SPEAKEASY RELEASING NEW YEAR-ROUND LAGER

(San Francisco, CA) – After a year in which the brewery grew to nearly 30,000 barrels, Speakeasy is expanding their 2014 portfolio to include a new year-round lager brand. Complementing the brewery’s flagship Big Daddy IPA and Gold Medal-Winning Prohibition Ale, Metropolis Lager is a West Coast take on a traditional all-malt lager, with the twist of a liberal dry-hopping addition.

“We are in the midst of an exciting time for lagers in craft and I think Metropolis fills an important gap in our lineup,” says Brewmaster Kushal Hall. “By blending four varieties of German Hallertau with Pacific Gem and Mosaic hops we created a floral, tropical character that defies tradition and stands uniquely apart with a balance of hop intensity and character.”

Speakeasy started in 1997 with just two beers—an ale and a lager—and like many small breweries, a lack of capacity became prohibitive for producing lagers with any significant volume. With the brewery expanding its capacity up to 50,000 barrels in 2014, the opportunity to enter the burgeoning craft lager category presented itself.

“American beer culture has long been defined by lagers rather than ales,” says the brewery’s founder, Forest Gray. ”We are excited to introduce Metropolis—a Speakeasy lager that represents our sensibilities when lagers are gaining acceptance and market share within our craft beer community.”

Metropolis Lager will kick off on tap exclusively in San Francisco throughout SF Beer Week and events throughout the month of February. Six packs will begin hitting shelves in Northern California in March with a full rollout of draft and package coming to all markets by the beginning of summer.