(Seattle, WA) – SBS Imports and the Seattle Beer Collective are pleased to announce the second annual edition of Cider Summit Seattle. The event will be on Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 11am-7pm at Discovery Center Park in South Lake Union near Westlake & Denny Way.

Last year’s inaugural Cider Summit was the area’s largest-ever tasting of artisanal ciders with over 50 elegantly crafted products from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, California, England, and France. “We received an enthusiastic response from both the producers and attendees,” noted SBC’s Ian Roberts. “We are very excited to be back for year two and reach an even wider audience of cider enthusiasts.”

The owners and cidermakers will be on hand to inform and guide guests through the samplings which will be available in 3-ounce and 6-ounce portions. Each featured cider is made from 100% pressed apples (or pears) and is made without concentrates or other additives. In addition to the superb range of ciders, the event will feature food from Brave Horse Tavern,ongoing demonstrations of apple pressing courtesy of Ryan’s Juice, live music, and even bottle sales to go.

“We believe we’ve created a unique event,” added event co-founder Alan Shapiro of SBS Imports. “The cider selection will be even more diverse this year and the vast majority will be available to taste at $2.00. It should be a great opportunity for attendees to sample many of the best ciders available in the United States if not the world.”

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 (cash only) at the door and are available online via Brown Paper tickets and at many of the area’s leading bottle shops. Admission includes a tasting glass and 10 drink tickets. From 11a-12n arriving guests will receive 2 additional “happy hour” tickets. Additional drink tickets will be available for sale onsite at $2 per ticket. The event is 21 and over only. Dogs will be allowed on event grounds. For more information including a list of participating ciders please visit www.cidersummitnw.com.

Cider Summit Seattle benefits Northwest Cider Association (www.nwcider.org) and The Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research (www.imbcr.org). The Northwest Cider Association promotes awareness of artisan produced ciders among the general public and fosters cooperation within the industry for all producers. IMBCR is one of the world’s leading independent research organizations developing effective therapies to increase the quality of life and longevity of myeloma patients. Cider Summit sponsors include Brave Horse Tavern, Click Distributing, Seattle Weekly, and KMTT.

Cider Summit Seattle takes place on September 10th

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]

(San Diego, CA) – Attention all craft beer evangelists, brewers, bloggers, and suds-savvy citizens! On Thursday, August 4th 2011, you are cordially invited to participate in the largest international craft beer celebration and virtual conversation the world has ever seen.

International #IPADay is a grassroots movement to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers, and brewers worldwide through social media. On Thursday August 4th, craft beer drinkers across the social sphere and across the globe will raise pints in a collective toast to one of craft beer’s most iconic styles: the India Pale Ale. This celebrated style represents the pinnacle of brewing innovation with its broad spectrum of diverse brands, subcategories, and regional flavor variations – making it the perfect style to galvanize craft beer’s social voice.

#IPADay is not the brainchild of a corporate marketing machine, nor is it meant to serve any particular beer brand. #IPADay is opportunity for breweries, bloggers, businesses and consumers to connect and share their love of craft beer. Getting involved is easy; the only requirements are an appreciation for great beer and the will to spread the word. Anyone can participate by enjoying IPA with friends, making some noise online with the #IPADay hashtag, and showing the world that craft beer is more than a trend!

Tips on How to Take Part:
1. Organize an #IPADay event at your brewery, brewpub, restaurant, bar, home, or office (Ex: An IPA dinner/cheese pairing/comparative or educational tasting/cask night/tap takeover…). Share your events on the official #IPADay forum at http://www.ratebeer.com.
2. On August 4th, share your photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes, and thoughts with the world. Be sure to include the #IPADay hashtag in your posts Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WordPress, RateBeer, Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp, Untappd or any other social media site.
3. See what other people are saying by searching “#IPADay” on Google, search.twitter.com, et cetera…
4. Track down your favorite IPA’s, ones you’ve been meaning to try, and ones you’ve never heard of; share them with friends and share your thoughts with the world.
5. Have a good time and know that by sharing your experiences online, you’re strengthening the craft beer community at large.

About International #IPADAY
Founded in 2011 by beer evangelists and social media personalities Ashley V Routson and Ryan A Ross, International #IPADay is the largest grassroots social media-based celebration of craft beer. The goal of #IPADay is to use social media to strengthen the collective voice of craft beer through the simple celebration of beer itself. The success of #IPADay hinges on the passionate voices of beer enthusiasts worldwide and their willingness to share that passion across the social sphere.

