The Portland, Oregon based gluten-free craft brewery continues to do their part in the ongoing revival of lager beers with the release of Defiance Dark Lager. Ground Breaker Brewing’s nod to the Schwarzbier style comes in at 5.1% alcohol by volume and is available in 16 ounce cans. 

“Dark Lagers have always been some of my favorite styles of beer,” said Head Brewer Tyler Kueber. “As always it can be a challenge to recreate some of these more delicate styles of beer in the gluten-free world, but after a lot of R&D we are very happy with the results.”

Defiance Dark Lager

This dark lager has a strong malt aroma without being excessively roasty. Toasted bread, caramel, nuttiness, dark plum and hints of chocolate round out the flavor profile. Delicately hopped with noble European hop varieties, this seasonal lager is designed to be enjoyed next to a warm autumn fire.
 
“We have really enjoyed putting out more lager beers in the last couple years,” said Head of Operations Jesse Bufton. “Tyler and I love schwarzbier in particular, and we've always wanted to create a gluten-free version at Ground Breaker. ”

Defiance Dark Lager has already begun shipping out to Ground Breaker’s many distribution partners. Look for it to arrive on store shelves in the coming weeks.

Oktoberfest season is upon us and Ground Breaker Brewing’s Amber Lager has arrived in time for the party. The Portland, Oregon based gluten-free craft brewery is releasing a small batch of their Märzenbier-inspired lager on September 14th.

“We’ve really enjoyed playing around with lager beers the last couple of years,” said Head Brewery Tyler Kueber. “This is the first one that kicked off our deep dive into lagers and we love bringing it back every year.”

Amber Lager, an American Tribute to Bavarian Lagers

Elegant, malty and with a restrained bitterness, Amber Lager is 5.4% alcohol by volume and 20 IBUs. First released in spring 2020, Amber Lager has seen small releases in spring and autumn since 2021.

“Inclusivity is at the core of Ground Breaker,” said Founder James Neumeister. “We’re pleased to be able to provide the Oktoberfest experience for our gluten-free customers.”

Amber Lager will begin hitting store shelves in distributed territories across the United States and Canada. “As always you can ask your favorite stores to bring this beer in through our distribution partners,” remarked Operations Manager Jesse Bufton. “You can find a list of distribution partners and the territories they cover on our website.”

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, has started 2022 off by releasing the first in a new series of beers. Brewer’s Delight is a small-batch rapid release series of beers in 16 ounce cans.

Release No. 001 in the series is Cherry Delight, a malty golden ale fermented with Philly Sour yeast and conditioned on a double dose of sweet cherries. Cherry Sour is 6.2% ABV and 19 IBU. Philly Sour is a species of yeast (Lachancea thermotolerans) that produces lactic acid and alcohol. Isolated from a dogwood tree in a West Philadelphia cemetery, Philly Sour can produce a tart and sour ale without using bacteria or mixed fermentation.

“We have been experimenting with these yeast over the last year and have really enjoyed the beers it produces,” said Head Brewer Tyler Kueber. “We have limited space and a crowded production schedule so it’s very exciting to be able to produce an accessible sour beer without complex and time consuming production methods.”

Upcoming releases in the Brewer’s Delight Series will include a S’more Stout brewed in collaboration with local homebrewer Kim Hillpot and a Tripel brewed in collaboration with Lee Hedgmon. Ground Breaker will also be releasing an Emerald Spire Sour IPA brewed in collaboration with Michigan’s Hang Em High Hops.

Cherry Sour is available at the Ground Breaker tasting room located at 2030 SE 7th Ave. Portland, Oregon. It will soon be available in limited quantities in Ground Breaker distributed territories.

Ground Breaker Brewing is celebrating their tenth anniversary on Wednesday December 29th. The Great American Beer Festival® and World Beer Cup® winning dedicated gluten-free brewery is releasing 12 ounce cans of Imperial Darkness, their imperial stout made with cacao nibs and vanilla, to celebrate the occasion. To further the celebration, Ground Breaker will be holding their annual Double Case Discount Dock Sale at the brewery from 2:00-8:00 PM on December 29th. Founder James Neumeister will be offering cases at a discount and having socially distanced chats with fans of the brewery.

“One of our goals year-over-year is to constantly improve our products,” said Tyler Kueber, Head Brewer at Ground Breaker. “I am confident this is the best batch of Imperial Darkness we’ve ever made, it will really knock your socks off.”

Ground Breaker Brewing opened as Harvester Brewing in late December 2011. Opening as the first dedicated gluten-free brewery in the United States, the brewery began to quickly collect its first accolades starting with a Great American Beer Festival Bronze Medal in the Gluten-Free Category in 2012.

James Neumeister, Founder of Ground Breaker Brewing

“We wouldn’t be here without the love and support of the fans of our beer,” remarked Founder James Neumeister. “Thank you for carrying us on your shoulders all these years. And a special thank you to the friends and family that have endured the wild ride that is starting and operating a brewery.”