The Sam Adams brewers today announced the anticipated release of Samuel Adams Cold Snap, a Belgian-style unfiltered White Ale with a bright snap of seasonal citrus, fruit and floral spices, perfect for snapping out of the cold weather funk. Inspired by the season and its changing weather, Sam Adams is also asking drinkers how they celebrate the weather with Cold Snap in hand. Via Twitter, @SamuelAdamsBeer will be tracking weather-related social posts across the country in real time with the “Cold Snap Cold Map”. The city that tweets the most about the weather will be awarded Cold Snap parties this season.
Cold Snap is brewed with an exotic blend of fruits, flowers and spices from around the world including Grains of Paradise from West Africa, anise from Turkey, hibiscus from Egypt and Nigeria, tamarind from India and fresh-ground coriander from California, to create just the right balance of flavor and character. The brew is bright and fresh, with flavors ranging from the subtle fruit sweetness of orange peel and plum to the distinct, peppery bite of fresh-ground coriander. Pale and wheat malts give Cold Snap its hazy golden appearance and crisp, smooth finish.
The Sam Adams brewers use a special brewing method to add the spices to Cold Snap called “dry spicing,” which is similar to “dry hopping.” Unlike a traditional white ale, which only adds spices to the kettle process of brewing (the part when you boil water and add hops and malt), the brewers also add spices during the phase of brewing after fermentation, called “ruh,” to add more flavor and complexity. This process avoids over-brewing the ingredients that sometimes result in a harsh aftertaste (similar to the taste of leaving a teabag in hot water for too long). Instead, Cold Snap is perfectly infused with a smooth and flavorful character of fruits, flowers and spices.
“Let’s face it, there are times when the weather in January and February just sucks and all you can do is wait for better weather. So in the spirit of looking forward to spring, we brewed Cold Snap with its crisp, vibrant character and exotic fruits and spices. It captures the essence of the season with maybe some snow on the ground and thoughts of spring in our heads,” said Jim Koch, Samuel Adams Founder and Brewer.
After one of the snowiest winters in Boston’s history, the brewers know first-hand that at this time of year, drinkers flock to social media to air their cold weather experiences. So this year, Samuel Adams is asking Twitter users around the country to tweet @SamuelAdamsBeer using hashtag #SnapTheCold to show how they celebrate the weather. All cold weather-related tweets will be tracked in real-time on the “Cold Snap Cold Map” during the coldest week of the year from January 17th to January 23rd, and Sam Adams will reward the most vocal city with Sam Adams parties in their city where drinkers and Doppler followers can unite over a beer. Craft beer drinkers can visit www.SamuelAdams.com/ColdestCity for more info on the Cold Map and to see where their city stands.
Samuel Adams Cold Snap will be available nationwide from January through mid-March in 6-packs for a suggested retail price of $7.99-$9.99, 12-packs (bottles and cans) for a suggested retail price of $14.99-$17.99 and on draft. It is also available as part of the Samuel Adams Cabin Pack variety 12-Pack for a suggested retail price of $14.99-$17.99. (All prices vary by market.)
