-crafted beer for a growing number of beer-lovers. Our 21 IPA continues our Gritty’s tradition of brewing beers that appeal to serious and casual beer fans alike.”
Gritty McDuff’s 21 IPA is now available in Hannaford supermarkets throughout Maine, as well as in a growing number of supermarkets, beer and wine shops, convenience stores, and other beer retailers in Maine. 21 IPA has a suggested retail price of $6.99 for four-12 ounce bottles, and is also available in 22 oz. bottles.
Excellent Beer and Award-Winning Pubs
Since its founding in 1988, Gritty McDuff’s, Maine’s first brew pub since Prohibition, has brewed creative, quality beers that have earned awards ranging from repeat First Place wins at the annual Real Ale Festival in Chicago, to their most recent award: a silver medal at the prestigious 2007 Great British Beer Festival for Gritty’s cask-conditioned version of the 21 IPA. Gritty’s Brew Pubs also have frequently won in statewide polls the titles of “Maine’s Best Brew Pub,” “Best Maine Microbrew,” and “Best Bar.”
In addition to brewing, Gritty McDuff’s operates three popular brew pubs in Maine. Located in Portland, Freeport and Auburn, the locations draw crowds of all ages. Known for their four seasonal ales and five year-round ales, tempting pub fare and welcoming atmosphere, Gritty’s pubs have been named an Editor’s Pick by Condé Nast Traveler, highlighted as “a legend among New England brewpubs” by The Boston Globe, and cited by Playboy.com as one of the best bars in America. Gritty’s has earned numerous accolades from a wide variety of beer blogs and industry press outlets, as well.
“Brewing excellent session ales is what we do every day, and we poured our hearts into our new 21 IPA,” noted Gritty’s Vice President and Master Brewer, Ed Stebbins. “Our whole team is proud of the reaction we’re already receiving.”
