Monthly Archives: September 2012

Firestone Walker XVI Anniversary Ale release slated for November 3rd

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Firestone Walker XVI Anniversary Ale Body

(Paso Robles, CA) – Here is the latest on the upcoming release of Firestone Walker XVI Anniversary Ale, courtesy of the Firestone Walker Brewing Co. website.

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Join us for the release of our XVI Anniversary Ale. Purchase 3 or more bottles and get access to our XVI Anniversary Party from 11-2pm. Access includes beer tasting, food samples, live music and more. Space is limited this year, so secure your spot by getting there early.

Access to the XVI Anniversary Release Party is based on purchase of 3 or more bottles/person of our Anniversary Ale. No other tickets will be sold as this party is a “thank you” to those who have committed their time to coming to see us and are passionate about craft beer.

FAQ:

Can I buy XVI before Nov 3?

No, there will be no physical bottles available before Nov 3, and we will not be doing any presales before doors open for the event.

What time can I arrive that day?

Doors to buy bottles do not open until the party starts: 11am, in previous years the line has started forming as early at 9AM.

Where is the party? 

The party takes place right inside our Paso Robles brewery at 1400 Ramada Dr.  Guests will pay for their entry bottles at Visitors Center all IDs will be checked at this point and guests will then be allowed into the brewhouse party.

Is there Designated Driver or Under-21 Admission? 

No. Everyone in attendance must be 21 or older. Guests are welcome to come into the party and not drink beer, but because everything inside is free and because the party is intended as a “thank you” for purchasing 3 bottles, there must be 3 bottles purchased per each adult in attendance. 

How many bottles maximum can I buy?

In order to assure we can supply enough bottles of XVI to go around, we will be limiting sales to 6 bottles per adult. 

Can I buy less than 3 bottles? 

Absolutely. 3 bottles is the minimum to gain entrance to the release party but you are more than welcome to purchase 1 or 2 bottles.

Do I have to carry the 3 bottles around with me at the party?

No, after you pay for your bottles you have two choices: You can either receive them right there (we’d suggest putting them in your car) OR you can hang on to your receipt until the party is over and pick up your bottles then. No bottles will be held over night!

What if I lose my receipt?

Don’t lose your receipt!  There is no way for us to track purchases or pick up of beer, if you lose your receipt you will not be given beer.

Maine Beer Company lands in New Jersey next week through Hunterdon Distributors

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maine beer co logoPress Release:

(Portland, ME) – Maine Beer Company will be expanding their Northeast distribution footprint, entering New Jersey on October 1, 2012. The brewery has chosen craft beer wholesaler Hunterdon Distributors to represent their brand throughout the state. The debut will feature the brewery’s original flagship brew, Peeper, in 500ml bottle format.

Founded in 2009 by brothers Dan and David Kleban, Maine Beer Company is best known for their production of small-batch hoppy American-style ales. The brewery focuses on keeping things small, fun, local and fresh. “We try to make great beer and hope that good things will follow,” states co-owner David Kleban.

Their motto “Do what’s right” influences every decision the company makes from using the freshest ingredients possible to giving back to the environment. Since opening, Maine Beer Company has been a proud member of the 1% for the Planet program, donating a portion of their sales to environmental groups such as The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, The Center for Wildlife and The Allied Whale Organization in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Maine Beer Company strives to keep their distribution network as local as possible. Aside from New Jersey and their home market of Maine, their products are currently only found in the Northeast markets of Vermont, Massachusetts, New York City, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Availability in New Jersey will be limited to start, with other styles a possibility for the year ahead.

This is the fourth brewery that Hunterdon will be representing from Maine – a state known for its abundance of local craft breweries and award-winning beers. Be sure to stay tuned with Hunterdon on Facebook and Twitter and on the company’s website for updates regarding the official release.

About Hunterdon Distributors
Hunterdon has raised the bar for craft beverage availability and selection in the state by providing the most diverse and sought-after portfolio the market has to offer. Founded in 1996, the company currently represents over sixty domestic craft brands, hundreds of imports and a unique line of micro-distilled spirits, sakes, ciders and meads. Owners Mike Short and Dave Masterson continue to focus on bringing quality products to the New Jersey consumer.

Natty Greene’s American Sour Ale bottles released this week

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Natty Greene's American Sour Ale

Press Release:

(Greensboro, NC) – Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. has released their much anticipated Cellar Series American Sour Ale this week. With only 240 bottles of this oak aged Flanders Red Ale produced, this beer is expected to disappear fast from the few independent beer stores in which it will be available across the state. Dispersion is already underway and all bottles are expected to be delivered within the next two weeks.

