Skip to main content

Southern Tier Adds New IPAs and Low-Calorie Brew to Lineup

Throughout its history, Southern Tier Brewing Company has curated a wide portfolio of beers ranging in style from light, lemongrass-forward saisons (Sonnet) to dense, thick imperial pumpkin stouts (Warlock). Southern Tier gets a lot of buzz for its boundary-pushing beers, but like many other breweries, the less extreme brews don’t get enough love.

So it’s worth remembering that for every rich and decadent dessert ale like Creme Brûlée Stout, there’s an equally enjoyable beer like 8 Days a Week, a less sexy but satisfyingly crushable blonde ale.

Recommended Videos

Southern Tier recently added three new year-round beers to its lineup, and all three touch on current trends in the world of craft beer. Nu Juice IPA and Lake Shore Fog join the fray of sweet, juicy IPAs on store shelves, while Swipe Light is part of a new wave of low-calorie craft brews.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Juicy” India Pale Ales are beers saturated with citrus-forward hops. Some are so rich with orange, grapefruit and lemon flavors that they actually taste like they were squeezed straight from the fruit. These beers also have a relatively low bitterness for IPAs, making them easy-drinking hop bombs. Nu Juice is a strong example of the style, with only 30 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) and a days-long hopping schedule utilizing Simcoe, Ekuanot, and Mosaic hops. Those hops provide tastes of tangerine and mango, and the beer comes in at an approachable 6% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Lake Shore Fog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Lake Shore Fog is firmly in the juicy camp but is also billed as a “hazy” IPA due to its cloudiness. Brand new for 2019, Lake Shore Fog is brewed with Mosaic, Amarillo and Citra hops and is also mild on the bitterness front. What makes this beer stand out is the sweet malt base that accompanies the stone fruit and pineapple flavors. It’s substantive at 6.5% ABV, and also a refreshing thirst quencher.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Swipe Light is a choice for drinkers who want the more complex flavor profile of a craft beer, but with lower alcohol, fewer calories and almost no bitterness. At only 4% ABV and a lowly 15 IBUs, Swipe Light has a hint of citrus and a sweet biscuit character that put it at the top of the pack in this increasingly crowded craft beer segment. Targeted to the fitness and diet-conscious crowd, expect to see even more of this style in the future.

The next time you’re passing by the Southern Tier collection at your bottle shop, keep an eye out for these new beers — and don’t forget to pick up a few old classics as well.

Lee Heidel
Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…
Ferment Brewing releases new year-round west coast IPA
A new west coast IPA in a luminous can
Ferment Brewing Bright West IPA.

One of the most underrated west coast breweries just dropped a new can. Ferment Brewing has released Bright West, a west coast IPA made in Oregon. The beer is available in 12-ounce cans and is an ideal pour for the long spring and summer days ahead.

The beer comes in a striking magenta can and is made with four different hop varieties. Showing citrus, floral notes, and pine, the beer is balanced and finishes nicely. It's a great option for your cooler or fridge as the milder days set in.

Read more
Check out the new pseudo beer creation from Partake Brewing
A refreshing and tropical hop-infused drink
Partake Hop Twist.

One of the more prominent non-alcoholic breweries has a new release for the masses. Partake Brewing, based in Canada, just dropped a sparkling water infused with hops. Called Hop Twist, the NA drink features two hop varieties in Citra and Mosaic.

More like a sparkling water, the drink is fruit driven and features hops that are not so much bitter as citrusy. The resulting drink is clean and thirst-quenching, an ideal sipper for happy hour without the hangover. A slim beverage, Hop Twist contains zero calories, carbs, or sugar.

Read more
Low-ABV session IPAs are perfect summer drinks: Our top picks
The summer was meant for session IPAs
Pouring an IPA

 

If you’re not completely saturated (figuratively) in the world of craft beer, you might see the word “session” and not know what it means. That’s to be expected, as it’s not obvious based on the name. In the simplest terms, “session” is a term used to describe a beer that is low enough in alcohol, so you won’t mind drinking a few during an afternoon or evening session.

Read more