Election - The Beer Thrillers

Craft Beer and Election Day: Sipping Democracy in 2024

B. Kline — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:00:13 +0000

Craft Beer and Election Day: Sipping Democracy in 2024

Liberty Ale by Anchor Steam Brewing – a truly patriotic brew.

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, craft breweries across the nation are once again tapping into the political spirit with creative, election-themed brews. These special releases not only celebrate our democratic process but also provide beer enthusiasts with unique flavors to savor while awaiting election results. Let’s explore some of the most interesting election-inspired craft beers you can enjoy this November.

Pliny for President: A Hoppy Contender

Russian River Brewing Company, known for its iconic Pliny the Elder, has been “running” Pliny for President every election year since 2004. For the 2024 election cycle, they’ve developed a new recipe that’s sure to win over hop lovers:

Style: Triple Dry-Hopped IPA
ABV: 7%
Flavor Profile: Strong notes of stone fruit, tropical flavors, citrus, pine, and resin
Availability: Multiple batches throughout 2024, starting December 12, 2023

This special brew showcases Russian River’s commitment to both quality craft beer and engaging with the political process in a lighthearted way.

(See our beer review on Pliny the Elder.)

Bipartisan Brews: Uniting Beer Lovers Across Party Lines

Beer and Patriotism

Several breweries have created beers that playfully reference both major political parties, allowing drinkers to enjoy a cold one regardless of their political leanings:

The U.N.I.T.Y. by 1310 Kitchen & Bar (Washington, D.C.)

This election special, named after Queen Latifah’s song, aims to bring people together over a shared love of craft beer.

Purple Patch’s Sherry Week Specials

Coinciding with Election Day, this Filipino restaurant in Washington, D.C. offers $8 or $10 pours of specialty sherries, providing a sophisticated alternative to beer while watching election coverage.

Politically Charged Pints

Some breweries use their beers to make more direct political statements or engage voters:

The 270 Challenge at Royal Sands (Washington, D.C.)

This clever promotion ties into the electoral college:

Offering Blue, Red, and Purple themed drinks
If 270 drinks are sold by the end of the night (representing the electoral votes needed to win the presidency), the entire bar receives a round of shots
Starts at 5 p.m. on Election Day

Responsible Drinking on Election Day

While these election-themed beers add a fun element to the political process, it’s crucial to remember the importance of responsible consumption, especially on Election Day. Many bars and restaurants are offering special promotions to encourage civic participation:

Dirty Water (Washington, D.C.): 10% off for showing your “I Voted” sticker
Midlands Beer Garden (Washington, D.C.): $5 beers all night while showing election results on all TVs
Whitlow’s (Washington, D.C.): $5 Bud Light drafts and $8 Front Porch Rocker Teas

Craft Beer’s Role in Political Engagement

The trend of election-themed craft beers highlights how the brewing industry can play a unique role in political engagement. By creating these special releases, breweries:

Encourage political awareness and participation
Provide a common ground for people with different political views
Add a touch of levity to what can be a tense political climate

Voting Themed Beers

Second Sin Brewing’s “I Voted for Kang” and “I Voted for Kodos”

Second Sin Brewing released two beers – “I Voted for Kang” and “I Voted for Kodos”.

I Voted Today by Tired Hands

I Voted Today – Tired Hands

Brews and Ballots: How Beer is Shaping the 2024 Election

As the 2024 election approaches, craft breweries are tapping into the political zeitgeist with creative, election-themed beers. This trend has been fueled by recent high-profile moments connecting politicians and beer culture.

Vice President Kamala Harris made waves during her appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” by cracking open a can of Miller High Life. This strategic choice not only connected her with everyday Americans but also highlighted Wisconsin’s brewing heritage, a key swing state in the upcoming election, Harris’s beer moment has inspired local breweries to consider creating their own “High Life” themed brews for Election Day parties.

Meanwhile, Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance went viral with a campaign video featuring him holding a six-pack of Old Style beer. His catchy tagline, “Make Six Packs Great Again,” tapped into the cultural significance of beer in American social life. This clever marketing could inspire breweries to create limited-edition beers that play off political themes during election seasons.