For more information on events or how you can support #IPADay, visit http://ipaday.eventbrite.com

Announcing International #IPADay: A Social Celebration of Craft Beer

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]

Partnership blooms between Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Jim Koch of Samuel Adams as they announce a new limited-edition collaboration brew: SAVOR Flowers

(Washington, D.C.) – Craft beer innovators Sam Calagione and Jim Koch announced they are teaming up to brew the first-ever collaboration beer for SAVOR, the Brewers Association’s annual beer and food pairing event. Sam and Jim bonded over their admiration for each other’s beer rosters, as well as their enthusiasm to push the boundaries of brewing. Inspired by the concept of beer taking its rightful place at the dinner table, Sam and Jim are creating the brew, SAVOR Flowers, to be enjoyed by itself or paired with food.

For ages, adventurous brewmasters have experimented with new varieties and processes surrounding three of beer’s four main ingredients—yeast, hops and barley—in an effort to create new and exciting brews. Jim and Sam decided to tackle beer’s previously untapped ingredient—water—and, through an age-old distillation process, created a rosewater base to be used as the main liquid in the brew. The rosewater inspired them to continue to explore the idea of brewing with flowers. After experimenting with a wide range of varieties, they landed on dried lavender, hibiscus, jasmine and rosebuds mixed in during the brewing process to further enhance the beer’s botanical qualities. As well, on his annual hop selection trip to Bavaria last year, Jim learned about a new hop breed known only as #369, grown for its amped-up floral notes. He was able to obtain 30 pounds of this unique variety from the Yakima, Wash. growing region, adding another dimension to this complex brew.

“Sam and I had a great time gathering these ingredients, and I am excited to collaborate with such an innovative brewer on this beer for SAVOR,” says Jim. “Sam’s originality and imagination are endless—he came up with the creative idea of distilling rosewater for this brew. We share the same intense passion for pushing the conventional definition of what beer can be and we put that same passion into our beers.”

SAVOR Flowers was aged in Barrel One—the same bourbon barrel Jim used to age the premier batch of the first “extreme” beer, Samuel Adams® Triple Bock, in 1993. Barrel One is the first barrel originally used for spirits which was then used to age beer. For the last 18 years it has been filled with Samuel Adams Triple Bock. Since starting out on this extreme beer journey, Jim has been committed to challenging American palates and introducing drinkers to brews that have carved out a new category in the craft beer world.

“Jim is the godfather of craft beer, and he’s got unbelievable ideas about what beer can be, along with the knowledge and palate to make those crazy beer dreams come true,” says Sam. “I am with him on his philosophy and thrilled to be working together on this groundbreaking brew. We share a commitment to elevating beer to its proper infinite height, as both a beverage and a pairing for food.”

SAVOR Flowers will be available exclusively to all attendees of SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, a food and beer pairing event held June 3-4, 2011 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Attendees will have a chance to sample the brew at the event as well as bring a 750mL bottle of the collaboration beer home with them.

THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY BACKGROUND:
The Boston Beer Company began in 1984 with a generations-old family recipe that Founder and Brewer Jim Koch uncovered in his father’s attic. After bringing the recipe to life in his kitchen, Jim brought it to bars in Boston with the belief that drinkers would appreciate a complex, full-flavored beer, brewed fresh in America. That beer was Samuel Adams Boston Lager®, and it helped catalyze what became known as the American craft beer revolution.

Today, the Company brews more than 30 styles of beer. The Company uses the traditional four vessel brewing process and often takes extra steps like dry-hopping, barrel-aging and a secondary fermentation known as krausening. It passionately pursues the development of new styles and the perfection of its classic beers by constantly searching for the world’s finest ingredients. While resurrecting traditional brewing methods, the Company has earned a reputation as a pioneer in another revolution, the “extreme beer” movement, where it seeks to challenge drinkers’ perceptions of what beer can be.

The Boston Beer Company strives to elevate the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and competitions the world over, and in the past five years it has won more awards in international beer competitions than any other brewery in the world. The Company remains independent, and brewing quality beer remains its single focus. While Samuel Adams is the country’s largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for just under one percent of the U.S. beer market. For more information, please visit www.samueladams.com.