The Cellar Series is a limited collection of unique beers that are crafted with carefully selected hops and malts. These brews are hand racked, numbered and sealed with wax. Past varieties have included an Imperial Stout and Belgian Dubbel, which were widely admired. Natty Greene’s launched its sour program in 2004 at their brewpub in downtown Greensboro, but as it grew in popularity, they began buying more barrels and eventually moved it into their production brewing facility a few miles away.

The American Sour Ale begins its journey after completing primary fermentation as the flagship Buckshot Amber Ale. It is then inoculated with several bacteria including Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus, as well as a couple of varieties of Brettanomyces yeast to produce the desired sour characteristics. Head brewer Scott Christoffel explains that each barrel of beer develops at a different speed, requiring the artistic challenge of blending the beer once it is ready to be bottled. Christoffel says that, “to come up with the desirable sweet/tart blend that we are looking for in the beer, you have to watch the pH to make sure that the beer is not too attenuated, because if the beer is too sour, it becomes so intense that there is not enough malt to balance it, or sweetness to balance it.” The public are not the only ones excited about this beer release, as owner Kayne Fisher states, “Of all the great beers we make, this is the one I look most forward to. It takes two years to make. Lots of love and expertise go into this beer.” Be sure to call ahead to your local beer store to ensure that the beer has arrived and is still in stock.

American Sour Ale Specifics:
240 numbered 750mL Bottles
6.5% ABV, 25 IBUs
Malts: Base, Munich 1, Cara 20, Cara 8, Cara Munich 3, Special B
Hops: Magnum, Willamette, Santium

About Natty Greene’s: Launched in 2004 by Chris Lester and Kayne Fisher, Natty Greene’s has expanded from a brewpub in downtown Greensboro, to include a second location in Raleigh, and a production facility in Greensboro which provides beer for the entire state. As one of the fastest growing craft breweries in North Carolina, the beer can easily be found at all major grocery stores, many independents and on 700 taps across the state of North Carolina. The core beers are the Buckshot Amber Ale, Southern Pale Ale, and the Guilford Golden Ale. The brewery has more than 70 recipes in their repertoire, tantalizing the beer geeks with offerings like their extremely limited Cellar Series and their popular seasonals such as the upcoming Red Nose Winter Warmer Ale.

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Here is the much anticipated list of independent beer stores which will carry Natty Greene’s American Sour Ale. Be aware that distribution does not always happen at the same pace, so while one city may have the beer in stock today, another city may not for a week or more. With only 240 bottles dispersed among these stores, it is suggested to call ahead to ensure the beer is in stock.

CHARLOTTE
Custom Home Pubs
Common Market Plaza
Brawley’s
Salud
Vintner Market

NEW BERN
Beer Army Outpost

WILMINGTON
Lighthouse Beer and Wine

GREENSBORO
Best Way

HIGH POINT
Brewers Kettle

BURLINGTON
Company Shops

WINSTON-SALEM
City Beverage

BOONE
Peabody’s

ASHEVILLE
Brusin’ Ales

DURHAM
Sam’s Quik Shop

CHAPEL HILL
Weaver Street Market

RALEIGH
Tasty Beverage
Tyler’s Bottle Shop

Shmaltz announces release of Jewbelation Sweet 16®, HE’BREW Holiday Gift Pack®

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Shmaltz Jewbelation 16 - Gift Pack 2012

Press Release:

(New York, NY) – This holiday season, Shmaltz Brewing Company celebrates its “Sweet 16” with the limited-edition release of the next stop on HE’BREW Beer’s award-winning Anniversary journey: Jewbelation Sweet 16®. A complex, enormous brown ale with a dynamic labyrinth of multi-layered flavors, Jewbelation Sweet 16® is brewed with 16 malts, 16 hops and soars to 16% alc. Since its inception in 2004, Shmaltz’s Jewbelation® series has been hailed by critics and showered with accolades including, “5 Stars” from Celebrator Beer News, “Best Holiday Beer” by Pacific Brew News, and Playboy Magazine naming Jewbelation Twelve® one of the “Best Winter Brews.” Imbibe Magazine calls Jewbelation 14® one of the “Top 50 Beers in the World” and a blind, holiday tasting panel from SF Weekly determined Jewbelation 14® the “Best Christmas Beer” – the brew also took home a Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships (2011).

