PORTLAND, Maine— Allagash Brewing Company, the award-winning Portland, Maine-based brewery, and Montclair Brewery, the first and only microbrewery in Montclair, New Jersey—known for their eclectic offerings—have teamed up to develop and launch a crushable new beer: Verb (4.5% ABV). A citrusy Saison, the beer is named for its signature ingredient – Lemon Verbena – and for “verb” as a term for action. The collaborative, new, easy-to-drink beer is all about the action of bringing people together.
In the spirit of bringing people together,Verb will first be poured at the annualBarrel & Flow Fest,the country’s first Black arts and craft beer festival, on August 12 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Verb will also be available at Montclair Brewery’s tasting room and in select Whole Foods Market locations throughout New York and New Jersey, including in Long Island, Westchester, Paramus, Middletown, and all New York City locations. In addition, three Pittsburgh locations of Whole Foods Market will carryVerb, andselect New Jersey-based bottle shops will retail the new collaborative beer as well.
Verb may be a new release, but the seeds for this Lemon Verbena Saison were planted when Montclair Brewery co-owners Leo Sawadogo and Denise Ford Sawadogo traveled to the South of France early this year.
“I’m really interested in working with unique and unexpected ingredients, and Lemons were growing wild all throughout the South of France. This definitely caught my attention. I had the opportunity to learn more about Fenton Lemon, in addition to Lemon Verbena, from local growers and it really stuck with me,” said Leo Sawadogo.
“We are super excited to be collaborating with the Allagash team to bring this beer to life and share our mutual learnings along the way. The beer’s debut at Barrel & Flow Fest really epitomizes the spirit of action and togetherness behind Verb,” added Denise Ford Sawadogo.
The stage for the Allagash collaboration was set when Leo and Allagash Founder Rob Tod met at the 2022 Barrel & Flow Fest. The connection between the two Northeast breweries runs deep: Montclair Brewery is a recipient of the 8 Trill Pils Grant supporting Black-owned craft beer businesses, which was founded by Crowns & Hops Brewing Company. Allagash collaborated with Crowns & Hops in 2022 on a beer to raise proceeds for the 8 Trill Pils fund.
“It’s awesome to be able to partner with Montclair Brewery’sDenise Ford-Sawadogo and Leo Sawadogo, who are such forward-thinking, creative brewers,” said Rob Tod, Founder, Allagash. “We’re all about bringing people together over beer, andVerb is perfectly aligned with that ethos. We’re glad Leo and Denise shared the idea for brewing with Lemon Verbena and are excited that the Montclair Brewery team will be introducing and pouring Verb at Barrel & Flow Fest, one of our favorite events of the year.”
About Allagash Brewing Company
Allagash Brewing Company is a Certified B Corp founded in Portland, Maine, by James Beard Award-winner Rob Tod. Since 1995, the brewery has been dedicated to crafting the best Belgian-inspired beers in the world, all while giving back to the community that has supported them along the way. Earning coveted Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, and European Beer Star Awards, Allagash has been deemed one of the best American Breweries of the decade byPaste Magazine and one of the best breweries in America byGear Patrol. Allagash was named “Brewery of the Year” in its category size by the Brewers Association in 2021, included on Inc. Magazine’s “Best in Business” list as well as Fast Company’s list of “Brands that Matter”, and named one of Maine’s Best Places to Work for 10 years running. Allagash is available in CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT, and WI.
About Montclair Brewery
Montclair Brewery is a husband and wife owned microbrewery and tasting room located in Montclair, New Jersey. Montclair Brewery was born from the desires of head brewer, Leo Sawadogo to turn his passion of home brewing into an exciting and growing business with his wife, Denise, who leads up the business operations. Leo’s African and Denise’s African-American and Caribbean cultures are often infused into its product and event offerings. Its mission is to build a stronger community by offering an eclectic offering for both craft beer fans and those new to craft beer. There is usually a Montclair Brewery style for everyone. Guests can order Montclair Brewery fresh brews on-site or at home by ordering online for pick up or delivery. A curated selection of its beers can be found at several New Jersey and New York bars, restaurants and retail liquor stores. The business is celebrating 5 years in 2023.
For More Information:
https://www.allagash.com/