beer

(Chico, CA) – Sierra Nevada Brewing and Russian River Brewing are collaborating on a wild ale called Brux. The beer should be brewed sometime around…now. It is scheduled to come out in stores through Sierra Nevada’s distribution network this summer.

Sierra Nevada Communications Coordinator, Bill Manley offered the following info on the beer last month.

The new RR / SN collaboration will be called BRUX (as in brettanomyces bruxellensis) will be released this summer (tent. July)

It will be brewed at some point in Jan/Feb and then conditioned off-site for several months so the Brett can develop.

It will be through our distribution network. About the same scale of release as Ovila /Sierra 30

This is going to be straight Brett refermentation…no bacterial strains.

We had to move heaven and earth just to deal with the Brett in our facility…talk about pedio has folks here running scared!

The beer is definitely tart, but definitely NOT sour. More dry lemony/spice complexity than acidic sourness.

Vinnie has been doing some really interesting research into Brett flavor profiles, and this one will be a nice treat when its finished.

750mL cage and cork.

(Hershey, PA) – Tröegs Brewing tweeted about Nugget Nectar Brew Day on Friday. The beer is slated to be released sometime in February.

 

(Grand Rapids, MI) – Founders Brewing recently announced the release details for KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout).

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Our much-loved KBS will be released on-site to the thirsty masses on Saturday, March 10th! Kentucky Breakfast Stout!

When: Saturday, March 10th at 11am (that’s when we open).

Where: Founders Taproom, located at 235 Grandville Avenue SW in Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. If you would like to purchase a case, a 4-pack, or individual bottles of KBS, you must enter through the rear entrance. Note: KBS is available on a first come – first served basis.

Price: $114 per case, $19 per 4-pack, $4.75 per bottle. A strict limit of 1 case maximum per person will apply.

Additional Details: Again, bottles will be available on a first come, first served basis and are To-Go only, and not for on-site consumption. KBS will be available on draft in the Taproom as well, while supplies last. And like all of our specialty products, KBS is not available in growlers. While we fully expect a line for case & bottle sales, we make no recommendations or guarantees as to when the line will begin, so please plan accordingly. The line will begin at the rear entrance to the Taproom where signage will be posted.

Ok, so I dig this guy. Not that many brewery people engage in real dialogue about the industry using their blogs or social media so, right or wrong, this is pretty refreshing stuff. Here’s a snippet from his 2011 recap & 2012 predictions (made on Jan. 2nd):

Natural Selection. I also predict an increased number of closures of established breweries in 2012 as competition becomes more intense. There are a lot of newbies (5 years old or less) making incredible beer pushing established breweries to up their game, or fade away into history. The result will be excellence on a more consistent basis from craft breweries. You’re favorite brands will either continue to get better, or they’ll just go away.

More where that came from >> Brewed and Never Battered.

For whatever reason, the people at Groupon think that repeatedly sending a different person to call/email me will eventually result in me submitting to their corrosive program that hurts small businesses. I’m tired of responding politely, so here was my latest exchange with the rep assigned to me.

And yes, before you point it out, I’m quite aware of how childish I am.

Check out how he got rid of the Groupon >> Brewed and Never Battered.

With heavy heart, we announce several Mutiny Fleet styles have been temporarily marooned and will not be released in 2012. Included in this list are: AARSH Red, Big DIPA, Hang Ten, Holy Sheet, Prosit!, Smoke on the Water and Yule Tide. Our annual Letter of Marque homebrew competition is also being retired [...]

The 2012 schedule and the new CrossBones Oyster Stout >> Heavy Seas Beer.

Me-me's. That is the whole stock in trade of blogging when you think of it. A story to nick and build upon with a hope that someone builds upon it further, mentioning your name or at least offering a link. Not today. I blame the freezing rain in the middle of the night. It sounded like someone with a garden hose full of jello spraying the bedroom window: flurdidblutblubfluuuurfutblutffluuuur.... You get the idea. Absolutely exhausted. No point in writing a beer review. "Tastes like beer" to quote James.

