The Big 4 thrashers and the brewers of Arrogant Bastard Ale are internationally distributing a crushable German Pilsner.
Today, it's pretty standard practice for metal bands and music companies to team up with breweries to craft unique beers -- just ask Iron Maiden, Deftones, Marshall Amplifiers, and plenty of other bands. But rarely is a collaboration as perfect as this one.
Metallica and Stone Brewing -- brewers of aggressive Arrogant Bastard Ale -- have teamed up to create Enter Night, a German Pilsner as crushable yet engaging as the band itself. Now the band and brewery have announced that they will be distributing the beer internationally -- both in six packs and on draught.
Obviously, Enter Night isn’t Metallica’s first foray into beverages -- the band released their whiskey, Blackened, in 2018 (and it paired fantastically with Metallica's music, too). But the biggest metal band on earth teaming up with a brewery that has a sneering gargoyle for a mascot is both poetic and awesome.
In an exclusive interview, Steve Gonzalez, Senior Manager of Brewing & Innovation at Stone, spoke to us about what exactly went into the creation of Enter Night.
Kerrang!: What went into this beer to make it uniquely Metallica-ish?
Steve Gonzalez: We brewed a few prototypes based on what the Metallica team was looking for and this was far and away their favorite. For me, what makes this a Metallica beer is the flavor intensity, but it stays refreshing. It's unique and groundbreaking like Metallica, but you can taste the influences, which in this case are traditional German lagers and American Craft Beer.
It's dry-hopped with German and American hops, the flavors really sing, it has depth, and you want to come back for more. Sounds like a Metallica beer to me!
How much input did you get from the band in terms of flavor profile?
They knew what they wanted for the most part! We did a few variations, all of which were really good. We spoke slightly different languages in the details, but translating what someone is asking for and interpreting that, getting inside their heads to give them something solid that meets their preferences is what we do! It was definitely a collaborative effort!
What Metallica albums or songs did you listen to while brewing this beer?
Personally, Ride the Lightning and ...and Justice for All, because I grew up in the 80s and those were my favorites! Cecil, one of our Brewers that brewed the prototype, listened to Blackened while brewing it! At least one of our brewers played Master of Puppets while brewing this one! There were a lot of albums to choose from for sure!
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Look for Stone and Metallica's Enter Night wherever craft beer is sold.
WORDS: Chris Krovatin