ABOUT DOGFISH HEAD:
The story of Dogfish Head began in June of 1995 when they opened Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, the first state’s first brewpub, opened in the resort beach community of Rehoboth Beach, Del. The company’s very first batch, Shelter Pale Ale, was brewed on a system which essentially were three little kegs with propane burners underneath. Brewing 12–gallon batches of beer for a whole restaurant proved to be more than a full time job. When the doors to the pub first opened, they brewed three times a day, five days a week! The one benefit to brewing on such a small system was the ability to try out a myriad of different recipes. The brewers quickly got bored brewing the same things over and over – that’s when they started adding all sorts of weird ingredients and getting kind of crazy with the beers!

The reputation of Dogfish Head ales quickly grew beyond Delaware’s borders. Thanks to all the company’s employees and every one of their customers, Dogfish Head continues to grow today! The brand is now up to 34 distinct styles of beer that are sold in 27 states, and a half–dozen kinds of hand–crafted spirits… and they still have some ideas in the back of their collective heads.

ABOUT SAVOR: AN AMERICAN CRAFT BEER & FOOD EXPERIENCE:
Now in its fourth year, SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience returns to Washington, D.C. and expands from one to two nights. Presented by the Brewers Association (organizers of the Great American Beer Festival®), SAVOR, the benchmark of beer and food events, is a must-attend happening for beer lovers and foodies alike.

Attendees will sample craft beers from 72 small and independent craft brewers who team up with a duo of expert chefs to pair each craft beer with delicious savory and sweet dishes. Educational salons and private tasting salons will provide additional opportunities for attendees to interact with some of America’s most talented craft brewers and chefs.

SOURCE Samuel Adams

SAVOR Flowers just released at D.C. craft beer event

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]

(Munster, IN) – Some updates on Dark Lord Day 2011.

The following comes from Three Floyds‘ Lincoln Anderson:

1. Gates open at 10:00 am

2. The Darklord bottle limit will be 4 bottles per person.

3. There will be a lottery for extremely limited, hand bottled, hand numbered barrel aged variations. Guests will exchange their event tickets for a Golden Ticket with a scratch off section. If their ticket scratches off as a winner, they will have the opportunity to purchase one bottle of one of the four variations in addition to the 4 bottles of Darklord. The variations are:

Darklord aged in Pappy Van Winkle 23 year barrels
Darklord aged in brandy barrels
Darklord aged in brandy barrels with vanilla beans
Darklord de Muerte, DL aged in bourbon barrels with ancho and guajillo peppers

These hand bottled, hand numbered, hand waxed bottles will sell for $50.00.

Also of note, the guest tap list is posted over on DarkLordDay.com. It looks like Founders Brewing will be the best-represented guest brewery on tap though there are at least a few dozen beers to check out.

Dark Lord Day 2011: additional details

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]

(Fort Collins, CO) – On April 22, 2011, the craft brewers of Fort Collins will join forces to brew a collaboration beer for the mother of all beer weeks.

Nine local breweries (C.B. & Potts, Coopersmith’s, Crooked Stave, Equinox, Fort Collins Brewery, Funkwerks, New Belgium, Odell Brewing, and Pateros Creek) will work together to craft the unique brew in honor of American Craft Beer Week.

“American Craft Beer Week (ACBW) is all about recognizing and celebrating craft brewers and craft beer culture,” said Doug Odell, founder of Odell Brewing Company. “This collaboration lets us do that and have fun making something special for the craft beer drinkers in our hometown community.”

Brewers from each local brewery worked together to create the beer recipe and will participate in two simultaneous brews at Coopersmith’s and Equinox on Friday, April 22nd. The finished blend will be poured at each brewery’s location, throughout the city, during American Craft Beer Week (May 16-22, 2011).

For more information on American Craft Beer Week, please visit www.craftbeer.com.

Fort Collins craft breweries collaborate on ACBW beer

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]

(Munster, IN) – An update on today’s earlier story and some other notes…

I nibbled and got what I could though some of the key info that people really want just isn’t available yet…

Three Floyds Sales Manager, Lincoln Anderson, confirmed that there will be a number of variations of Dark Lord released at this Saturday’s event but that not all of them will be available in bottles. For those that will be, like Bourbon Barrel and Brandy Barrel with Vanilla Beans, there will be only a small number of each in bottles and a “lottery” will be held at the event for a chance to buy them. Anderson said that the system will be fair and completely random. As for the “666″ on the Metromix bottle pic, the number sounded high to him in terms of actual count.