I have never really understood why beer blogging is quiet on Fridays but there is no doubt about it. Perhaps people are off Twittering their night out expectations and experiences. Twitter sort of acts as blogging's cheat in that way. "No, no... don't mind me..." says the blog, "I'll be fine... I'll make my own fun... you go tweet..." If I were to share any experience of the last two days it would be that the two available Oz and James Drink... DVDs that seem to be available to this continent, Britain and France, are as good a pop discussion of beverages as I've ever experienced. People go on a bit about why there is no beery TV but it might be because beery TV makes no sense unless contextualized in other drinks as well as the places they come from. Helps immensely that there is no sense that the BevCo PR suits and the well placed cheque are behind the scenes.

But that is it. That is all I got. Oh - that and Knut has hit his first millennium. If I were to write a history of beer blogging and consider the role of those who led the way, Knut of Norway would be among those at the top of the list. When many were unaware of how pervasive this would become, when the few writing were writing reviews - Knut was thinking about what beer meant to Knut. While not his first, this 2007 guest post from five years ago is one of my favorites. I like the way he takes weird photos like this one from 2005 or the one above from New York in 2008. Part of that great international beer blogging legacy.

"Bocanegra, craft beer made in Monterrey. It is a tribute to all working people.

To carry out this work we were inspired by all the people who strive and work hard every day. A hallmark of the people here in Monterrey."

Cool branding…

Check out all the pics >> The Dieline.

It was a nasty shock when Craig Peterson recently opened his mail and found that a new law required him to buy an annual beer wholesaler’s state permit for $2,600 – replacing the requirement to buy a municipal license for $100.

Peterson operates Buffalo Water Beer Co., a Milwaukee-based firm that owns the Bison Blonde beer brand, which is made at the Milwaukee Brewing Co. brewery in Walker’s Point. Buffalo Water and other small "recipe brewers," which own brands but not breweries, found themselves facing the prospect of having to sell a lot of beer just to satisfy the new state requirement.

Read on >> JSOnline.

Press Release:

(St. Louis, MO) – Already the brand of choice for beer drinkers who want to enjoy a crisp, refreshing beer with few calories, Select 55 is now introducing smaller-sized cans and bottles. Now available at retailers nationwide, Select 55 “Little Lights” include sleek eight-ounce, 35-calorie cans, available in 12-packs; and seven-ounce, 32-calorie clear glass bottles, available in six-packs.

Select 55 offers a clean, crisp taste with fewer calories for adult beer drinkers. The new smaller-size cans and bottles make it ideal for enjoying a great tasting beer while limiting calorie intake, whether people are seeking light refreshment at the end of the day or celebrating the weekend with friends.

Each eight-ounce aluminum can of Select 55 has 35 calories, 1.9 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fat and less than one gram of protein per serving. Seven-ounce clear glass bottles of Select 55 contain 32 calories, 0.8 grams of carbohydrates and less than one gram of protein per bottle.

“These new sizes for Select 55 provide more options for adults who want to enjoy a great beer with few calories,” said Ryan Moore, senior director, Select 55. “We first introduced Select 55 to provide beer drinkers a premium lighter light beer option. As our drinkers have evolved, we saw an opportunity in the marketplace and developed ‘Little Lights’ to meet it. We think Select 55 drinkers will find them to be a great option for times when a smaller size is ideal.”

Select 55 is made with caramel malts and a blend of imported and domestic hopping. Select 55 features a unique recipe that gives the beer its crisp finish with aroma notes of toasted malt and subtle hopping. All Select 55 beers are brewed at Anheuser-Busch’s Los Angeles, St. Louis and Williamsburg breweries. Select 55 in 12-ounce containers (both clear glass and aluminum cans) has 55 calories and 1.9 carbs. For more information, visit www.Select55.com or www.Facebook.com/Select55.

About Anheuser-Busch Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.3 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

Earthquakes and blackouts aside, it hasn’t been easy for Coedo, founded in 1997 by Asagiri’s father-in-law. It wasn’t until prohibitive laws against small commercial breweries were repealed in 1994 that a microbrew scene in Japan could emerge.

