At the beginning of this month, Independence Brewing Co and Alamo Drafthouse announced the 2018 edition of a holiday beer that has become a seasonal favorite among Alamo Drafthouse patrons; a yearly release called End Credits. The recipe for End Credits changes with each release and this year’s version is a German Chocolate Cake Stout. There is still a chance to try this year’s End Credits, as it is available now through December 31 at all 20 Alamo Drafthouse locations in Texas and both Alamo Drafthouse locations in Denver. (Independence Brewing Co., 2018)

This year’s recipe, German Chocolate Cake Stout, was inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse staff’s collective sweet tooth. According to Independence’s head brewer, Brannon Radicke, the beer’s driving flavor is layers of chocolate and cocoa with hints of toasted coconut in the aroma and taste. The malt bill and addition of lactose gave the brew a touch of sugariness, which balanced out the mild bitterness of cocoa and hops. End Credits has an ABV of 6.5% and a medium body that is not too heavy. Radicke describes it as “more cakelike than syrupy.” A fitting description for a beer emulating a decadent dessert.

John Gross and others from the Alamo Drafthouse crew joined Radicke and his team at the Independence brewery in South Austin to help brew the beer. Together, they hand-toasted 300 pounds of raw coconut on a flat top griddle. It took five days, five hours each day. The 2018 release of End Credits is special for another reason: it will be the first-ever Independence brew to be sold in Denver, making this recipe the company’s official debut in The Centennial State. Colorado is now the third state that Independence Brewing Co. beer is sold, rounding out an already incredibly successful year for the brewery.

Independence’s End Credits German Chocolate Cake Stout is now available on draft at all 20 Alamo Drafthouse locations in Texas and at both Drafthouse locations in Denver. The seasonal brew is also available at select restaurants and bars in both states.

“This evolving series of limited-release holiday beers from Independence has become an annual end of year cinematic tradition for Alamo Drafthouse. We think highly of everything the brewery puts out and savor every drop of the limited releases while we can.”- John Gross, Alamo Drafthouse’s Director of National Beer Promotions.