§ January 13th, 2012§ Filed under News§ Tagged beerComments Off
At its peak, the Eichinger family in rural northeast Wisconsin was more than 20 strong. There was Tim and Toni, their son Jake, and a slew of colorful characters: Lothar, the bitterest of the brood; Creek, the family’s hard-nosed staff sergeant; Doris, the sweetheart; and Howler, the cool-headed womanizer. These other family members were of the four-legged variety: The Eichingers once owned a sled dog kennel in Pembine, Wis., which is now more of a retirement home for huskies in their twilight. But these old dogs still inspire Tim when he rolls up his sleeves in the brewery adjacent to the kennel. The brewery itself is named for Howler, the philandering black husky who Tim says “owned him,”and each beer is a representation of one of the Eichingers’ litter. Take Lothar, the acerbic dog prone to biting, who is naturally the face of Black Husky’s Sproose Joose II IPA, a bitter, high-alpha beer made with local spruce tips.
The kennel has slowed recently, but the nanobrewery is ramping up: This year, the Eichingers will quadruple their capacity with a 5-barrel system, expand their line of 22-ounce bottled beers and release a smoked beer and an imperial red—inspired by dogs Smoki and Harold, respectively. –Christopher Staten
(Kailua-Kona, HI) – Craft beer drinkers who spend much of their time in the surf, sun, and sand will soon have an easier way to bring along their favorite beer. Kona Brewing Company has announced plans to offer its flagship Longboard Island Lager in 12-ounce cans, which are scheduled to hit shelves mid-March 2012. All Kona markets will receive Longboard cans, including the newest markets of Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New Jersey.
Aluminum cans offer a range of benefits for consumers, beer, and the environment. Perhaps the biggest benefit for fans of Kona Brewing Company’s Longboard Island Lager, however, is that cans allow consumers to enjoy Liquid Aloha where glass bottles typically aren’t allowed – like on the beach or at the pool.
According to Kona Brewing president Mattson Davis, the can’s enhanced portability as a take-along is especially beneficial to Kona beer drinkers who enjoy rewarding themselves during outdoor pursuits. “Cans are lifestyle-friendly for the Kona consumer, who’s more likely to take us to the beach, hiking or snowboarding in the mountains, paddling their local lake or river, or any other time where glass bottles aren’t the best way to go. Now they’ll have a lighter, more compact way to take our beers along.”
Longboard Island Lager is slated to make its debut in cans at the Kona Brewers Festival on March 10, 2012 in Hawaii. Kona’s home market of Hawaii will be the first to offer cans at retail, scheduled for March 12, 2012. Longboard Island Lager cans will be available year-round in 12-ounce 6-pack configurations.
“Longboard Lager has experienced tremendous growth over the past five years and we’re hopeful the Longboard cans will add to the excitement our fans continue to have for craft beer,” continued Davis. “Liquid Aloha in a can is what Kona beer drinkers have asked for and we’re stoked to bring it to them.”
* * *
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 30 states and Japan. It is the 13th largest craft brewery in the country. For more information call 808-334-BREW or www.KonaBrewingCo.com.
§ January 13th, 2012§ Filed under NewsComments Off
Boston Mayor Tom Menino made the obligatory bet with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock over Saturday's Denver Broncos-New England Patriots playoff game, and he did some obligatory trash talking -- but his unlikely target was Colorado beer.
§ January 13th, 2012§ Filed under NewsComments Off
Remember when a husband-and-wife team planned a beer festival in Fair Park and everyone was all excited about it but then it got canceled and everyone, aside from a few told-ya-so-sayers, was bummed ? Well, once again, a husband-and-wife team is organizing a beer festival in Fair Park.
§ January 13th, 2012§ Filed under News§ Tagged featuredComments Off
Thoughts?
The video description reads…
Tentanda via est! The way must be tried. Wildeman has arrived. A new beer from Flying Dog Brewery, Wildeman Farmhouse IPA cometh in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC January 30.
The two companies have since been neck-and-neck in sales until the end of 2011, when Yuengling started selling beer in its 14th state, Ohio.
Yuengling sold 2.5 million barrels of beer in 2011, up 17 percent from the previous year, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights in Suffern, N.Y., a magazine that tracks the beer industry. Boston Beer sold 2.4 million barrels in 2011, the magazine estimated.
Per the Brewers Association, Boston Beer leap-frogged Yuengling in 2010 after Yuengling outproduced Boston Beer in 2009. What is notable is that Boston Beer is available across the country where Yuengling is only available in just over a dozen states.
