O’Fallon Brewery, brewers of 5-Day IPA and other award-winning craft beers, is thinking spring in the doldrums of winter with the launch of its new seasonal beer, Rager Red Irish Ale.
Rager Red is a medium-bodied Irish red ale with hints of caramel and toasted bread. O’Fallon brewmaster, Brian Owens, started with two-row barley and a blend of Munich and Caramel malts. He then added peated malt which is smoked over a fire made of peat moss and is traditionally used to make Irish whiskeys. Owens then added Magnum and Tradition hops to impart some bitterness resulting in an incredibly smooth and balanced red ale.
“We brewed Rager Red to have a firm, malty backbone, and the peated malt creates a rich, smoky, earthy aroma that’s reminiscent of Irish whiskeys,” Owens said. “It has hints of toffee and caramel in the nose and a toasted, nutty flavor. Rager Red is a new twist on the classic Irish red style that will taste great on cold winter nights and is equally suited for St. Patrick’s Day.”
Rager Red is O’Fallon’s new spring seasonal, and it will begin arriving at retailers Jan. 14. The beer will be available in six-packs (12-ounce bottles) and kegs (1/6 and ½ barrels). The beer will be available through mid-April. Rager Red joins Kite Tail (summer) and O’Fallon Pumpkin Beer (fall) in O’Fallon’s seasonal lineup. The company plans to introduce a new winter seasonal in December 2013
Rager Red is 5.5 percent alcohol by volume; 20 IBUs and will be priced at parity to other O’Fallon brands. The brand will be distributed throughout Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin and will be supported with sign-making, point-of-sale materials and retail display enhancers.
The O’Fallon Brewery is located in St. Charles County just northwest of St. Louis, Mo. The company began brewing and selling beer in 2000, leading with its flagship brand, O’Fallon Gold. Today, O’Fallon brews O’Fallon Gold, 5-Day IPA, Hemp Hop Rye, Wheach and Smoked Porter which won a Gold Medal at the 2004 Great American Beer Festival.
