I have some sad news to report. One of my favorite beers in existence, Magic Hat’s Jinx, has been discontinued. I didn’t see it listed anywhere on the Magic Hat website, so I dropped them an email via their contact form and got the following in response:

Jinx Label

It’s sadly so, Ry. Roxy has been threatening us for years now, and we finally gave in. She’s one mean b*tch, man. We made the decision to have a winter beer proper this year, and we really dig Roxy, so we moved her up and created a wicked good black-as-night winter lager called Howl. We’re pretty excited to have it out there in the coming months.
Cheers,
The Voice

I can’t be the only one out there mourning the loss of this Autumnal staple. How can one truly appreciate the crisp fall weather, crunchy leaves underfoot, nippy nights, and the tasty fruits and veggies of the fall harvest without a full-bodied and slightly smoky ale to wash it all down with? This fall just won’t be quite the same, perhaps I’ll have to try my hand at a homebrewed clone, stay tuned for that.

That said, I’m all for another black lager in the marketplace and will welcome Howl with open lips. I’m not a fan of light lagers, but black ones have always tickled my taste buds in a wholly fascinating way. Something about the interplay of the roasty with the very clean lager profile… It’s a style that I’ve always felt was under-represented on the shelves in the states, especially given the variety that’s available in more hoppy styles.

Out with the old, in with the new! Just give me a moment to mourn…