March might not feel so close right now, but I’m about to make the wait a bit more bearable. Today EW broke news that the third season of Game of Thrones will feature longer episodes than ever before. Showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff explain the situation thusly. “There’s almost another full episode’s worth of extra minutes spread across the season,” says Weiss. “One of the great liberties with HBO is we’re not forced to come in at a specific time. We can’t be under 50 minutes or over 60, but that gives us a lot of flexibility.” So what are we talking about exactly? “Last year we had a lot of 52-minute episodes. This year is a lot of 56, 57,” adds Benioff. This should come as a pleasant surprise for not only fans of the show but also the readers of the books on which the series is based. Season 3 plans to cover approximately the first half of George R.R. Martin’s thickest Song of Ice and Fire novel, A Storm of Swords. “A super-sized season, as befitting Storm of Swords,” Benioff exclaims. Additionally, EW reports that a jam-packed season 3 finale will likely exceed an hour in length provided HBO gives the fantasy series the go-ahead. In sum, though HBO still caps the episode count at 10 it will feel like there’s 11 when all is said and done. “So for people clamoring for another episode, it’s in there,” Weiss elaborates. “It’s just been cut into tiny pieces.”
Game of Thrones premieres March 31, 2013. To learn about the series-inspired beer, jump after the break.
Do you find yourself cracking open a cold one before you flip on Game of Thrones Sunday nights? Forget about Budweiser because soon there will be an ale called Iron Throne. The brewery Ommegang is partnering with HBO to develop a series of beers inspired by the show. According to the press release, this collaboration “is focused on developing unique beers that are named and crafted to directly tie into themes and nuances of the medieval-like fantasy realm of Westeros and the surrounding kingdoms, where the competition to sit on the Iron Throne is fierce and deadly.” Ommegang’s brewmaster Phil Leinhart describes the inspiration behind the inaugural Thrones beer. “With a Lannister currently on the throne, it made sense to do a delicate, but piercing Golden Blonde Ale with Noble hops,” he says. “Iron Throne is certainly fair in color and soft in appearance, yet it still possesses a complexity and bite to be on guard for.” The distinctively corked Iron Throne ale will be nationally available on draft and in 750ml bottles at an affordable $8.50 a pop this March to coincide with the season 3 premiere. Cheers!