Bell's Brewery moves Hopslam Ale release to October, ahead of the holidays

Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

Fans of Bell's Brewery's award-winning Hopslam Ale will get to enjoy it two months early this year.

The Comstock-based brewery announced that Hopslam — a seasonal double IPA brewed with honey that normally releases in January in conjunction with special tappings and release parties — will now release in October, ahead of the holiday season, starting this year. Bell's plans to ship the beer Oct. 17, and it will hit store shelves and taps as soon as establishments get it.

Bell's Brewery's Hopslam Ale double IPA.
Bell's Brewery's Hopslam Ale double IPA.

Bell's said the early release is to make Hopslam Ale "available throughout the holiday season so more people can enjoy the iconic beer with friends and family." From a business perspective, beer sales and consumption is significantly higher during the holidays than in January, and the move allows Hopslam, at 10% alcohol by volume, to compete on shelves and taps with other strong-ABV beers that start to become popular as the Michigan weather gets colder, such as double and triple IPAs, barrel-aged stouts and barleywines.

This marks the first major change to the Bell's release cycle since it moved under Lion ownership. Larry Bell, who founded Bell's in 1985 in Kalamazoo, sold his prized brewery to the Australasian beer company last November as he entered retirement, a move that combined Bell's with New Belgium Brewing to form "a new American craft beer leader." Both have retained their brands and beers.

For subscribers: What the Bell's sale means for its beer — and all of craft beer

Hopslam, which has bright citrus, mango, grapefruit and pine notes to balance out the malty backbone and lingering honey sweetness, has historically earned high marks from craft beer enthusiasts and judges alike. In 2020, it ranked No. 5 on the annual Best Beers in America list from the American Homebrewers Association. The 2022 iteration from last January has a 4.27 average rating on Untappd, the social beer rating app.

Given its use of hops and honey, Hopslam is best enjoyed as fresh as possible; Bell's recommends within three months of its release. You can use the beer finder on the Bell's website to see where Hopslam is being released nearest you.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bell's Brewery moves Hopslam Ale release to October