Welcome to the inaugural edition of Strange Brew our new monthly column dedicated to – as you probably have already guessed – beer. Each month, we’ll take a close look at a new or notable brew, or just one we think you should be drinking, all without too much beer geekiness.

It seemed like a natural choice to kick off this first edition of Strange Brew with the latest seasonal offering from venerable Vermont brewery Magic Hat – Vinyl Lager. Magic Hat, who have been producing their fine assortment of beers since 1994 including their ubiquitous lot staple #9, have rotated in and out an assortment of beers that have ranged from porters to IPAs all with their unique spin. For Vinyl Lager, their new Spring Seasonal, the South Burlington-based company turned to none other than concert poster extraordinaire Jim Pollock to design the bottle’s fantastic looking label.

vinylLabel-353x

Why You Should Drink It: Besides the fact that you can save the bottle and pass it off as piece of art, what better way to get yourself ready for the warmer months ahead then with this very smooth and drinkable lager that pours a deep orange-rust color with a light foam head and leaves you with a bit of a dry malty almost biscuit-y bite? Vinyl will warm you up just enough on those last cold days of winter, but is also perfect for drinking outside when the Spring air still has a bit of a chill in it.

Brewer’s Description: Vinyl Lager is a beer with deep amber hue, sweet malt taste and a slight balancing hop touch. This beer is produced using a lager strain of  yeast and is fermented at the low end of ale fermentation temperatures, allowing the beer to maintain its easy-drinking, lager-like characteristics.

Availability: For a limited time in 12 oz. 6-packs, 12-packs, 22 oz., on draft and in the Spring Fever Variety Pack

Beer Geek Stats:

Style: Amber Lager, Yeast: Lager, IBUS: 16, ABV: 5.1, Malt: pale, crystal, munich, victory, Hop: Northern Brewer

Have you tried Magic Hat’s Vinyl Lager? Leave your thoughts about their latest offering in the comments section…

Jeffrey Greenblatt

Jeff joined the Hidden Track team full-time in 2008 and helps guide the site in his role as Managing Editor and Social Media Coordinator. Each week Jeff pens Pullin' 'Tubes, Tour Dates and Bloggy Goodness in addition to features, video posts and more. Jeff is a graduate of The George Washington University ('98), with a degree in Journalism, and has worked in the media and technology industry for the likes of MTV, VH1, A&E and Joost.

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