He also didn’t have a bottle count or bottle limit number available for the original Dark Lord. Bottle limit and more details on the lottery will be revealed closer to the event (as in Friday/Saturday).

Anderson read off some breweries that will have beers there on tap but this is, by no means, a complete tap list:

• The Bruery
• Pizza Port
• Dogfish Head
• Founders
• Schlafly
• Victory
• Goose Island
• Furthermore
• a bunch of Indiana breweries (there may even be an Indiana “section”)

Other non Dark Lord Day brewery notes…

Anderson also confirmed that they are planning to bottle Zombie Dust eventually, probably in 6-packs, but that it is not high on the priority list right now.

The brewery will pass the 20,000 barrel production mark this fall per NWI Times. Three Floyds added a whirlpool which will help with efficiency and Anderson noted that they are considering their options for increasing capacity. They are not looking into expanding into new markets anytime soon though.

This past week, 3 Kings Pale Ale, a collaboration with Sun King Brewing, debuted on tap. Almost all of the beer will be allocated between the two breweries. Indiana breweries producing less than 20,000 barrels get tax breaks, self-distribution rights and on-site sale privileges. Three Floyds and Sun King created 3 Kings to help bring awareness to an initiative to raise that limit. The Senate unanimously approved a measure last week to raise that limit to 30,000 barrels and that bill now goes to the House (and then to the Governor if passed). According to Anderson, it was more of a stopgap measure and more work will need to be done to increase it further.

Finally, another source told me that Urbain Coutteau of Struise will be in town during Chicago Beer Week taking place next month. He will be brewing/collaborating with a few local breweries including Three Floyds and Pipeworks. No further details are available.

Three Floyds Dark Lord Day Update and more

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]

(Munster, IN) – It is amazing how much excitement one photo can generate.

In this case, it comes from Metromix Chicago’s Facebook page.

In January, Three Floyds revealed that it had put some Dark Lord with Vanilla Beans in a brandy barrel with the note, “you won’t be disappointed,” and a photo of the barrel which has today’s date on it.

The Metromix pic shows a numbered bottled of the beer (1/666) with yellow-colored wax. It looks like a 22 oz. bottle but it’s kind of hard to tell. A comment from the page owner says, “Our lips are sealed!”

There is some speculation on Beer Advocate but nothing has been made official yet. The brewery didn’t immediately return a request seeking comment.

Rumors swirl around bottled Brandy Barrel Dark Lord with Vanilla Beans

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]

(Escondido, CA) – Dogfish Head has been in the news a lot lately so it’s time to pay a bit of mind to the other fan favorite from the West Coast, Stone Brewing…

Head Brewer, Mitch Steele, recently appeared on The Brewing Network and had a couple interesting things to say:

On wild ales:

“One of the things that I came up to San Francisco to focus on [for the Craft Brewers Conference] was Brettanomyces. We have not done anything with Brettanomyces or any sort of sour thing. We’re looking at having some new buildings at our facility and being able to actually start doing something.

I went up to Vinnie and Natalie’s [Cilurzos of Russian River Brewing] symposium on Tuesday night and picked some peoples’ brains and I was kind of focused on that.”

As for said buildings, Stone Social Media Coordinator, Jacob McKean, said that the brewery is only in the planning stages so it will be a while.

On a new fall release:

This quote (is admittedly bit out of context and) comes after a discussion about whether hop varieties used in the bittering stage matter and the aromatic qualities of Citra and Nelson Sauvin hops. Mitch Steele says, “Citra and Nelson Sauvin are hops we use for bittering and dry hopping. We’ve got a nice amount of it this year and if all goes well, you might see it in a beer in about six months.” When he said, “it,” I got the impression that he was speaking about Citra specifically. Citra was used in the collaborative effort, San Diego County Session Ale, but will this be the first exclusive Stone beer to use Citra?

Six months happens to fall directly between the release dates for the anniversary beer and the Vertical Epic beer so he could be referring to one of those beers…or not.