Even since then, breaking the chokehold the big four Japanese brewers – Asahi, Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo – have on the domestic and international beer market has been a challenge. What Coedo produce in a year is the equivalent to what just one of the big boys produce in a day.

via CNN.com Blogs.

Press Release:

(Zhejiang region, CHINA) – SABMiller plc (SAB.L) one of the world’s leading brewers, today announces that China Resources Snow Breweries Limited (“CR Snow”), its joint venture with China Resources Enterprise Limited (“CRE”), is launching a trial of SABMiller’s international premium brand, Miller Genuine Draft, in the Zhejiang region of China.

The introduction of Miller Genuine Draft into the Zhejiang market gives the company the opportunity to test the potential for its international brand with a premium beer imported from the USA.

The joint venture has achieved significant growth for local brand ‘Snow’, which is both the largest beer brand in China and in the world by volume. CR Snow had a 21% share of the Chinese beer market with sales of more than 92 million hectolitres (1 hectolitre = 100 litres) in 2010.

CR Snow is the exclusive importer and will utilise its existing infrastructure to service the market, with Miller Genuine Draft initially available in Hangzhou and Wenzhou following a launch event to be held in Hangzhou on 16th January.

Ari Mervis, SABMiller’s Managing Director, Asia Pacific, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to introduce one of our international brands into the fast-growing premium segment in China in a way which takes advantage of CR Snow’s strong market position in the region.”

Zhejiang is one of the largest markets in Central China and its capital, Hangzhou, has one of the highest GDPs of the provincial large cities.

SABMiller plc is one of the world’s largest brewers with brewing interests and distribution agreements across six continents. The group’s wide portfolio of brands includes premium international beers such as Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch, as well as leading local brands such as Aguila, Castle, Miller Lite, Snow and Tyskie. SABMiller is also one of the world’s largest bottlers of Coca-Cola products.

In the year ended 31 March 2010, the group reported US$3,803 million adjusted pre-tax profit and group revenue of US$26,350 million. SABMiller plc is listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges.

About China Resources Snow Breweries Limited China Resources Snow Breweries Limited was established in 1993 and became a joint venture with SABMiller plc in 1994. It is engaged in the production, sales and marketing of beer in China. Its shareholders are China Resources Enterprise, Limited and SABMiller Asia Limited, a subsidiary of SABMiller plc. China Resources Enterprise, Limited has a 51% interest in China Resources Snow Breweries Limited while SABMiller Asia Limited holds the remaining 49% interest. In 2010, it operated over 70 breweries in China with a total beer sales volume of about 92 million hectolitres. It is the largest beer company in China by sales volume.

About China Resources Enterprise, Limited China Resources Enterprise, Limited is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is one of the constituent stocks of the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong. The Group focuses on the consumer businesses including retail, beer, food and beverage in China.

You’ll be interested in this 30,000-foot view: The NAB brand family performed pretty well in 2011. Shipments and depletions were both up around 9%. Depletion growth by off-premise channel included a 9% jump in grocery, 15% at c-stores, 23% at liquor stores and 7% at the drug channel. NAB launched over 50 new SKUs, LTOs and seasonals in 2011, and they’ve got plenty more for next year.

via Beer Business Daily.

Anheuser-Busch, the game’s exclusive beer advertiser, is dedicating the first two of its six Super Bowl ads to Bud Light Platinum, a new higher alcohol line extension aimed at younger, urban drinkers who have abandoned beer for spirits. The two 30-second spots, which will air in the first quarter, eschew the usual slapstick humor Bud Light is known for in favor of a more serious and stylish tone while touting "triple-filtered, smooth finish, top-shelf taste."

via Advertising Age.

Press Release:

(Chicago, IL) – Louis Glunz Beer, Inc., has kicked off the new year with new beers, and breweries such as Nantucket, MA-based Cisco Brewers and Green Bay, WI-based Hinterland have proudly joined Glunz Beer’s growing roster of over 827 brands and 172 breweries worldwide. Louis Glunz Beer, Inc., the area’s leading beer distributor, will be filling store shelves and restaurant menus throughout Chicagoland with their newest offerings.

