(Denver, Colorado) – Wynkoop Brewing Company’s judging panel has picked its three finalists for the brewpub’s 2012 Beerdrinker of the Year award.

The annual search seeks out and celebrates America’s most passionate beer lovers. Entrants must have a deep understanding of how beer is made, its many styles and its importance in advancing civilization. They must also have a vast array of beer tasting experiences and be good ambassadors for the culture of fine beer.

The 2012 finalists will compete in the Beerdrinker of the Year finals on February 25, at 2 PM, at Wynkoop Brewing Company. The event is open to the public and admission is free. The top three entrants in this year’s resume pool are:

Warren Monteiro, a New York City freelance writer, beer traveler, homebrewer and BeerSensei columnist for Alestreet News. Monteiro has sampled beers in Europe, Central American, India, Sri Lanka, numerous other nations and throughout the United States. In 2011 he visited breweries and beer festivals in England, Belgium, the Netherlands and the US. He samples an average of 350 beers each year.

His philosophy of beer drinking: “It’s not a habit, it’s a lifestyle. This is why I constantly travel – to get a taste of a new brew or one I’ve been missing, and to find a way to share it whenever possible. I consider creative beer drinking to be an essential part of the tapestry of art and fellowship contributing to a full life. The beauty of beer hunting now as opposed to the early ‘80’s is that I’ll never catch up!
His home beer bar: Blind Tiger Ale House, New York City.
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Greg Nowatzki, a Las Vegas, Nevada accountant, home brewer and beer judge. Nowatzki has tasted over 13,600 beers from 84 different countries and all 50 states in the US. He has visited over 500 breweries in 32 different states and the District of Columbia, and attended over 150 beer festivals in 8 states. In 2011 he visited 16 beer festivals (including an 11th consecutive Great American Beer Festival) and visited over 100 different breweries in 7 states.

His beer philosophy: “Everyone likes beer. Some just haven’t tasted enough to find the ones they like yet.”

His home beer bar: Big Dog’s Draft House, Las Vegas, Nevada
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J. Wilson, a Prescott, Iowa writer, homebrewer, beer judge and beer blogger. He has a 3-tap, 8-foot home bar supplied by a 10-gallon brewing system in his basement. An advocate for beer for 15 years, he organized numerous beer events in his hometown in 2011. The past year was highlighted by a research project in which he fasted for 46 days on water and a dopplebock he brewed with a local brewery. It became a book, Diary of a Part-Time Monk.

His philosophy about beer: “Living life in search of brewvana (an ideal condition of harmony, beer and joy), I seek to educate and advocate on behalf of craft beer, folding good beer into a good life.”

His home beer bar: El Bait Shop, Des Moines, Iowa
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On February 25 at 2 PM at Wynkoop Brewing Company, these finalists will be grilled by a panel of previous Beerdrinker of the Year winners and national beer experts. The judges (in traditional jurist wigs and robes) will challenge the finalists with difficult beer questions, and then choose the 2012 winner.

The winner wins free beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewing Company, $250 worth of beer at their local brewpub or beer bar, and clothing proclaiming them the 2012 Beerdrinker of the Year.

They have their name engraved on Wynkoop’s Beerdrinker of the Year trophy, and earn the mighty acclaim that comes from being recognized as America’s greatest beer lover.

While in Denver (at Wynkoop’s expense) they will stay at Denver’s famed Brown Palace Hotel.

Phil Farrell of Cumming, GA is the reigning Beerdrinker of the Year and will be a judge at this year’s Finals. Wynkoop is now serving Beerdrinker Imperial Stout, a whiskey-barrel-aged, extra-strength stout Farrell brewed last fall with Wynkoop head brewer Andy Brown.

Press Release:

(Stevens Point, WI) – Point Three Kings Ale, a brew fit for royalty, is the Stevens Point Brewery‘s new spring seasonal offering.

Handcrafted in the style of the popular Kölsch beers brewed in Cologne, Germany, Three Kings Ale will be available from February 1 through the end of May in six-packs and 12-packs of 12-ounce longneck bottles, 12-pack cans and kegs where Point beers are sold.

“Enjoying a Three Kings Ale delivers a taste of spring and the promise of warm weather to come. It’s a great beer to toast the change of seasons as winter recedes and spring approaches,” said Joe Martino, Stevens Point Brewery Operating Partner.