Other notes (from McKean)…

• On Europe: “No real updates. We’re doing our due diligence on a site in Berlin to see if it would be feasible, but we’re still open to proposals.”
• The brewery is in the midst of a major roll-out in Minnesota, followed quickly by Missouri on April 19th
• Stone is expanding the Stone Company Store and still awaiting ABC approval of our South Park store/growler station
• Oakquinox is April 17th, Sour Fest is coming up in June and tickets for the 15th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival go on-sale in the coming days
• Stone is adding a beer festival to its line-up during San Diego Beer Week called “Pour It Black”, which will feature stouts & porters
• Cherry Chocolate Stout, the winning beer from the AHA Rally & Homebrew Competition, will be brewed soon with the goal of having it ready to serve during the NHC, which will be held in San Diego June 16-18

Beer notes Stone edition: Wild ales, Citra and more

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]

(Escondido, CA) – Here are the details for the 2011 edition of Stone Oakquinox.

Oakquinox: The Celestial Pairing
of Beer and Wood

Barrel-aged and wood-infused beers are some of our favorites, and it’s so refreshing to know that there’s no shortage of craft breweries making them. (Knock on wood!) So imagine our delight in hosting the second annual Oakquinox, an entire festival that celebrates the combined works of brewer and cooper. It makes us want to let out a righteous “Hallelujah!” in a most angelic timbre!

“Last year’s Oakquinox was a raging success, but we’re taking it up to another level this year,” says “Dr.” Bill Sysak, resident bon vivant and Beverage Supervisor at theStone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens. Oakquinox brings over 100 different beers (from 9 different countries) out of the woodwork to converge upon our splendiferous event, making it one of the largest wood-aged beer festivals in the country. “We’ve got some very special beers lined up from around the world,” explains Sysak, “and plenty of treats right from our neck of the woods.”

A $40 ticket ($45 beginning April 1) gets you a commemorative glass and 3-ounce pours of 15 ligneous libations of your choosing. Not to mention Chef Alex and his crew will be whipping up tasty edibles for purchase to help stave off your hunger. We don’t know about you, but that’s more than enough to get us to lumber out of bed on what would have been an otherwise lazy Sunday.

Stone Oakquinox takes place 4/17

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]

Photo from CBC 2010 in Chicago - copyright Jason Kaplan

(San Francisco, CA) – Some Q&A if you will…

Where can I find out about this year’s conference?

The Brewers Association has an official website set up with details on seminars, trade shows, etc. There are no World Beer Cup awards since those were given last year and are only held every other year.

Where are CBC Week events being held?

Here are some official events. The Bay Area Craft Beer blog has also provided a list of events outside the conference.

What’s this CBC Symposium 4-pack about?

Each year, local brewers make a beer (or beers) specifically for those attending the conference. This year, there is a four pack featuring collaborations from several brewers. Here’s a pic from Brewbound. It is possible that these beers may be available on draft at special events this week but I’m not positive on that.

Here is what is in this year’s 4-pack courtesy of JHenry4 on Beer Advocate:

1) Symposium Sour Brown — collaboration between Russian River and Sierra Nevada, aged in Fritz Maytag’s York Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, 6.2% abv

2) Symposium IPA — collaboration between Drake’s, Triple Rock, and Firehouse, 7.5% abv

3) Symposium Oyster Stout — collaboration between Iron Springs, Marin Brewing, and Magnolia. Brewed with meat, liquor, and shells of over 1000 local Sweetwater oysters, 6.5% abv

4) Symposium New Albion Porter — collaboration between Napa Smith and Black Diamond. Resurrection of the recipe from New Albion, America’s first craft brewery. 5.9% abv

I’m missing out this year. Where are future conferences being held?

As I reported on Twitter last week (shameless plug), Brewers Association Director, Paul Gatza, revealed the following on a recent podcast:

“After San Francisco this year, we’re already booked for San Diego next year, then D.C. in 2013, then Denver in 2014, and then I think we’re going to start looking at the Pacific Northwest in 2015.”

Gatza lamented that they hadn’t held the conference in Portland, Oregon, since 2001 so that could be a prime target for 2015. He also said that New York City is unlikely because room rates are too high for attendees.

Are you at this year’s conference?

Unfortunately not. It’s cliché but maybe next year (or maybe GABF).

Craft Brewers Conference 2011 is here

[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]