Shmaltz’s 3rd Annual HE’BREW Holiday Gift Pack® features eight 12 oz. bottles of beer which include the World Beer Championship Silver Medal winning (and newly designed), Genesis Dry Hopped Session Ale®, Messiah Nut Brown Ale®, Origin Pomegranate Strong Ale®, Gold Medal winners Bittersweet Lenny’s RIPA® and Hop Manna IPA, plus the unique collaboration with Terrapin Brewing, Reunion Ale ’12 – A Beer For Hope®. Completing the only Chanukah Beer Gift Pack on any shelf this season are 2012’s rare, barrel-aged blend, Funky Jewbelation®, and Jewbelation Sweet 16®. The Gift Pack® includes a custom glass, Chanukah candles and instructions on “How To Build Your Own Beer Menorah” – which details how to enter the 3rd Annual “Best Beer Menorah” Facebook competition for a chance to win a chosen prize!

Also inside this year’s Gift Pack is a special, promotional discount code that offers an opportunity to save on Shmaltz proprietor Jeremy Cowan’s debut, small business memoir, Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah, when purchased through the Shmaltz Brewing Company webstore. CBBM is available in bookstores nationwide through Small Press United and online with all major retailers, including Amazon.com. More information about Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah is listed below and can be viewed at www.craftbeerbarmitzvah.com.

Celebrate multiple holidays at once by attending a Shmaltz Brewing event, like Chanukah vs. Christmas: The Battle Royale of Beers. And, stay tuned in the coming weeks for this year’s selection of The Sweet 16 Most Chosen Bars -hosting Shmaltz holiday events all over the country.

About Shmaltz Brewing Company
Shmaltz Brewing Company was named “Best American Craft Brewer” and won the “Best In Show 2010” title by Beverage World Magazine, after being named “Breakout Brand” for 2009. Ranked in 2012 as one of the “Top 50 Brewers in the World” by RateBeer.com, Shmaltz was also included in the “Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies” by San Francisco Business Times, and is a recipient of the “Distinguished Business Award” by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Established in San Francisco in 1996 with the first batch of 100 cases of HE’BREW Beer® bottled, labeled, and delivered by hand, Shmaltz has sold more than ten million bottles of beer to date. Along with their acclaimed line of HE’BREW Beers®, Shmaltz introduced its new line of sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers®. Shmaltz offerings are available in more than 30 states through 35 wholesalers at more than 3,500 retail specialty shops across the U.S., including Beverages & More, Whole Foods, Total Wine, select Krogers and Cost Plus.

Shmaltz Brewing beers have appeared in such distinguished media outlets as The New York Times, CNN Headline News, The Onion, Beer Advocate Magazine, Celebrator Beer News, Ale Street News, NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” New York Magazine, Newsweek, Men’s Health, Playboy, Associated Press, Reuters, MSNBC, San Francisco Magazine, The Jerusalem Report, New York Jewish Week, Washington Post, MAXIM, Forbes.com, Smartmoney.com, Entrepreneur.com and Epicurious.com.

Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter coming soon, Cold Mountain returns in November

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highland thunderstruck coffee porter label(Asheville, NC) – Here is the latest from Highland Brewing Co., courtesy of Monday’s newsletter.

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October 5th – Thunderstruck Coffee Porter Release Party.

Back by popular demand, Thunderstruck Coffee Porter will be released around the first of October and celebrated on the 5th. This beer was introduced last year and was incredibly well-received. A great fan went so far as to create a “Make Thunderstruck Year-round” Facebook page.

To be released around the first of October, this robust porter has a full body with some hints of chocolate from the Chocolate Malt and Midnight Wheat. The mild hop aroma showcases the roasted flavors and subtle fruit and spice notes of the artisan, fair-trade, organic coffee, roasted in the neighboring town of Black Mountain at Dynamite Roasting Company.

Grain Pale Malt, Carmel 60, Chocolate Malt, Midnight Wheat, 1.5lbs coffee/bbl
Hops Chinook, Hallertau Mittlefrue, German Select
ABV 5.8%
IBU 26

November 15th – Cold Mountain Winter Ale Release Party

It was impossible to conceive what a monster beer was created back in 1996 when Cold Mountain Winter Ale was first brewed. Then called “Holiday Ale,” this beer was a collaboration between brewers John Lyda and John McDermott. At the brewery we lovingly refer to this beer as our super seasonal. Preparations have already started – each beautiful 1 liter cobalt blue bottle has to be hand labeled.