The concept of “beer polls” has also gained traction, where voters express their candidate preference based on who they’d rather share a drink with. Recent polls suggest more voters would prefer to have a beer with Kamala Harris over Donald Trump, showcasing how beer can be intertwined with political likability.

Savvy breweries are capitalizing on this trend by creating special labels or events themed around these findings. As Election Day approaches, craft beer enthusiasts can expect to see more politically-inspired brews hitting the taps. Whether you’re toasting to democracy or drowning your political sorrows, there’s sure to be a craft beer that speaks to your political palate. Just remember to drink responsibly, especially before heading to the polls!

Conclusion: Toasting to Democracy

Whether you’re celebrating a win, commiserating a loss, or simply participating in the democratic process, there’s likely an election-themed craft beer to suit your taste. As you enjoy these creative brews, remember that the true spirit of Election Day lies in exercising your right to vote and participating in our democracy. So raise a glass to the American political process, savor the craftsmanship of these election-inspired beers, and most importantly, make your voice heard at the ballot box. Cheers to democracy and great craft beer!

You can find lots of fun Instagram posts of people decking themselves out in gear and regalia for the voting and for the drinking, like Stouts and Stilletos Instagram post. Obviously also; there’s just a ton of vitriol and political annoyances on Instagram as well (albeit far less than on Facebook or Twitter) so be weary. Also, as always, beer and Instagram tends to lean towards a lot of “posting for the algorithm” of women in revealing outfits, so be forewarned about that as well.

As you gather with friends and family to discuss the issues that matter most to you, let these craft beers serve as conversation starters. Each sip can spark discussions about policies, candidates, and the future of our nation. Supporting local breweries not only enhances your voting experience but also strengthens community ties. Many breweries are hosting events that encourage civic engagement, offering discounts for those who show their “I Voted” stickers or organizing watch parties for election coverage. This Election Day, take a moment to reflect on the power of your vote and the role that craft beer plays in fostering community spirit. The act of voting is a celebration of freedom and choice, much like selecting your favorite brew from a diverse tap list. So whether you’re sipping an IPA with friends or enjoying a stout while watching the results roll in, remember that each beer has its own story—just like each voter has their own voice. Let’s raise our glasses not just to the beers we love but to the democracy we cherish. Cheers! Cheers to democracy and great craft beer!

(PS: We voted today. Was number 200 at 8:30 AM at our small town voting district. You can check out our Instagram to see our ‘I Voted’ Post.) (Instagram: The_Beer_Thrillers)

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Futurama

Lord of the Rings:

Magic the Gathering:

New Belgium Teams Up with Magic the Gathering for Vastwood Seer IPA

Heroes of Barcadia:

Rollacrit Partners with Voodoo Ranger IPA for New Kickstarter, Heroes of Barcadia: Heroes for Hire Tabletop Game

Zelda:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

The Peanuts:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Philadelphia Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles Running Back – D’Andre Swift – Visits Bald Bird Brewing Company

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

The Muppets:

Other:

Voting:

Beer Review: I Voted Today (Tired Hands)
Some Beers to Enjoy After Voting
Craft Beer and Election Day: Sipping Democracy in 2024

Philosophy:

Philosophy and Craft Beer: A Confluence of Thought and Taste

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MAPS OF BREWERIES

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Genesee Brewing Announces Winner Of Its First Ever Specialty Beer Chosen by Its Fans

B. Kline — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:35:13 +0000

Genesee Brewing Announces Winner Of Its First Ever Specialty Beer Chosen by Its Fans

For the first time ever Genesee Brewing has allowed their fans to help them pick the next specialty beer. And the fans have spoken!

Coming in November, will be the Genesee Brewing: Specialty – Citrus Pils. Genesee Brewing is saying Citrus Pils will be a cousin their beer – Ruby Red.

Voting

After months of voting, and over 10,500 Genesee fans voting – a winner has been selected in Rochester, New York.

