Good Beer Hunting

Left Hand Recalls 20,000 Cases of Milk Stout Nitro

THE GIST
Left Hand Brewing Company has issued a recall notice for 20,000 cases of its Milk Stout Nitro following the discovery of a foreign yeast strain in the batch. Speaking to the Denver Post, Left Hand’s Emily Armstrong said the beer is “definitely safe to drink,” though the foreign yeast strain will cause the beer to foam excessively when it’s “hard poured” into a glass.

WHY IT MATTERS
As consumers become increasingly aware of beer quality, the need for transparency from breweries increases as well. This is only exacerbated, too, in the age of social media, where complaints are aired to a global audience and bad news travels faster than ever.

This particular case matters because, according to Left Hand, the flavor of the beer has not been affected. The way Left Hand’s dealt with the case shows how deeply they care about their quality. While it’s scary to issue a recall, that’s better than getting rejected by those that buy your product.

A similar situation struck Ontario’s Side Launch Brewing Company when it had to recall cans of its Wheat following the discovery of an infection. Explaining in a recent blog post why this kind of transparency matters, Ontario blogger Ben Johnson said, “[The recall] …means that not only is Side Launch paying attention, but they give a shit.”

Exactly.

—Matthew Curtis

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Left Hand Brewing recalls Milk Stout Nitro [The Denver Post]