Kona Pipeline Porter returns for seventh season

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kona pipeline porter labelPress Release:

(Kailua-Kona, HI) – Kona Brewing Company’s Pipeline Porter is returning to the mainland for its seventh year as part of Kona’s Aloha Series. This rich porter is brewed with freshly roasted Kona coffee from the Cornwell Estate Coffee plantation, Kona Coast neighbors of the Kona Brewery.

Inspired by Oahu surf spot Banzai Pipeline, Pipeline Porter will be firing onto grocer’s shelves and on draught throughout the US mainland and Hawaii mid-September through December 2012. Pipeline Porter pairs well with winter favorites such as hearty soups and stews, roast beef sandwiches, pot roast and mashed potatoes.

“This is our longest running Aloha Series seasonal, and with its growth over the past two years it is one of our most successful in the Kona portfolio,” said Kona Brewing Company president Mattson Davis. “Pipeline Porter is popular because Kona coffee beans are among the best in the world, and the 100% Kona coffee we add rounds out the porter’s flavor. It’s also perfect for chasing away winter doldrums and makes a great finish with rich vanilla bean ice cream added to it for a creamy dessert float.”

Served year-round in Hawaii, Pipeline Porter has 5.4% ABV and an IBU of 30. You can find where Pipeline Porter is sold in stores and on draught with Kona Brewing’s online beerfinder and app available on iTunes.

About Kona Brewing
Kona Brewing Company was started in the spring of 1994 by father and son team Cameron Healy and Spoon Khalsa, who had a dream to create fresh, local island brews made with spirit, passion and quality. It is a Hawaii-born and Hawaii-based craft brewery that prides itself on brewing the freshest beer of exceptional quality, closest to market. This helps to minimize its carbon footprint by reducing shipping of raw materials, finished beer and wasteful packaging materials. The brewery is headquartered where it began, in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island. It has grown into Hawaii’s largest brewery, has three restaurant sites in Hawaii and beer distribution reaching 31 states and Japan. It is the 13th largest craft brewery in the country. For more information call 808-334-BREW or www.KonaBrewingCo.com.

Fireman Capital makes “significant investment” in Utah Brewers Cooperative

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squatters pub and brewery image

[Courtesy of Squatters Pub and Brewery Facebook page]

Press Release:

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Squatters/Wasatch (a.k.a. Utah Brewers Cooperative) and Fireman Capital Partners today announced that the companies have entered into an agreement under which Fireman Capital will make a significant investment in the combined business, including the award-winning Squatters and Wasatch craft brewery and brewpubs. The investment will support further expansion of the Squatters and Wasatch portfolio of craft beers, distribution growth, brand and marketing initiatives, and the continued success and expansion of the complementary brewpub business.

The Squatters and Wasatch brewery is one of the top 50 craft brewers in the country. Founded over twenty years ago by Utah’s craft brewing pioneers, Squatters and Wasatch are industry leaders and now sell beer in 12 states. Combined, Squatters and Wasatch beers have won 17 World Beer Cup awards, a number surpassed by only two other top-50 U.S. craft brewers and a distinction that highlights the “statement-making” nature of their beer. The investment by Fireman Capital also includes five high-volume brewpubs and restaurants in Salt Lake and Park City.

Peter Cole, Founding Partner of Squatters, said, “This investment opens the door to the next level for Squatters and Wasatch, and provides the financial firepower and expertise we need to meet rapidly growing demand for our beer and to reach new markets. For beer lovers it means greater opportunity to enjoy exceptional craft beer, and a great meal at our brewpubs. Importantly, our core mission of brewing world-class beer – and our steadfast commitment to a healthy community and environment – remains unchanged. Squatters and Wasatch have always been about brewing beers you can believe in, and we look forward to giving more people the chance to taste our brews.”

Greg Schirf, the founder of Wasatch Brewery, will continue to manage brewery operations for the company. Joe Lambert, Operating Partner for Squatters since 1996, will continue to oversee the restaurant business. Peter Cole, Jeff Polychronis, Joe Lambert and Greg Schirf will all maintain ownership in the combined company.

Schirf said, “We are excited by Fireman Capital’s support of our brands, our beer, and our tremendous business potential. Our brewery has grown rapidly over the years, with recent penetration of large, attractive markets outside Utah. We look forward to our partnership with Fireman Capital Partners and to the resources and expertise they bring to the table.”

Lambert added, “We remain 100% committed to the goals that have been the core of our success – to provide our customers world-class handcrafted beer and the highest quality food in a warm, friendly environment in our brewpubs. We embrace the Triple Bottom Line philosophy of People Planet Profit, sourcing healthy ingredients and using environmentally friendly products and services from within the local region.”