The Genesee for ’23 Campaign promoted a crowd sourced approach to selecting and choosing (via voting) their next Specialty Beer. This was the first time Genesee Brewing put it up to vote and let their loyal fans decide the fate of the next specialty beer. So now, Citrus Pils will sit on the Genesee Specialty Beer line right alongside fan favorite Ruby Red Kolsch.

We are so excited for the community to get their hands on the beer that they helped create. As we head into winter, Citrus Pils will offer a bright and refreshing drinking experience during a frosty time of the year.
Tiffany Benning, Brand Manager for Genesee Brewing

Citrus Pils

Citrus Pils is kind of like the winter cousin of Ruby Red, out of 10,500 votes, this flavor won by a land slide. Genny fans can’t seem to get enough of our citrus beers!
Tiffany Benning

Named after the winning flavor profile – winter citrus – Citrus Pils is a pilsner style ale that will deliver bright flavors of tangerine and lime; pulling you out of your wintry blues and right into a warm summer’s day.

Citrus Pils will be available in 12 packs of 12 oz cans starting the first week of November (2023). Citrus Pils will be available across NY, PA, NC, VA, MA, FL, MD, NJ, VT and OH.

More Information on Genesee Brewing

The following comes from Untappd. Genesee Brewing is a subsidiary of Florida Ice and Farm Company S.A., Cervecería Costa Rica (Florida Bebidas). They are listed as a macro brewery from Rochester, NY. They have 335 unique beers and over 252,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.34 (as of 10.19.23).

You can find them at these social media pages:

Their Untappd description was left blank.

Can Releases

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

Beer Review: Wookie Monster (Fourscore Beer Co)

BKline — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 23:03:49 +0000

Wookie Monster by Fourscore Beer Co.

Had to go back and revisit this beauty last night with this being ‘stout season’ and what all… despite how nice and warm its been. But anyway, this has been one I’ve been meaning to review for a while, since I finally got my hands on a four pack of it back around August I believe. I’ve left one in the fridge for a nice night to drink and do up a review, and that is exactly what I got for you here.

This is one of many (many) nerdy or pop culture beers I’ve done. Yesterday I listed some in my review for Super Villain. So we can add this to that growing list of beers.

As I said yesterday: “Nerd culture definitely speaks to me. Look at my numerous beer reviews on here that are Star Wars themed, or video game themed, or some TV show themed. Jon Voight’s Car, Out of Order – Blue Milk, Moon of Vega, This is the Way, This is Nut The Fluff You’re Looking For, etc. You can see Josh also is very fond of nerd culture / pop culture and beers clashing with his latest review – Terpenes in Time.”

So instead of lamenting, and worrying about the election results and letting anxiety run amok, and with The Mandalorian episode two (of season two) coming out tomorrow, and since today is International Stout Day, why not do a fun, Star Wars themed stout for today’s blog and beer review.

After taking my dog (Leela) for a walk, which I did as a way of pausing my work on this review – because I’m the ultimate procrastinator, it was such a beautiful day that I had to sit out and do some day drinking.

Day drinking and reading

So I ended up having a fantastic IPA from Stickman Brews – The Growfather (gotta love a Godfather beer / hop pun) (don’t worry, this will be a review soon), and then I took down the hops finally. Then I decided to finish the last of my Wookie Monster stouts.

So what should have been done around 12 – noon – is now only getting finished up at 5PM, and before I head over to Drew’s to do tonight’s stream.

Which I also picked out the stouts for tonight’s stream, since it’s International Stout Day, I decided we’d have nothing but stouts for the stream.

Stouts picked out for tonight’s video stream

Well, minus the Wookie Monster…. since I drank that now. Which, speaking of that, lets get to this review and finish up today’s post!

Wookie Monster by Fourscore Beer Co

Beer: Wookie Monster
Brewery: Fourscore Beer Co
Style: Stout – Imperial / Double
ABV: 9%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Brewed with malted oats, chit malt, flaked oats and Maris otter base with a variety of specialty malts. Conditioned on over 100 lbs of Oreo cookies, along with organic cacao nibs and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans along with milk sugar. Medium bodied to restrain the sweetness, but still full enough to satisfy. Liquid Oreo cookies in a glass with a “managable” abv!

