Fresh Hop releases are coming earlier and earlier every year. It’s no different at Ground Breaker Brewing, the first dedicated and most decorated gluten-free brewery in the United States. The Portland, OR based craft brewery is set to release Epoch Fresh Hop IPA on September 8th. Epoch is brewed with 200 pounds of fresh StrataⓇ hops from Goschie Farms and Indie Hops.

“It’s an exciting time of the year for us, we’re always happy when we get to share fresh hop beers with our customers,” said Head Brewer Tyler Kueber.

Ground Breaker’s second fresh hop release will arrive on September 21st. Gayle Fresh Hop IPA is named after Gayle Goschie and brewed with 200 pounds of fresh Crystal hops sourced from Goschie Farms. “This is our tenth year working with Gayle Goschie,” said Founder James Neumeister. “It’s always a pleasure to go out to the farm and see her. We look forward to it every year. She really grows the best hops in the Pacific Northwest.”

Gayle Fresh Hop IPA, made with fresh Crystal hops

Ground Breaker’s fresh hop releases will soon begin hitting store shelves in distributed territories across the United States and possibly as far as British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. “We do our best to ensure every one of our distribution partners has the opportunity to bring in at least a few cases,” said Operations Manager Jesse Bufton. “If you’re a Ground Breaker customer and you’re having trouble finding Epoch or Gayle in your area, reach out to us, reach out to your local distributor. We’ll do our best to get the beer to you.”

Ground Breaker Brewing, the Great American Beer Festival® and World Beer Cup® winning dedicated gluten-free brewery, released their latest seasonal beer this week. At 5.1% alcohol by volume Luella is a Belgian Pale Ale with pleasantly complex notes of bread, toast, biscuit, and caramel. Fruit and spice characters provided by Belgian yeast round out this sessionable ale.

Luella is a namesake for Luella Love of Love Farm. Love Farm is a family-owned community-supported agricultural farm nestled in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range. Luella Love founded Love Farm in 1905 with her husband John where for over 100 years the Love family has been dedicated to growing fresh produce and berries. Ground Breaker Brewing’s Gastropub at 2030 SE 7th Avenue in Portland is a drop off location for Love Farm CSA members.

“Most of the beers we produce at Ground Breaker start with ‘what do I want to drink right now?’” said James Neumeister, Founder and Head of Research and Development at Ground Breaker Brewing. “A Belgian pale ale is an any time of the year beer but with a lower ABV and its fruity-spicy yeast character, it is well suited for a late summer to fall transition beer.”

Luella was first released by the brewery in early 2015. “With the many new ingredients available to us, it is very exciting to revisit a style like Belgian pale,” remarked Head Brewer Tyler Kueber. “We’re really happy with how it came out.”

Luella is currently available on draft and in 16 ounce cans at Ground Breaker Brewing and Gastropub. It will begin shipping to distribution partners in the coming weeks.

Front Loader IPA, a 7.4% West Coast style IPA, is the latest release from the 100% gluten-free craft brewery. Brewed with rice, millet, buckwheat, flaked quinoa and over two pounds of hops per barrel. Ground Breaker is billing Front Loader IPA as a spiritual successor to IPA No. 4, a beer whose production ceased when the brewery made line up changes in 2015.

“People ask about IPA No. 4 constantly,” said Founder and Head of R&D James Neumeister. “It was a beer with a small but dedicated following.” Neumeister pointed out that Front Loader is not simply a carbon copy. “We’re always learning new techniques, honing our craft, experimenting with new ingredients. It’s really an improved No. 4 with a new identity.”

“We’ve been overwhelmed with hype beer the last few years, for lack of a better term,” remarked Head Brewer Tyler Kueber. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a classic Northwest style, high IBU IPA. There is a growing nostalgia for this style right now.”

Front Loader IPA will be available in a 16 ounce can package and on draft at the Ground Breaker Gastropub. It will be distributed to Ground Breaker territories in the coming weeks.

(Portland, OR) – The popular single hop IPA returns to the 100% dedicated gluten-free brewery’s lineup. Ground Breaker Brewing’s Route 20 IPA is named after the longest continuous road in the United States, U.S. Route 20. This gluten-free IPA clocks in at 6% alcohol by volume. The 2020 release of Route 20 has been “New Englandized,” making it the third hazy or juicy IPA from the seven time Great American Beer Festival® medal winning brewery.

“Route 20 has always been the beer where we feel free to play with new ingredients and techniques,” said Head Brewer Tyler Kueber. “We’ve learned a lot over the past year using these new ingredients. It’s exciting to use them to bring newer styles of beer to the gluten-free community.”

Ground Breaker isn’t done pushing the limits with Route 20. “We plan on releasing a fresh hop version of this beer in the coming weeks so people will be able to taste the New Englandized and a fresh hop New Englandized side by side,” revealed Kueber.

Route 20 New Englandized IPA is currently available in 16 ounce cans and on draft at the Ground Breaker Gastropub. It will be distributed to Ground Breaker territories in the coming weeks.

The second Ground Breaker Brewing release of the year is a Bavarian inspired affair. Dampfbier, a gluten-free ale brewed with weizen yeast, will soon be hitting the shelves. At 4.5% alcohol by volume and 14 IBU it maintains similar spicy and fruit characteristics of Hefeweizen. To put a definitive Pacific Northwest stamp on their rendition, Dampfbier is dry-hopped with Santiam hops to complement the natural banana esters and clove-like phenols produced by the weizen yeast. 

Ground Breaker’s first Experiment Ale Series release saw the brewery successfully deliver on a long-held goal: crafting an American-style Porter in gluten-free form. No to be slowed by the success of Paddy Porter, the 100% dedicated gluten-free craft brewery out of Portland, Oregon is looking to provide something more Continentally inspired for their second seasonal offering of the year. 

Originating in the rural Bavarian Forest region of what is the modern Czech Republic and Germany, Dampfbier is basic and utilitarian. Brewers of the region made beers with 100% barley malt because wheat was expensive and prioritized as food instead of beverage. 

Being a dedicated gluten-free brewery, Ground Breaker’s rendition obviously doesn’t have wheat or barley but that didn’t stop Head Brewer Tyler Kueber from exploring the style. “We’re very excited to bring this lesser-known Bavarian style to the gluten-free community,” remarked Kueber. “This may be the first time that we’ve replicated a style that many traditional beer drinkers may have never experienced themselves.”

Available now in 22 ounce bottles, Dampfbier is an exploration in the diversity of beer, Kueber explained. “Nearly all of our beers are meant to be poured quietly. With this release folks should feel free to rouse Dampfbier before they pour it for more of that weizen flavor.”

Rouse before pouring for that classic flavor and look.