Dan Fireman, Managing Partner of Fireman Capital, said, “We are thrilled to support Joe, Greg, Jeff, Peter and the entire Squatters/Wasatch management team as they continue to grow the business. Built on a combination of outstanding beer, a steadfast commitment to the environment, community, local sourcing and the best ingredients – and set apart by unique, witty and cheerfully subversive branding – Squatters/Wasatch is exactly the kind of successful, market-disrupting company we seek at Fireman Capital. Craft beer is a large, rapidly growing industry where companies offering exceptional products and brands like Squatters and Wasatch enjoy enormous potential. We plan to leverage our financial and deep operational resources to assist in growing the brewery through broadening and solidifying its regional distribution network while continuing to expand the brewpub business.”

Craft brewing is a $1.1 billion industry in the U.S., growing from 3% of total beer volume in 1994 to 6% today – and is expected to increase to 10% of total U.S. beer volume by 2016. Over the past three years, the Squatters/Wasatch brewery has grown rapidly to meet robust demand from both in-state and out of state markets. The brewpub business has enjoyed significant growth and strong profitability as well.

Fireman Capital Operating Partner Robert Spellman, a Director of Au Bon Pain and former CFO of Staples and Yankee Candle, will oversee the investment for Fireman Capital. Michael Schlow, a Fireman Capital advisor and leading American restaurateur, will contribute his extensive expertise in restaurant management and menu development. Doug Epstein, owner/manager of Horizon Beverage, one of the largest alcohol and spirits distributors in New England, will serve as a valuable advisor to the business as it grows its distribution footprint.

The investment is expected to close shortly pending the completion of customary closing conditions.

About Squatters and Wasatch Beers

Jeff Polychronis and Peter Cole, founders of Squatters, opened Salt Lake’s original brewpub in 1989, and currently operate three pubs and a wine and ale house. In 1986, Greg Schirf owner and operator of Wasatch Beers and Wasatch Brewpub opened Utah’s first microbrewery in the resort town of Park City. In 2000 Squatters and Wasatch merged their microbrewery operations for draft and bottle production creating Utah Brewers Cooperative.

Utah Brewers Cooperative is the only Utah brewery represented on the Brewers Association list of the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies in the Country. Squatters and Wasatch bottled and draft beers are available in liquor stores, restaurants, clubs, hotels, resorts, grocery and convenience stores throughout Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Oregon. Combined, the Squatters and Wasatch team employs over 300 people.

About Fireman Capital Partners (FCP)

Fireman Capital Partners invests in consumer-focused companies through both growth equity and buyout transactions. The private equity firm focuses on dynamic consumer businesses with revenues between $10 and $150 million, and who have a unique vision and strong management. Fireman Capital leverages its capital, extensive relationships, and deep operating expertise to add substantial value.

Bronx Zinfandel-Aged Pale Ale bottles to be released next week

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Zin Aged Bronx Pale AlePress Release:

(The Bronx, NY) – New York City’s northernmost craft brewery, The Bronx Brewery, is celebrating its first year anniversary with the release of a Zinfandel-Aged Pale Ale. Just 300 individually numbered 22-ounce bottles of this limited batch will go on sale in select bars and restaurants throughout Manhattan and the Bronx on Monday, October 1.

The new beer is an aged version of the brewery’s flagship Bronx Pale Ale, which first went on sale in September 2011. It is a deep amber American-style pale ale, brewed with five different barley malts, generous additions of Cascade and Centennial hops, and a unique strain of yeast. It is dry-hopped, unfiltered, and unpasteurized. Finally it is aged in a French Oak Old Vine Zinfandel barrel from the Brooklyn Winery to impart rich dark fruit notes and complex Brettanomyces character.

The brewers will introduce the new beer at a special tasting on Sunday, September 30 from 3PM to 6PM at the Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker Street, New York). The Bronx Brewery and Brooklyn Winery teams will be on hand to lead a tasting and discuss the new beer and their collaboration. The Brooklyn Winery Zinfandel will also be poured, along with draft and cask-conditioned versions of the Bronx Pale Ale and the limited edition draft Bronx Rye PA.

