Sizing Orlison up (and down)

Orlison’s game is getting both bigger and smaller at the same time.

The Airway Heights brewery is moving its three best-selling lagers – Clem’s Gold, Havanüther pilsner and IPL (India pale lager) – into 12-ounce cans from the previous 16-ouncers.

And it’s also beginning to bottle its beers, putting some of its limited-run seasonals in 22-ounce bombers starting with the new, Asian-inspired Toasted Dragon.

Both should start showing up in area stores this week and next.

The can size switch was based on customer feedback as well as retailer preferences, says Kristen Silver, Orlison’s operations and logistics manager.

“Grocery stores really like 12-ounce cans,” she says. “They’re easier for them to deal with.”

The new cans have flashier graphics than their larger predecessors, with a clever but subtle touch: a bar code in the shape of Washington state, instead of the standard square.

The other four lagers that have made up Orlison’s regular lineup will stay in 16-ounce cans, but on a seasonal basis: Lizzy’s Red in summer, the Brünette brown in fall and Underground stout in winter, with the Pilsner 37 (sales of which benefit the Team Gleason ALS foundation) floating throughout the year.

Orlison also launched a limited-release series last fall, with new ones every two months so far. Again responding to customer demand, some of those are heading to 22-ounce bottles, the typical package for craft specialty offerings.

First up is Toasted Dragon (4.9 percent alcohol by volume, 35 International Bitterness Units), brewed with Thai basil, lime, ginger and Szechuan peppercorns and hopped with fruity Amarillo.

While the flavors are fairly restrained, they're still distinct, starting with the lime, then the basil, followed by some bite from the ginger and pepper. This one definitely can stand up to a spicy stir-fry.  

It will stick around through September, followed by the return of 2 Finger Pour – made with whiskey barrel chips, orange peel and bitters, to mimic an Old Fashioned cocktail – for fall, and Roast House Stout, using that local coffee, for winter.

In other Orlison news, work is proceeding rapidly on the brewery’s new downtown tasting room in the former Luxe Coffee House space on West First, which could be open next month.