You won’t be freezing

No-Li turned to a cocktail, of sorts, as inspiration for its new summer seasonal.

Brass Monkey (8 percent alcohol by volume, 30 International Bitterness units) was released at the pub on draft today and is headed to stores in 22-ounce bottles.

It mimics the libation of the same name, made by drinking a 40 of malt liquor (preferably Olde English 800) down to the top of the label, then filling the bottle with orange juice.

The orange-hued beer is brewed with a bunch of sweet orange peel, balanced by a bit of bitter peel.

“We started out with, how much do people put in (Belgian-style) wits, then we tripled that,” says brewery operations manager Damon Scott. They kept going from there, ending up with 6 pounds of sweet peel and 1 pound of bitter per 26-barrel batch.

Cascade and Comet hops round out the fruity character, while the malt bill includes crystal for color and some sweetness, acidulated for extra tanginess and wheat for a smooth mouthfeel.

That’s an attempt to replicate the original, says lead brewer Carey Fristoe: “When you pour orange juice into the malt liquor, you get that nice creaminess to it.”

The finished product shows some juicy sweetness in the middle, then finishes dry with some orange pith and hop bitterness. Only slightly boozy, it’s deceptively drinkable for its ABV – which is a decided departure from typically light summer fare.

“After last year, with Skyrail and Noble Hop, we wanted to do some bigger beers (in the seasonal Expo Series),” Scott says. “People are looking for bang for their buck in the 22-ounce format.”

If you want a little extra oomph, try doing what he did recently and make yourself an old-school Brass Monkey using the new Brass Monkey. Meta-Monkey, anyone?