Ya Sure, Ya Betcha: Cult Classic Big Ballard Returns

Courtesy of Redhook Brewery

SEATTLE, WASH. February 28, 2017 – Redhook Brewery is bringing back its fan-favorite Big Ballard Imperial IPA in 22-ounce bottles and six-packs, which will be available year round throughout Washington State. To celebrate the beer’s return, Redhook will host an open house launch party at fellow Washington original Filson’s Ballard location.

“Big Ballard is a fan favorite, so we’re thrilled to make it available in bottles for beer drinkers to enjoy at home,” says Redhook Innovation Brewer Nick Crandall. “Big Ballard has a legacy at Redhook. It’s an imperial version of Ballard Bitter that was first brewed in 1984. People love it; it’s been the # 1 selling beer in our Pub for years, so we are excited to get the beer into hands of more people.”

Like some of the early beers from Seattle’s original craft brewery, Redhook’s Big Ballard Imperial IPA was initially crafted as a take on the 1984 Redhook classic Ballard Bitter, an English-style Pale Ale with plenty of maltiness and upfront bitterness. In those early years, Ballard Bitter was branded with the catchphrase “Ya Sure Ya Betcha,” a nod to the area’s Scandinavian influence. Redhook first released Big Ballard Imperial IPA in 2010 as an ode to the bitter first-version, which was conceived at Redhook’s founding location, a converted transmission shop in the Ballard District of Seattle.

Now, years later, this version, brewed at Redhook’s Woodinville pub, makes its debut. This 2017 version of Big Ballard IIPA is a modern take on that original recipe, with a mix of classic, new and experimental hop varietals such as Mosaic, Cascade, Eureka and HBC-431.

Big Ballard Imperial IPA has a deep golden color and rich tropical fruit hop aromas that immediately hit the nose upon pouring. Hop-forward flavors nicely balance the complex and malty backbone of this beer. At 8.6 percent alcohol by volume the beer packs a punch. The subtle bitterness is artfully balanced at 66 IBUs.

Courtesy of Redhook Brewery

Redhook will celebrate Big Ballard’s return on March 11, 2017 with Filson, another Seattle Original, at Filson’s Ballard Avenue location from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Event details

Redhook Big Ballard Launch at Filson in Ballard

When: March 11, 2017; 1 - 4pm

Where: Filson - 5101 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107

What: Please join Redhook and Filson, two Seattle institutions, as they celebrate the return of Big Ballard, Imperial IPA. Redhook will be at Filson’s new Ballard store sampling Big Ballard for anyone 21+ visiting that day. Come check out the Filson’s Ballard store, and sample the newest offering from Redhook, Big Ballard Imperial IPA. Cheers to two Seattle originals!

For additional information on Redhook Brewery, visit redhook.com and follow the brewery on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Or, to find Big Ballard Imperial IPA near you, visit Redhook’s beer finder: http://www.Redhook.com/find-beer.

Big Ballard IIPA

Big Ballard IIPA is a tribute to Redhook’s original stomping grounds, which is now the epicenter of Seattle’s burgeoning brewing scene. Big Ballard boasts a bold and aggressive hop profile that belies its deep, golden body. A citrus and a piney, grassy nose paves the way for a bitter and dry finish. Malty notes give the beer a nice balance, but the delicious, hop-forward character gives Big Ballard its sturdy backbone.

Malts: Pale, Munich, Caramel 40

Hops: Alchemy, Chinook, Cascade, HBC-431, Centennial, Mosaic, Eureka

ABV: 8.6%

IBU: 66

Courtesy of Redhook Brewery

About Redhook Brewery

Redhook was born out of the entrepreneurial spirit of early 1980s in the heart of Seattle. While the term didn’t exist at the time, Redhook became one of America’s first craft breweries with its focus on creating a better beer. From a modest start in a former transmission shop in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard, to a Fremont trolley barn that housed The Trolleyman brewpub, to its current breweries in Woodinville, Wash., and Portsmouth, N.H., Redhook has become one of America’s most recognized craft breweries. Redhook will open a 10-barrel brewpub in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle in 2017.

Redhook’s beer lineup includes ESB, Long Hammer IPA, Extra Special Lager (ESL), American Pale Ale, and a variety of seasonal beers, including Blackhook, Summerhook, and Winterhook. Redhook beers are available on draught and in bottles and cans around the country.

Redhook Brewery, Est. Seattle, WA 1981