About The Bronx Brewery
The Bronx Brewery is a craft brewery and distributor based in the South Bronx. It was launched in 2011 by a small team with two things in common: a maniacal focus on creating high-quality beer and a passion for the Bronx and New York City. Its traditionally-crafted ales use only premium and minimally-processed materials to create fresh, bold beer from a borough known for its own uniquely bold character. The team is enthused to bring a rich brewing tradition back to the Bronx and craft a beer that the people of the Bronx and New York City can be proud to call their own.

iron hill the great imperial pumpkin ale

Iron Hill The Great Imperial Pumpkin Ale bottles to be released this weekend

Of course we couldn’t stop at just standard Pumpkin Ale. This year we had to add a Belgian Pumpkin Ale and Bourbon Imperial Pumpkin Ale to the mix. And we’re continuing our tradition of filling hand-packaged 750 ml bottles of the Great Imperial Pumpkin Ale dressed in art work from West Chester artist and friend to Iron Hill, Jeff Schaller. The bottles will be available at our Maple Shade location starting on September 29 and company-wide on October 1. Most Iron Hill locations will have Pumpkin Ale on tap throughout the Fall season, but you will be sure to find it at every location from October 26 through October 31.

via Iron Hill blog.

 

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new jersey craft brewers guild 202

New Jersey Governor signs small brewers bill

Assembly Bill 1277/ Senate Bill 641 moved to Governor Chris Christie who signed it into law on Friday, September 21. This bill permits limited breweries (production microbreweries) to sell and distribute their products to consumers on the licensed premises of the brewery:

For consumption on the premises only in connection with a tour of the brewery

In an amount of up to 15.5 fluid gallons for consumption off the licensed premises

For sampling if properly permitted

More >> CraftBeer.com.

 

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Full Sail Hopfenfrisch Pilsner now available on draft

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full sail brewing logoPress Release:

(Hood River, OR) – Located in the heartland of hops, every year the Full Sail brewers wait with thirsty anticipation for hop harvest and the chance to celebrate by brewing fresh hop beers.

When the hops are at their peak, the Full Sail brewers truck out to the hop fields to collect the aromatic bounty. These seasonal wonders will go from field to brew kettle within a matter of hours and the magic begins. This year, Full Sail celebrates the season’s first hops with Hopfenfrisch, a Pilsner style lager, showcasing the Perle hop variety. “This beer highlights the brewer’s art as well as nature’s gift,” said Full Sail Executive Brewmaster, Jamie Emmerson. The hops were locally grown at Sodbuster’s Hop Farm, which is a Salmon Safe certified hop grower.

“As brewers we are always reliant on nature’s bounty, from the quality of the barley harvest to how the hops weathered through the Oregon summer. But no moment brings this relationship to sharper focus than our fresh hop beers. When we brew with fresh hops, timing is everything,” added Emmerson. “There’s such a small window of time to take advantage of these fresh hops. We need to get them into the brew kettle within hours of picking while their oils and resins are still at their peak. It takes five to seven times more hops to brew a fresh hop beer, but it’s absolutely worth it. There are distinct flavors and aromas that you can only get brewing with fresh hops.”

According to Emmerson, each hop variety reaches peak maturity at a different time during harvest. “For this year’s fresh hop Hopfenfrisch Pilsner, we used fresh harvested Perle, a close cousin to the Northern Brewer hop, which give the beer a strong herbal character with classic pils hop aromas. Fermented with our lager yeast, these flavors make for a classic pilsner beer which give the beer a pleasant hop character. This pale gold aromatic brew was left unfiltered to preserve its smooth body and honeyed malt flavors. This beer is crisp and clean.”

Full Sail’s Fresh Hop beers are a veritable hop lover’s delight. The tiny lupulin glands inside the hop flowers, packed with sticky resins and essential oils, provide all that wonderful bitterness, flavor and aroma. These beers are all about hops; wet hopped, kettle hopped, hop back hopped, and dry hopped in the fermenter with 150 pounds of hops per batch. That’s 7.5 pounds of hops per barrel! Most products this fresh last only a short time. Please enjoy while you can.

Full Sail’s Hopfenfrisch is part of Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve series. It will be available in limited quantities September to November on draught in pubs throughout the Pacific Northwest and at Full Sail’s Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River and at their Riverplace brewery in Portland, Oregon. They will also be available at various fresh hop beer festivals throughout the Pacific Northwest including the Hood River Hops Festival (Sept 29th), the Yakima Fresh Hop Festival & Oaks Park Fresh Hop Festival in Portland, Oregon (Oct 6th) and at Fresh Hop Festival in Eugene (Sept 29th). It will also be served Saturday October 13th at the Great American Beer Festival at the Oregon Brewer’s Guild booth in the Support Your Local Brewer’s pavilion.