 

“We’re thrilled to be bringing new beers to the area from around the country and sharing them with Chicagoans,” says Anthony Norkus, craft and specialty brands manager for Glunz Beer. “Our newest offerings reflect the beer industry’s most progressive and inventive finds.”

 

Glunz Beer encourages beer and microbrew enthusiasts to take their taste buds on tour with a sampling of the following new products, with suggested savory food pairings. To find retailers and restaurants selling these beers, use the ZIP Code search function at www.glunzbeers.com.

 

 

•          Cisco Whale’s Tale Pale Ale—Since 1995, the brewers at Cisco Brewers in Nantucket have created a variety of beers. Whale’s Tale Pale Ale was named to honor Nantucket’s whaling history. Whale’s Tale, Cisco’s flagship beer, is an English-style pale ale. Wonderfully balanced with Maris Otter malt, hints of Crystal malt, and generously hopped with East Kent Goldings, it has a rich honey color and fruity hop aroma. ABV 5.6%. 2/12/12oz can.

Try with: Hamburger

 

 

 

 

•          Cisco Grey Lady Ale—Cisco Brewers’ Grey Lady Ale was named after the foggy island of Nantucket, where it is brewed. This wheat beer is fermented with Belgian yeast and brewed with fresh fruit and spices. Grey Lady is a distinctive ale that emits a complex, earthy nose and a soft, mid-palate maltiness with hints of tropical fruit. It is dry and spicy. 4.4% ABV. 4/6/12oz cans.

 

Try with: Seafood

 

 

•          Hinterland Luna Coffee Stout—Luna Coffee Stout makes up for one of 11 of Hinterland’s beers. The beer has an opaque, black, coffee-like character. It is infused with nitrogen, and is extremely clean and refreshing. 5.8% ABV. 6/4/16oz bottles.

 

                Try with: Desserts (i.e., flourless chocolate cake or crème brulee)

 

•          Hinterland IPA—This IPA has a roasty amber color with a lacy, beige head to top it off. With citrus and floral aromas, a pronounced hop presence fills the nose. A slightly biscuity flavor with well-balanced bitterness and a malty sweetness finishes with a dry feel. 6.8% ABV. 16-oz.

 

Try with: Jambalaya or chili

 

About Louis Glunz Beer, Inc.

Founded in 1888 by Louis Glunz I in Chicago, Louis Glunz Beer, Inc. is among the oldest beer distributors in the United States and the recipient of the 2007 Craft Beer Distributor Achievement Award from the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the Brewers Association for promoting craft beer and making consumer choice a top priority. The 123-year-old company is family-owned and operated by President Jack Glunz, the grandson of Louis Glunz I, with day-to-day operations led by five of his seven children as members of the fourth generation with members of the fifth generation also on staff. Louis Glunz Beer, Inc. features Chicago’s most extensive portfolio of 827 craft, specialty, and import beers from 67 suppliers representing 172 breweries worldwide, and is the premier distributor to restaurants, bars, liquor stores, and supermarkets in Chicagoland.  The company is dedicated to quality service and to educating its customers and the public about beer tastes and trends.  For product descriptions, food pairings, and a list of local retailers through a “Find it near me” ZIP code search, visit www.glunzbeers.com.

You probably knew that each state has some form of an ABC, an alcohol control organization that after Prohibition was created to administer their state’s laws regarding alcohol. Not surprisingly, they also have an organization where the professionals in these state organizations can get together and share information, how they do things, and generally learn [...]

(Brussels-Anderlecht, BELGIUM) – Cantillon sent out this note via email earlier today. Very interesting stuff happening here…

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Back to the future

As you may know, Lambic and wooden barrels have been inseparable partners for centuries.

