With all of the places that I visit regularly and all the new places that I haven’t gotten to (sorry), I have not had time to visit either BJ’s or Gordon Biersch. But both have added new beer to their line-up. My guess is in the hope of luring some people back into the fold
Gordon Biersch has been heavily promoting it’s new Braumeister Selekt IPB. A pilsner that has been imperialized and hopped. Which in my mind, makes it not so much a pilsner but if it tastes good then the naming doesn’t matter. And it looks like it is being sold in the flip-top Grolsch style capper.
BJ’s is also going hoppier with… what the chain calls, “…handcrafted classic American-style India Pale Ale made with six hop varieties. An intense hop aroma with balanced bitterness.”
ADDENDUM – I sampled the Hop Storm from BJ’s recently and thought it was mid pack IPA wise. Thought it may have tasted and smelled better if they hadn’t served it in a frozen damn glass. Sorry, for the beer geek cussing but that is my dividing line for good beer establishments and not.