About Full Sail Brewing Company:
The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment our specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer. Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA, Pale, LTD, Wassail, Session Premium, Session Black, and Session Fest lager. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 25 years. Committed to brewing great beer and sustainable practices their award winning brews are now available in 29 states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week. Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view. Visit us online at http://www.fullsailbrewing.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

Pelican Brewing Co. to double expansion capacity with new expansion

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pelican pub and brewery logoPress Release:

(Pacific City, OR) – The owners of Pelican Brewing Co., Mary Jones, Jeff Schons, Darron Welch and Ken Henson have entered into an agreement with Star Distributors, Inc. of Tillamook to lease the Star Distributor building on Stillwell between Front & First Ave. While it is not the same vision as the group had in mind for the Port of Tillamook Bay site, a location they considered last year, it’s the perfect size and shape for what they need to brew large quantities of world-class beer. No restaurant is planned for this site, but a tasting room may become part of the plan in the future.

Star Distributors, Inc. have owned the building and operated the business from that location for 60 years, retiring from the grocery business in 1999. They recently decided to look for a new tenant for the building and posted a “For Lease” sign. Jeff Schons, one of the owners of Pelican Brewing Co., called Pat and Don Kehr, President and General Manager, and negotiations began. “Pat and Don have been so great to work with; they really went out of their way to help us put together a deal that allows us to locate in Tillamook. It was clearly very important to them to do what they could to help the local economy and they worked very hard to accommodate our needs. Seeing their commitment to the Tillamook area was a real pleasure for us and gave us one more reason to locate in Tillamook.”

City Manager Paul Wyntergreen and Tillamook County Economic Development Director Dan Biggs have also been working diligently with the Pelican owners to help make this come about.

The production brewery will initially double the brewing capacity of the Pacific City based business, to about 9,000 barrels per year, with plenty of room for growth in the coming years.

Pelican Brewing Co. ales are currently distributed in the Portland/Vancouver area by Maletis Beverage, and in western Washington area by Noble Distributing. Pelican also self-distributes in central and southern Oregon; however, quantities available for distribution are limited by the small capacity of the Pacific City brewing location, on the beach at Cape Kiwanda. Master Brewer & Co-Owner Darron Welch says “We are very excited to become more widely available in all of the Northwest markets within the next few years.”

“The deal is contingent on appropriate funding commitments to purchase equipment and renovate the building, so we are working diligently on that part of the puzzle right now”, according to Mary Jones, President of Pelican Brewing Co. The target date for opening the new facility is June 1, 2013.

Aspen Double Conundrum Imperial Red Ale now available

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Aspen Brewing Co logoPress Release:

(Aspen, CO) – Aspen Brewing Company releases the fall seasonal Double Conundrum Imperial Red Ale this week in their Tap Room at 304 East Hopkins Avenue in Aspen, CO as well as in a small selection of liquor stores and restaurants in the Roaring Fork Valley.

We took a local favorite, our Conundrum Red Ale, and shifted it into high gear resulting in an 8.6% ABV Imperial Red that is packed to the brim with freshly picked cascade hops from our friends at San Juan Hop Farms. A marriage of premium pale and caramel malts, a generous helping of rye, and a touch of toastly munich malt provides the backbone for a beer that lets the beautiful aroma and flavor of the fresh hop cone shine.

Bell’s Brewery rebrands Pale Ale as Midwestern Pale Ale

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Bell's Midwestern Pale Ale

Press Release:

(Comstock, MI) – Bell’s Pale Ale is getting a facelift.

While the label and the name are changing, the recipe will remain basically the same except for one small, yet very significant change.

Midwestern Pale Ale will now be brewed with a small portion of barley from the Bell’s Farm in Shepherd, Michigan and will begin shipping in mid-October.

“This is a relatively minor change to the recipe and people won’t notice anything different, however it is part of a much larger picture,” said Laura Bell, Marketing Director for Bell’s Brewery, Inc.

It’s a deeper connection to the land, to Michigan and its agricultural heritage and to the Midwest, Bell said.
Barley from the Bell’s Farm is also used to brew two other beers – Christmas Ale and Harvest Ale (also made with Michigan grown hops).

The new label features an original painting of the Bell’s Farm by Kalamazoo artist Conrad Kaufman.