I’ll lean on an old favorite saying for the appearance – its black; as black as Razor Ramon’s hair. (Not Scott Hall’s hair; Razor Ramon’s.) This is the epitome of black, like those materials that block all light and absorb it, like black holes, its a silk, smooth looking black, with a very thin head to it, the head was off white cream to slight brown. Small head but with dispersed bubbles.

Nose to this is extreme Oreo chocolate / fudge chocolate smell. The cacao nibs really makes the Oreo cookie smell pop. There is some sweetness to this, like the white cream filling, you get vanilla from the beans, Oreo cream, and the milk sugar. It ends with a hint of the bourbon but so faint, like its drifting on the wind. The chocolate is the most overwhelming aroma to this.

Then we get to taste….. and ohmergerrrrdddd this is amazing. “Amazeballs” as the cool hip kids that I hang out with say…. But in all serious, this is one hundred and thirty eight percent delicious. If you like chocolate and you like dark heavy stouts, then this is everything you could ask for. Immediately on the first sip you get blasted with the heavy chocolate coming from the cocoa nibs and Oreo cookies. Heavy. Strong. Blam. Right out the gate, no waiting for it. Then as you sip you get in that smoothness, that silkiness, that gentle relaxing creaminess that comes from the vanilla cream part of the Oreos, from the Madagascar vanilla beans, and from the milk sugar. But, right at the end, it has a little bit of a kick of bourbon, enough to make this feel boozier, to taste boozier, to lend this like a very rich dark backbone to an already amazing brew. This feels heavier and denser and richer and boozier than its 9% belies, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I really think the 9% “manageable ABV” is tucked away and hidden because the beer feels more like a 11-12%. Its definitely not one to pound or chugg or shotgun or crush a four pack of. But that takes nothing away from how amazing this beer is. The flavors all work together so perfectly well, and its so rich and creamy that it goes down very smooth, its just so dense and heavy that you’ll fill full from drinking one. The chocolate and the vanilla combine perfectly in this, just like they do in real Oreos, that its so fantastically done. Hopefully this will be brewed again because this is downright phenomenal.

My Untappd Rating: ****.50
Global Untappd Rating: 4.15 (as of 11.5.20)

Now remember everyone, Chewbacca is a Wookie, and he is 8 feet tall, but he does *NOT* live on Endor with 3 foot tall Ewoks. Wookies are from Kashyyyk and live there, (or out in the galaxy) not on Endor with the Ewoks.

Wookiepedia: “Wookiees were a species of tall, hairy humanoids that were native to the planet Kashyyyk. The most notable member of this species was the warrior Chewbacca, Han Solo‘s best friend and co-pilot, who played a vital role in the Clone Wars during the defense of Kashyyyk, the Galactic Civil War by aiding the Rebel Alliance in their fight against the Galactic Empire, and the war against the First Order. They were quite strong, and were known to rip people’s arms out of their sockets when provoked. Though being from a temperate planet better known for its swamps and forests, they were able to be comfortable on icy worlds such as Ilum and Hoth without any protective clothing, including gloves and boots.” (Source: Wookies article on Wookiepedia.)

Also, Happy Guy Fawkes Day.

“Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli’ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d (or by God’s mercy*)
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holla boys, Holla boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!”
(Wikipedia – Gunpowder Plot.)

Also, of course, Happy International Stout Day. Hopefully everyone has some good stouts lined up to drink today / tonight. (And well, every day and night, because lets be honest, its always Stout Season and Stout Day.)

Make sure to check us – myself, Rory, and Drew – on the Knights of Nostalgia page as we play The Last of Us tonight and drink some very excellent stouts. One of which is the Peanut Butter Udder One, that I have done a review of before.

Also, be sure to check out some of our other beer reviews in recent history:

You can check out the tabs at the top of each page to visit our BEER REVIEWS, BEER EDUCATION, TRAVELOGUES, etc. Be sure to check out all the latest beer reviews, as we’re pumping a lot out in recent time.

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Cheers!

-B. Kline