Founders Brewing celebrates 20 years with Canadian Breakfast Stout release

This year is Founders Brewing Company's 20th anniversary, and they're celebrating with beer. But not just any beer.

Posted 5:57 p.m. Nov 18, 2017 — Updated 6:02 p.m. Nov 18, 2017

This year is Founders Brewing Company's 20th anniversary, and they're celebrating with beer.

But not just any beer.

The Michigan-based brewery has been working on the first batch of Canadian Breakfast Stout since it last brewed the beer in 2011. It took so long, sales rep Kat Dougan told the 919 Beer Podcast, in part because the brewery had to find the barrels in which to age the beer.

But not just any barrels.

Founders takes its base Breakfast Stout—a coffee-forward stout brewed with flaked oats and chocolate—and pours it into bourbon barrels that previously aged maple syrup. Finding all those syrup-laced bourbon barrels took time, Dougan said.

"We're been collecting these barrels for CBS to make it for our anniversary," Dougan said.

Even with nationwide distribution and a years-long hunt for specific barrels, the beer will be hard to get. CBS will be on draft in quarter-barrels and it will be packaged in 750 mL bottles.

"This is the white whale of beer for us," Dougan said.

Dougan had a word of caution for those hunting with Captain Ahab, though: If you see it on draft, get it then or you might miss out.

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