ABOUT BELL’S BREWERY, INC.:
Bell’s Brewery, Inc. began in 1985 with a quest for better beer and a 15 gallon soup kettle. Since then, we’ve grown into a regional craft brewery that employs more than 180 people over an 18 state area, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington DC. The dedication to brewing flavorful, unfiltered, quality craft beers that started in 1985 is still with us today. We currently brew over 20 beers for distribution as well as many other small batch beers that are served at our pub in Kalamazoo, the Eccentric Cafe. Our ongoing goal is to brew thoughtfully, creatively and artistically. We strive to bring an authentic and pleasant experience to all of our customers through our unique ales and beers. For more information, please visit bellsbeer.com. You can also find Bell’s on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr and foursquare.

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eBay to pull alcohol sales after 20/20 teams up with minor in sting operation

 

So it had nothing to do with craft brewers calling into eBay after all…or might this be unrelated?

The online marketplace eBay has said it will begin removing listings for beer and liquor from its site after a teen working with "20/20" successfully ordered vodka from two eBay vendors. The vendors advertised their products as "collectible."

More >> ABC News.

 

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Jester King Gotlandsdricka, To Øl Sans Frontiére now featured in Rare Beer Club

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Supporter Post:

One of the most badass beer labels of all time? Whomever is doing the artwork for Jester King Craft Brewery…that brewery has a winner on its hands. And you can hold the rare gem known as Gotlandsdricka in your hands thanks to The Rare Beer Club. Gotlandsdricka is brand new and hasn’t been released in any form before today (Friday) so you can go by Jester King’s track record for now… with all beers rated 84 to 92 on Beer Advocate (hard to decipher but those are good scores). Below, more details on this month’s featured beers…

1) Use a BeerPulse special discount when ordering

Use one of the promo codes below when you order!

BEERPULSE10B – $10 off ANY Beer Club Membership (2-month minimum)
BEERPULSE15B – $15 off ANY prepaid Beer Club Membership of 6 months or longer
BEERPULSE25B – $25 off ANY prepaid 12 month Beer Club Membership

2) Check out this month’s featured beers

Jester King Gotlandsdricka – Exclusivity note: Outside of RBC, this beer will be available only in Texas beginning in late October (along w/ a small handful of events). “Primitive, raw, wild beer, Gotlandsdricka is indeed a rare, traditional style. Considering this, when Jester King set out to try their hand at what we believe is the first commercially-brewed example of the style in the US, they were keen to focus on use of juniper, smoked malts, herbs and low hopping rates.”

To Øl Sans Frontiére Belgian AleTo Øl Sans Frontiére Belgian Ale – 88/93 on RateBeer. Exclusivity note: “We should mention that this beer is brand new to the United States—and we’ve snatched up all but 30 cases that are going to be split by Chicago, California, and New York—so our members will be hording the vast majority of the nation’s supply of this very tasty brew.”

Read more info on these two beers and breweries.

To get these beers, please place your order on or before October 15th.

3) Don’t like those beers? Substitute!

For your first shipment, you will receive the above two beers unless you specify otherwise. You may call and ask for one of the beers that they still have on the floor and substitute it into your first shipment. Just make sure to do so right after you place your order.

Beginning with the second shipment, Rare Beer Club personal memberships are, by default, given additional flexibility through the Future Shipment Update (FSU) Program. Members are sent an email at the beginning of the month detailing the two upcoming selections and a form that allows them to either skip the entire shipment, skip only one of the beers, or add more bottles of either the featured beers or their favorite past selections. In short, you’ll never get a beer you don’t want as a personal member.

Here’s what is currently available for ordering from past months:

[table]
Rank,Beer,Ratebeer Score
1,Castelain Grand Cru (Blond Biere),90/93
2,De Proef Primitive Flemish Wild Ale (aka Reinaert),94/86
3,Elevation Prostator Smoked Doppelbock,(NEW)
4,DeGraal Triverius ,76/89
5,Cisco Island Reserve Saison Farm House Ale,78/43
[/table]

Jester King Gotlandsdricka Ale

4) How many bottles can I order?

You can order a no-obligation membership or a prepaid membership. There is no cancellation fee. 100% satisfaction is guaranteed. There are three different membership levels:

Platinum – (6) – 750 ml. bottles each month, three bottles of two different beers. $68.95 plus $18.00 S&H per month.

Gold – (4) – 750 ml. bottles each month, two bottles of two different beers. $51.95 plus $15.00 S&H per month.

Silver – (2) – 750 ml. bottles each month, one bottle of two different beers. $31.95 plus $13.00 S&H per month.

The beer will arrive at your address approximately 2-3 weeks after the 15th-of-the-month deadline passes.

ORDER NOW BUTTON

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If you have questions or comments, please fill out the form below. Thanks!

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