Green Flash Brewing Co. debuts Road Warrior: A summer beer that is entirely un-sessionable

Green Flash announced the May 2014 national debut of Road Warrior — an Imperial Rye India Pale Ale that is brewed and named to pay tribute to the brewery’s tireless national sales team. The hoppy recipe was derived from a popular brew from the 2013 Hop Odyssey series (simply called Imperial Red Rye). This year, Road Warrior is being introduced for the first time as one of the brewery’s three “seasonal” offerings, with availability from May through August. With a bold flavor profile and 9 percent ABV, Road Warrior is not a typical summer release, but instead offers the consumer a quintessential “occasion beer” as an alternative to craft’s current lawnmower beer craze.

With a 9 percent ABV, Road Warrior is a summer seasonal suited for Lord Humungus, as well as weekend warriors in our own century.

“This is quite possibly the most amount of flavor that can be packed into a glass of red ale,” said Green Flash Brewmaster Chuck Silva. “Columbus and Mosaic hops, rich crystal malts and a touch of spicy rye malt build a mildly sweet, tannic base for Mosaic and Amarillo dry hopping — 2 pounds per barrel — to shine through in the beer’s firm finish. With layers of hop flavor and aroma, Road Warrior offers an amazing hop fruitiness that lends to the beer’s overall drinkability.”

“When we released Imperial Red Rye as part of the 2013 Hop Odyssey series, we were met with an overwhelmingly positive reaction from Tasting Room regulars as well as from fans across the country,” said Mike Hinkley, Green Flash co-founder and chief executive officer. “Ultimately, our sales team pushed for the beer to be produced on a larger scale. They are a convincing bunch so we had no choice but to listen. We named the beer Road Warrior in their honor as a nod to the team’s tireless efforts spent pounding the pavement, and are extremely proud to add this exceptional beer to the Green Flash un-seasonal rotation in 2014.”

Green Flash beer is now available in 48 states (except Utah and Hawaii), and expects to reach all 50 states by the end of 2014. The San Diego-based brewery currently employs a (growing) team of 29 regional sales representatives who are based in key markets across the country. This high-spirited, motley crew of brand ambassadors (aka the road warriors) are a dedicated bunch who tirelessly hit the streets; traveling from town to town and pub to pub sharing the Green Flash experience with everyone they meet while they are on the road. Road Warrior is available in four-packs of 12-ounce bottles, 22-ouncers and on draft nationally wherever Green Flash is sold.