§ January 13th, 2012§ Filed under News§ Tagged featuredComments Off
(Cherry Hill, NJ) – Some Flying Fish Brewing news per the latest email…
Well, we tried naming this beer Scarlet Fever, but the Feds would not approve our label because it was also the name of a disease. Since we’re plumb out of time and other great name ideas, we’re calling this West Coast hoppy red ale, Red Fish. Columbus, Chinook and Cascade hops give the beer a robust piney nose. Two-row, crystal and cara-red malts give the beer a malty background and a 7% abv. Red Fish will be available only on draft starting mid-January and only for a short while for now.
According to the brewery website, they are still looking for a name.
Based on early feedback, we’re thinking of keeping this beer as a full-time offering, but we really want a better name. Send us your suggestions. The winning suggestion will receive a $100 Flying Fish gift card and a couple of goodies from our cellar.
Lastly, Flying Fish announced that Chestnut Brown Ale (Exit will hit stores next month. Look for another batch of Grand Cru Winter Reserve on draft as well.
§ January 13th, 2012§ Filed under News§ Tagged featuredComments Off
(Maple Shade, NJ) – Iron Hill Maple Shade is holding a beer release event in a week. Here are the details from the latest newsletter.
—
Barrels! Bourbon & Bugs is our celebration of barrel aging, both bourbon aging and wild beers that undergo all or part of their fermentation in used wine barrels. Next Saturday, January 21st at noonwe’ll be tapping 10 barrel aged beers, five bourbon aged and five “wild” beers. For those of you who aren’t familiar with wild beers, these are beers that have undergone all or part of their fermentation with something other than your usual beer yeast. Specifically the wild yeast Brettanomyces or a blend of bacteria such as lactobacillus and pediococus. Wild beers, of course aren’t for everyone. But people who love them are fanatical about them.
As always we’ll be offering samplers of all of the special beers, one sampler for the bourbon beers, and one sampler for the bug beers.
Barrels! Bourbon and Bugs Lineup
The Bourbons
Bourbon Bock – Traditional full-bodied, dark German lager with distinct malty and bready characteristics in aroma and flavor. Aged in a used Bourbon barrel for 5 months. 6.5% abv
Bourbon Porter – Our award-winning Pig Iron Porter aged in bourbon barrels with whole vanilla beans. Roasty malt and pronounced Bourbon flavors with a nice vanilla aroma. Served on nitrogen. 5.3% abv
Bourbon Aged Reily’s Chocolate Ale – Brewed with chocolatier Mike Collins of Reily’s Candy in Medford, NJ. A rich, malty brown ale brewed with generous amounts of dark chocolate and roasted cocoa nibs to give it a distinct chocolatey character. Aged in a used Bourbon barrel for 3 months. 7.0% abv
Bourbon Cherry Iron Fish – Brewed in collaboration with Casey Hughes of Flying Fish Brewery. An Imperial Black Belgian IPA. Loads of American hop bitterness, aroma and flavor mingling with fruity and spicy characters from Fish’s house Belgian yeast and all balanced by a touch of roast. Aged in a used bourbon barrel on 40 pounds of sour cherries for four months. 9.5% abv musspellng
Bourbon Quadfather – Big, rich, complex and chewy Belgian Strong Ale aged in used Bourbon barrels. We’ve made you a beer you can’t refuse. 10.3%
The Bugs
F.red Flemish Red Ale – Malty reddish-brown ale fermented in stainless with the Roselare blend then aged in used Pinot Noir barrels for 9 months. Malt sweetness and toastiness followed by an assertive but pleasant sourness. 5.3%
Heywood Strong Belgian Golden Ale – fermented in oak with 100% Brett L. Tart, dry, phenolic and funky. 7.5%
Wine Barrel Wee Heavy Strong Scotch Ale – fermented in stainless then aged in a freshly emptied Pinot Noir barrel and spiked with Brett L. Malt complexity mingles with a touch of spiciness and pie cherry aroma from the Brett and a warming alcohol character. 11.0%
Saizanne Wood – A classic Belgian-style farmhouse ale, unfiltered, bright and light-bodied. Fermented with the earthy, fruity and spicy DuPont strain, spiced with pink and green peppercorns, then spiked with Brett B and finished in oak. 7.3%
Drie Caprice Strong Belgian Golden Ale – hopped with American Cascade and Amarillo hops, fermented in oak with 100% Brett B. Bright, tart and spicy. 6.8%
§ January 13th, 2012§ Filed under News§ Tagged featuredComments Off
2012 is going to be a big year for Jackie O’s. We are shooting to have the new brewery [20 bbl system] operating by mid June. We will begin our own honey production, placing hives at our farm and all around Athens county. Our goal is to have our own estate honey that will take care of all of our brewing and kitchen needs. I am shooting for 4 bottle releases in 2012. The First release will be in March, most likely in late March. Some beers to expect for that release, Kentucky Monk, Vanilla Bean Rum Barrel Dark Apparition, and some other barrel aged goodies.
