As Christmas trees hit the sidewalks come early January, so do some beloved seasonal ales take their leave. Today, Deschutes Brewery says farewell to its Cinder Cone Red Ale, which has been an annual staple of the brewery’s seasonal beers since 2003.
New beers for a new year
As Christmas trees hit the sidewalks come early January, so do some beloved seasonal ales take their leave. Today, Deschutes Brewery says farewell to its Cinder Cone Red Ale, which has been an annual staple of the brewery’s seasonal beers since 2003. The Portland and Bend breweries will be throwing a going-away party for the occasion, while also ushering in the new Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale (NWPA).
Cinder Cone has been a favorite among beer drinkers since its inception. In its first year, the beer won a gold medal for amber ales in the North American Beer Awards. It went on to win seven more awards in its seven-year life span, including being named one of the world’s 50 best beers by the International Beer Challenge in 2006.
The remaining stock of the red ale in six-packs, 12-packs and draft will be sold throughout Oregon and Washington. Today marks its going-away party while Deschutes additionally introduces Red Chair NWPA, a new seasonal ale that promises to be just as tasty.
The NWPA stands for Northwest Pale Ale, paying homage to the brewery’s Oregon roots. Like the former red ale, this beer has citrus notes, an abundance of hops and features the same robust 6.4 percent alcohol by volume. The main difference lies in its lighter color and prominent malt overtones.
Red Chair NWPA’s name alludes to the oldest operating chairlift at Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort. Deschutes often names its beers after local figures or monuments, and just as Cinder Cone Red referred to the Red Hill slope on Mt. Bachelor, this beer again follows the former seasonal ale by taking its name from the local ski resort.
Red Chair NWPA is being officially released today at the Deschutes Breweries in Portland and Bend as part of the farewell to Cinder Cone Red Ale. In celebration, the Portland brewery is hosting a large raffle, which anyone visiting the brewery is welcome to enter. Prizes range from pricey deals like ski lift tickets and ski resort lodging to lower-end awards such as beer.
Another seasonal ale from Deschutes, Hop Henge Experimental IPA, also makes its debut this month. A seriously hoppy ale that incorporates local Centennial and Cascade hops, this beer too is worth a taste.