Cologne’s Kölsch Bier tradition
Kölsch originated in the ancient Rhineland city of Cologne, or “Köln” in German, world famous for its Gothic cathedral constructed between 1248 and 1880. The Three Kings name is inspired by the Three Wise Men whose remains are enshrined in the intricately decorated, solid-gold sarcophagus behind the cathedral’s altar. For more than 500 years the city’s coat of arms has featured three golden crowns symbolizing the Three Kings.

Cologne at one time had more breweries than any other city in the world. Today it is home to a dozen or more breweries that brew the local specialty, Kölsch, meaning “of Cologne,” a delicate, pleasantly hopped top-fermented beer with a pale golden hue.
“Kölsch is to ale what pilsner is to the world of lager beers,” Martino explained. “Kölsch has a proud heritage and we are excited to add this refreshing Ale to our seasonal portfolio.”

Brewing Three Kings Ale
Like the Kölsch beers of Cologne, Three Kings Ale features a soft, mild maltiness and delicate fruity character derived from warm-fermenting the beer with authentic Kölsch ale yeast, according to Stevens Point Brewmaster John Zappa.

Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Northern Brewer hops impart a crisp but subtle hoppiness to Three Kings Ale, brewed with two-row barley, Munich malt – and a hint of malted wheat “for character,” Zappa said. “Three Kings Ale is a delicious, well-balanced, crisp yet smooth Ale. It is a very nice session beer,” he said.

The Stevens Point Brewery
Stevens Point Brewery, founded in 1857, uses only the highest-grade barley malts, specialty malts, grains and the choicest hops to brew their handcrafted beers, including flagship Point Special Lager, which won the gold medal in the American Premium Lager category at the 2003 Great American Beer Festival.

In addition to Point Three Kings Ale, seasonal specialty brands include Point St. Benedict’s Winter Ale, a dark, abbey-style ale available from November through February; Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat, an award-winning unfiltered wheat ale; and Point Oktoberfest, a Bavarian-style Märzen beer for the fall.

Point’s year-round specialty beers include Point 2012 Black Ale, a robust dark ale; Point Horizon Wheat, an unfiltered wheat ale; Point Belgian White, a Belgian-style wheat ale; Point Burly Brown American Brown Ale; Point Cascade Pale Ale, a hoppy American-style pale ale; and Point Amber Classic, an American-style amber lager. The brewery’s year-round craft beers also include the Whole Hog Limited Edition Brewmaster’s Series of “big beers,” including year-round Whole Hog Six-Hop India Pale Ale and seasonal offerings, Whole Hog Raspberry Saison, Whole Hog Russian Imperial Stout, Whole Hog Barley Wine Ale and Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale.

Gourmet soft drinks from the Stevens Point Brewery include Point Premium Root Beer, Point Premium Diet Root Beer, Point Premium Orange Cream, Point Premium Vanilla Cream and Point Premium Black Cherry Cream Soda. Point Premium Root Beer, made with pure cane sugar, natural vanilla and Wisconsin honey, was awarded a gold medal by the Beverage Testing Institute.

(Houston, TX) – Saint Arnold Brewing Company (www.saintarnold.com), the oldest craft brewery in Texas, today announced plans to release the fourth brew of its popular “Movable Yeast” series: Saint Arnold Bitter Belgian.

It is an alternate version of Saint Arnold Elissa IPA made with Belgian Trappist yeast. A limited supply of 60 barrels (approximately 20,000 12-ounce servings) of Saint Arnold Bitter Belgian will be released on Thursday, February 9, 2012. It will be available on tap at the brewery (for weekday tours only) as well as at select bars and restaurants throughout Texas.

The concept behind the Movable Yeast series is to focus on the flavor contribution of yeast. This release was created by brewing a regular batch of Saint Arnold Elissa IPA, which debuted in 2004, and splitting the wort (unfermented beer) into two 60 barrel fermenters. One fermenter was pitched with the usual Saint Arnold yeast to make Saint Arnold Elissa IPA and the second fermenter was pitched with Belgian Trappist yeast to create Saint Arnold Bitter Belgian.

“I encourage everyone to start by appreciating the aroma, which is full of cloves with a grapefruit undercurrent,” said Saint Arnold founder/brewer Brock Wagner who has used these same tasting techniques as a judge at the Great American Beer Festival. “When you put it up to your mouth it is basically an explosion of flavor, full of malt, spice and hops. The notes from the Belgian Trappist yeast work very well with the big Cascade flavor.”

