Courtesy of Avery Brewing

Avery Brewing Company, a Boulder-based craft brewery and maker of White Rascal Belgian-Style White Ale, is delighted to announce that its Imperial Red IPA, Hog Heaven, will be packaged in 4-pack, 12-ounce cans starting in March. The can will be getting a new look that should turn heads and make pigs fly. The liquid itself will continue to satisfy those who crave a big malty and hoppy beer.

Hog Heaven is the beer that changed everything at Avery Brewing. Adam Avery has always been passionate about big beers – not necessarily just in terms of ABV, but also in terms of flavor – so in 1998, he decided to brew a massively hoppy beer that reflected his passion. This beer was ahead of its time with the combination of 9.2% ABV and 102 IBUs. It attracted a lot of attention with its two Silver Medal wins at the Great American Beer Festival in 2004 and 2007, and subsequently set the stage for the bold beers that would follow such as The Maharaja in 2005, Rumpkin in 2011, Tweak in 2014. After all this time, it is still a beloved beer by Avery Brewing employees and is frequently consumed during celebratory times at the brewery.

Hog Heaven was originally classified as a Dry-Hopped Barleywine-Style Ale because, in 1998, there was no other way to classify this mighty, flavorful 9% beer. As a symbol of how times have drastically changed in today’s beer industry, Avery Brewing updated the style name to Imperial Red IPA in 2016 to more accurately reflect the beer’s style. Also being retired are the 22-ounce bottles of Hog Heaven to better meet the wishes of the new craft beer market. Not only is 12-ounces of a 9.3% ABV beer a little more moderate and enjoyable to consume, cans are also easier to pack for adventures.