30/01/2014 Finally. And on Super Bowl weekend no less. After three years of draft exclusivity, a beer that was introduced Super Bowl weekend 2011 at Foothills Brewing is getting a new look. Jade IPA will be bottled in 22-oz. bottles and sold starting today at the Foothills Brewing location in Winston-Salem, and by early next week should see distribution across the entire state of North Carolina. Why now? “The level of recognition this beer has established with our customers was the main factor,” said Jamie Bartholomaus, president and brewmaster at Foothills. “We’ve had a lot of craft beer drinkers ask us to do this. It’s gotten to the point that we think it’ll pull off the shelf pretty well.” That level of demand is due in part to the unique taste and aroma of Jade IPA, according to Foothills head brewer T.L. Adkisson. “It’s an IPA that really lets the hops shine through. The malt body is just enough for a touch of sweetness, but from an aromatic and flavor standpoint, the combination of Jade, Citra and Chinook hops is the star of this beer. Pacific Jade is a unique breed of hops, produced in New Zealand, where there are no natural pests to hinder the growth and development of the plants.” The decision to bottle Jade also came, in no small part, from Foothills’ legion of social media fans. In addition to starting their own hashtag on Twitter (#Jade2014), Foothills fans were challenged by the brewery to top 15,000 likes on Facebook by the end of January. “They actually accomplished that two weeks early”, said Ray Goodrich, director of marketing for Foothills. “Our Facebook fans got about 1,200 people to like us in just under three weeks. When we saw that, we knew we had to do this for those fans. It’s a pretty exciting day for us, one we’ve been waiting for as much as fans of the beer have.” Jade IPA available in bottles is expected to be a welcome sight to the hundreds of craft beer enthusiasts who will descend on Foothills Brewing this weekend for the annual release of Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout.