After a successful first batch, Keene State Athletics and West LA Beer Company of Swanzey are releasing a second batch of Game Day IPA just in time for commencement.
Eric Johnson, co-owner of the brewery among two others, said after the first 15 cases sold out, they are upping it to 20. He said 15 cases equals roughly 100 gallons of the beer. The second batch was slated to be released Wednesday, May 1.
The idea originally struck when Marty Testo, director of athletics, saw other schools in the league having something similar.
“I started thinking about it like we got some really cool breweries in the area. I thought it’d be cool,” Testo said.
After that, Testo said he and others started working with West LA to make it happen.
While he said his involvement in the creation of the drink was limited, he was a part of meetings to make it happen. West LA did all the brewing.
“They [West LA Beer Company] made things very smooth and easy for us, being our first time doing this,” he said.
Additionally, Testo said a student had the opportunity to design the label for the beer can.
Johnson, a graduate of Keene State, said this is not the first time the company has collaborated with the college. When the brewery opened, a student designed its logo and branding.
Sitting at 6% ABV, Johnson said the beer has a hoppy citrus flavor profile.
“You get a lot of that citrus flavor of those grapefruit flavors from the hop profile, it’s cloudy, hazy, can’t see through. It’s not clear like the lager,” Johnson said.
However, Johnson said a lager could be next on the table between the college and the brewery. He said it is still in the planning stage and could take longer to be released because lagers typically take longer to make.
Johnson said they originally settled on brewing an IPA because it is popular in the region, even though in other places lagers and lighter beers are on the rise.
In terms of a future batch of Game Day IPA, Johnson said it is up in the air and he’ll wait and see how the second batch goes.
As for where the beer is sold, he said of course West LA has it in its tap room, but Hannah Grimes Marketplace in Keene will also have it. Johnson added it is possible it could be sold at other places in the region as well. He mentioned the first batch was on draft at Lab and Lager.
Testo said having a KSC athletics-branded beer extends its marketing opportunities.
“It’s just another way to get our name out there in a fun, but safe way,” Testo said.
Tim Bruns can be contacted at
tbruns@kscequinox.com
