MILWAUKEE — On Wednesday, Pabst Brewing Company unveiled a new luxury beer brand, Captain Pabst, along with its flagship IPA, Seabird.
A premium India Pale Ale, Seabird gets its name from Captain Fredrick Pabst's last steamship. According to the brewing company, the steamship got caught in an unexpected storm in 1863, causing Captain Pabst to beach the boat on the sands of Whitefish Bay on Lake Michigan. Pabst decided to hang up his captain hat and purchase a brewery.
Seabird is exclusively available now for Midwesterners, only sold across Wisconsin and the greater Chicago area.
“We thought creating something new, based on someone who played such an integral part in pioneering brewing in this country, was a really romantic and deserving story that consumers would be interested in hearing,” said Matt Bruhn, Pabst general manager.
The new IPA is highly sessionable, according to Pabst, and is brewed with Magnum, Citra, Cascade, and Mosaic hops.
In addition to releasing the new beer, Pabst also announced that they are transforming their taproom in Milwaukee and relaunching it as a Captain Pabst's Pilot House.
The Pilot House will offer imaginative craft beers while acknowledging Captain Pabst's historic recipes.
According to Pabst, "The Captain Pabst Signature Series will feature new and exciting, quality brews the Captain would have crafted generations ago. Beyond beer, the venue experience includes the addition of a craft spirits program, where spirits are blended and barrel aged in-house, an expanded merch offering, and a loyalty program called the 'Blue Jacket Club.'”
The grand opening of the Pilot House will be March 28, Captain Pabst's 184th birthday.
