The latest in beer-bottling technology reaches Arizona this week with the debut of Left Hand Brewing‘s Milk Stout Nitro.
The Longmont, Colo., brewery’s biggest seller is its Milk Stout, which like many stouts has become very popular as a nitro pour. (Adding nitrogen, and less of the usual carbon dioxide, makes a creamier ale with less fizz and a thicker head.)
The problem has been how to recreate that experience in a bottle or can. As most stout drinkers know, Guinness inserts what looks like a nitrogen-filled ping-pong ball into its cans, a solution that didn’t work for Left Hand due to patent and cost issues.
So, after two years of experimenting, Left Hand has developed a wide-necked bottle that allows the beer to be poured “hard” into a glass, creating the familiar cascading effect and thick head. The brewery even has made a video showing the proper way to pour it.
To celebrate the bottles’ release in Arizona, the brewery is hosting three tasting parties that will feature a brewery rep, swag giveaways and rare Left Hand beers on tap:
- 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Papago Brewing
- 6-8 p.m. Friday at The Watering Hole at Chandler Whole Foods
- 8-10 p.m. Friday at The Hungry Monk
There also will be Milk Stout Nitro tastings at Valley retail locations both days.