As was the case with the other brews in the Moveable Yeast series, Wagner encourages craft beer enthusiasts to try Bitter Belgian side-by-side with Elissa IPA to get the full impact of the Belgian Trappist yeast.

The previous brews in the Moveable Yeast series were greeted with rave reviews and strong demand as craft beer enthusiasts enjoyed learning about the significant role yeast plays in influencing the aroma and flavor of craft beer. The reception for the first beer in the series, Saint Arnold Weedwacker, was so strong that the brewery added it its year-round lineup. However, production pressures at the brewery necessitated a one-year hiatus for the series.

Saint Arnold Bitter Belgian will not be bottled. It will start showing up on draft in select bars and restaurants throughout Texas at the end of next week, although some accounts may choose to hold off on tapping their kegs for special occasions. Supplies tend to last just a few weeks.

About Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Saint Arnold Brewing’s ten brews are made and sold by the company’s staff of 38 dedicated employees. The brewery was listed by USA Today as one of the “10 great places to see what’s brewing in beer,” and Smart Meetings magazine named it among the “Top 5 breweries to host an event.” Saint Arnold is located at 2000 Lyons Avenue and its brewery tour and tasting is offered every weekday at 3:00 P.M. and Saturdays starting at 11 A.M. For more information on Saint Arnold’s five year-round and five seasonal beers as well as root beer, log on to www.saintarnold.com.

Widmer Brothers Spiced IPA, the latest addition to the Rotator Series, hit shelves late last month. Here’s a video on the beer. Video description…

In the spirit of collaboration, Widmer Brothers Brewing teamed up with San Diego’s Quality Ale and Fermentation Fraternity, or QUAFF for short, to brew Spiced IPA, a beer that offers an intriguing twist on the West Coast’s favorite style. Blending familiar flavors with unexpected ingredients, this hop-forward yet balanced IPA is brewed with malty assam black tea, ginger, cinnamon, clove, star anise, black pepper, and cardamom. The beer and the spices come together, much like the brewers behind it, to create on amazing brew.

via Youtube | Widmer Brothers Brewing.

Old Milwaukee managed to piggyback on the wave of Internet attention surrounding Super Bowl ads while ponying up a fraction of the traditional buy-in cost. Purchasing ad time during the Super Bowl is famously expensive. This year, according to NBC, the average 30-second national ad sold for roughly $3.5 million. In a market the size of North Platte, on the other hand, a 30-second TV ad maxes out at about $1,500, says Robert Passikoff, the founder and president of Brand Keys, a New-York brand-research consultancy.

via Businessweek.

Don’t like the way that Bud Light tastes? Meet “Hop Drops.”

The name is a wee bit misleading since it has nothing to do with hops and everything to do with artificial flavoring. I just love how the anchor disses the reporter at the end of the video and she doesn’t appear amused. Oh, and raise your hand if you would buy this product once it is FDA-approved.

via WKYC.

A New Jersey man who got so drunk playing beer pong at a Greenwich Village pub that he thought walking across a busy highway was a good idea cannot sue the bar over his injuries, a judge has ruled.

via NY Post.

But primarily, the beer company is preparing to obtain permits to build a treatment system in the next year or so that would handle the high levels of organic matter in brewery process wastewater that cause problems for municipal treatment systems if discharged directly into the sewer.

“I can see us growing three to four times in size in the next five to 10 years, and there is no way that would work with the current … system,” Mr. Magee said. 

via North Bay Business Journal.

JW: Did it inhibit your process at all?

JH: No, because I just tried to stay away from it all. I wanted to be out of their way. I didn’t want to impede what they were doing either. You’d just be working your ass off, and all of a sudden, Sam would come by and like this entourage of people. It wasn’t normally like that, normally he’d just give you a high-five and go about his business. [laughter]. I don’t miss it. I’ll say that. I don’t miss trying to figure out something else to do in some other part of the building.

More this way >> LouisvilleBeer.com.

[CEO Joe Heron] has already secured regional authorizations in Kroger and True Value banners, as well as in Publix. "Over the last 6 months Joe’s relatively modest-sized sales organization has done an amazing job of getting Crispin listed in a lot of accounts around the country," says Tom. MillerCoors has the relationships to take such placements to the next level. The team has big hopes for the on-premise as well; Joe says they’ve had good conversations with Buffalo Wild Wings and Fado Irish Pub chains.

Worth a read >> Beer Business Daily.