Until recently I would have never even imagined myself putting my beer into anything besides a barrel, and yet… And yet, a blind wine tasting session completely changed my vision of things. On that occasion I tasted something which truly caused me to lose my composure. Its exceptional fragrance and finish, unbelievable complexity bringing together fruitiness, freshness and minerality made it incomparable with a “traditional” wine. There was clearly something different at work here, but what?

Thankfully, Gabrio Bini, an Italian winemaker, was present at the restaurant organising the event and I soon understood that he would be able to answer my numerous questions. Gabrio’s wines are produced in Sicily and matured in, wait for it, amphoras! He spoke to me about his amphoras with such passion and enthusiasm that I very quickly started imagining putting my Lambic into this type of container. After all, what could make better sense than putting a centuries-old beer like Lambic in a container which has been around since antiquity!

The winemakers currently experimenting with amphoras are all producers of natural wines (organic or biodynamic techniques) fermented without the use of additional yeast. By the way, this is another element such wines have in common with traditional Lambic. In any case, the approach here involves optimally oxygenating the liquid and subjecting it to lower temperatures to favour slower fermentation.

I’m happy to say that the entire team at Cantillon is very impatient about getting started with this new project. In fact, besides just being curious about the results we’ll obtain with this kind of maturing approach, letting Lambic age in amphoras makes us feel a bit as if we were travelling far back in time.

Some time ago, 12 amphoras of 200 litres each arrived at the brewery. After soaking them in water to make them less porous, they were filled with the Lambic produced during the 19th brewing session of season O (which took place on 26 January 2012).

Rest assured that we’ll keep you updated on how the fermentation process develops and, assuming things go well, start making plans for a tasting session this fall.

 

(Atlanta, GA) – Just received this newsletter from SweetWater Brewing…

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What began as a pipe dream for a couple of kids fresh out of college (one of ‘em actually graduated!) who were looking to keep the free beer flowing for themselves, and hopefully make enough dough to feed the dog has turned into pumping close to 100,000 barrels of beer per year out of here! (that translates to 200,000 kegs or 1,378,000 cases – we’ve tried, but we can’t drink it all!)

We are ripping the doors off this place on Feb 18th from 2 – 6 and pulling out all sorts of kegs from our stash hole. We’ll be showing off the new expansion we just built, and we have the boys from Like a Locomotive playing throughout the day. You’ll be able get a sneak peek at some of the casks we are creating for Brew Your Cask Off that day as well.  Tell a friend, and help us celebrate the festivities.  Check out the full list of beers we will be pouring on our Facebook event page.

As for the 15 Anniversary Ale itself…

SweetWater 15 Years of Heady Beers – bottling and kegging this one next week, should be out on draft and in stores by early / mid February (our actual birthday is Feb 17th!)

Lots more detail to come on this one, but for now we can share that this is a step back to our roots as a brewery. We dug up the original ESB recipe from the old days off of Fulton Industrial and gave it a big ol bump. Check the quickie video, and you’ll see one our original founders, Kevin McNerney, came back to create this one with us. Should be a mouth full of goodness, and we’ll be drinking plenty of it at our party on the 18th.

Click label below for larger version.

As you may know, we’re supposed to brew and release our epic double IPA, Hop 15, a couple of times a year — August and February. Well it’s almost February now, but we’re doing so well with our other double IPA, Mongo, that’s it a little difficult to justify tying up major tank time to brew a batch of an IPA that is, uhhh… let’s just say not for the faint of tongue. So there’s some back and forth going on behind the scenes as to what we should do.

70% of voters currently want it back in full force so we’ll find out just how much our opinion matters soon enough.

via Reader Poll: To Hop 15 or Not To Hop 15? | The Lost Abbey.

Every day, I receive at least a couple emails from breweries in which the word, “award,” is mentioned whether it be a press release or an event notice. Breweries are proud of these awards. In the U.S., the GABF and World Beer Cup are the most well-known competitions. Then there are the tons of state and local festival competitions. International competitions. The Great British Beer Festival. Then there are the all-important awards from private entities like the Beer Tasting Institute and the Open Beer Championships. The list goes on…and on…and on.

 

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