Available now on shelves in Georgia and Wisconsin is a surprising collaboration between two Molson Coors brands, Terrapin Beer Co. and Five Trail blended American whiskey.
The pair teamed up to produce Double Barrel Red Ale. At 12.5% alcohol-by-volume, the barrel-aged imperial red ale was not only aged in whiskey barrels but used its grain bill, as well. The beer sat in freshly emptied whiskey barrels for five months, absorbing complex flavors, including oak notes which resulted in a beer perfect for pairing with rich holiday meals.
- With a bold, dark cherry flavor profile with hints of vanilla, “it’s unlike any barrel-aged beer we’ve created before,” says Dustin Watts, Terrapin’s president.
THE BIG PICTURE
The collab gives legal-age drinkers a premium craft beer option during the holiday season when sales of spirits typically soar.
Watts says he hopes to see Double Barrel paired alongside Five Trail at retail locations in Georgia and Wisconsin: “Typically, people are going into liquor stores and looking for spirits and wine, so this is a unique way to also bring beer sales to life during the holiday season.”
ZOOM IN
Combining Terrapin’s craft credentials with Five Trail, the award-winning whiskey from Coors Spirits Co., helped unleash the creativity of Terrapin’s brewers, Watts says.
“We didn’t want to make your traditional barrel-aged stout,” he says. “Instead of throwing in a current Terrapin beer, we designed an imperial red ale with the grain bill of the whiskey at the center of the recipe.”
“It's got a big head of vanilla, along with stone fruit and raisin characteristics,” Watts says. “I’d pair it with roasted duck or pork tenderloin. Any meal with cranberry sauce will improve with Double Barrel.”
Double Barrel is sold in four-packs of 16-ounce cans.
“Georgia is our home market, but Wisconsin is our third-largest state and there’s a great opportunity with the distributor network there to co-brand this,” says Watts.
The two brands’ relationship will continue even after this release.
After the beer was bottled, the barrels were returned to Kentucky, where Five Trail will put them to good use. They’ll be refilled with whiskey for an upcoming limited Five Trail release of Terrapin Cask Strength blended American whiskey that will be available in select markets late next year.