(Downington, PA) – Victory Brewing has two beer releases coming up . . . one is brand-new and the other is a bottle debut.

Victory Brewing seems to be having all the fun these days. 66% expansion of capacity. Beer on wheels. And now news of two local collaborations . . .

Making a return will be Fists of Feury, Victory’s joint effort with Pennsylvania restaurants, Fork Restaurant and Nectar. The beer that debuted on tap during Philly Beer Week will now be available in bottles. Victory Communications Coordinator, Anne Shuniak, confirms that the 12 oz. bottles will be exclusively sold at the two restaurants. Per the label, “Fists of Feury was brewed with Vienna and Pilsner malts with a few fistfuls of Tettnanger and Centennial hops thrown into the boil.” 5.5% ABV. The release date is unknown.

In addition, the brewery has been working diligently with One Village Coffee on a new draft-only beer called Victory Village. Shuniak says that this one will be available later this month in Pennsylvania. Limited distribution outside of PA will happen in late August/early September.

Victory Village will feature a brown ale base with One Village’s Smart Blend coffee. You can read all about the coffee here. Many beers that use coffee use a stout base so this experiment should produce some unique results. Check out Victory’s trip to One Village in the video below.

Victory Brewing collaborates with local businesses on new brews

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(Press Release)

(Chico, CA) – (08/06/2010) – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. announced a partnership with the Trappist-Cistercian Abbey of New Clairvaux to create the only authentic Trappist-style Abbey ales in America.

For nearly 1000 years, monks have been brewing ales behind monastery walls. Their closely guarded traditions and techniques produced styles of beer unlike anything else in the world. These unique Trappist-style Abbey ales are known for their uncompromising quality and compelling flavor. In 2011, Sierra Nevada and the Trappist-Cistercian Abbey of New Clairvaux are working to bring this centuries-old tradition to America with Ovila—the nation’s only authentic Trappist-style Abbey Ale.

This series of three Belgian -style Abbey ales is made in accordance with the centuries-old tradition of the monks. Each beer will be only be available for a limited time and will rotate through the seasons. The first beer in the series, scheduled for release in March, will be a Belgian-style Dubbel brewed with authentic Trappist yeast. The second beer in the series, scheduled for release in July, will be a Saison, the traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale made in honor of the Monk’s dedication to labor in the fields surrounding their abbey. The third will be released in time for the holidays. It will be a Trappist-style Quadrupel rich with dark fruit flavors and the unique wine-like characters of these strong Abbey ales.

Proceeds from this project will benefit the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in their efforts to rebuild an architectural marvel—a 12th century, early-gothic Cistercian chapter house—on their grounds in Vina, California a few miles north of Sierra Nevada’s home in Chico. The medieval chapterhouse—Santa Maria de Ovila—was begun in 1190, near the village of Trillo, Spain.

Cistercian monks lived, prayed, and worked there for nearly 800 years. In 1931, California newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst purchased the abbey and shipped it to Northern California. Hearst’s plans were never realized, and the stones fell into disrepair. In 1994, the Trappist-Cistercian monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux, gained possession of the ruins, and began the painstaking stone-by-stone reconstruction of the historic abbey.

Located in Vina, California, the Abbey of New Clairvaux is a Cistercian Abbey of Strict Observance (Trappist). The abbey was founded in 1955 on 590 acres of Leland Stanford’s famed Vina Ranch. The monks follow the Rule of St. Benedict—Ora est Labora (Prayer and Work) and spend their days in prayer, meditation, and tending to the labor of the working farm located at the abbey.

Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of America’s first microbreweries and remains highly regarded for using only whole-cone hops and ingredients of the finest quality. Sierra Nevada has set the standard for artisan brewers worldwide as a winner of numerous awards for their line of beers and ales including the flagship Pale Ale, Torpedo, Porter, Stout, Kellerweis, four seasonal beers, Estate Ale, Harvest Ale series and a host of draft-only specialties.

Sierra Nevada, monks to partner up on Trappist-style ales

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(Portland, OR) – MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co., recipient of the 2009 Great American Beer Fest Gold Medal for its near-mythic Amber Ale™, is poised to reveal its darkest thought yet: Inkblot Porter, the rich black liquid cipher whose mania of malts spills its secrets in every sensationally warming sip.

The latest beer to premiere in MacTarnahan’s Big Bottle Series of thankfully ample 22 oz. seasonal specialty beers, Inkblot is a deep, dark and delicious figment of brewing imagination whose smooth malt taste is ideal for blotting out autumn’s chill and warming conscious and subconscious minds alike. The brewer’s unique interpretation of history’s British Baltic Porters is created from Munich, Caramel, Special B, and Carafa malts as well as Perle variety hops, which provide a uniquely clean flavor and finish. What arrives in the glass at the start of your session is a picture worth a thousand words and a distinctively malt-focused abstraction of ale whose subtle notes of plum and cherry surround a round, velvety palate to provide the rich warmth demanded by cooler days.

Brewed as a public mental health service, Inkblot is scheduled to drive the psyches of Pacific Northwest beer aficionados mad with yearning from August through October at select social establishments and beverage agents in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Hawaii. The full Inkblot test may be taken only at brewery alehouses in Portland, Seattle, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, and Sacramento, where Inkblot will appear on tap in its freshest form. The journey to this dark place, however, must be undertaken soon for only 477 cases of this insanely delicious porter will see the light of day.

MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co. is the brewer of full-flavored specialty beers that come without regrets of any kind. Somewhat obsessively handcrafted at our brewery in Northwest Portland, Oregon, MacTarnahan’s ales continue to be venerated by consumers and experts alike. In 2009, MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale took the gold medal at the Great American Beer Fest, which named us America’s Mid-Size Brewer of the Year in 2008. (Nice laurels, but now is no time to rest on them…)

MacTarnahan’s Ink Blot Baltic Porter: official press release

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(Escondido, CA) – Coming soon from Stone Brewing . . . a session ale that is true to the spirit of the style.

[8/7 Update: Technically speaking, this would need to be 4% or below to qualify as a session ale.]

Ballast Point Brewing’s Colby Chandler, Stone’s Mitch Steele and Homebrew champ, Kelsey McNair (dba North Park Beer Co.), have collaborated on San Diego County Session Ale over the course of the summer. McNair’s been tweeting some of the process on his Twitter page. For more background info on the beer itself, I wrote up a blurb back in June.

Rough estimate for release is, “early September if all goes according to plan,” according to Stone Social Media Coordinator, Jacob McKean.

Click any of the photos to get a better look at the labels.

San Diego County Session Ale set to debut in September

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(Chicago, IL) – Goose Island Christmas Ale will not be made this year.

A source confirms that the beer will be skipped over due to “capacity issues.” The news first surfaced yesterday with a posted on Beer Advocate:

“It sounds as if this is the case. I talked to an inside source today and he said that Goose Island won’t be brewing their Christmas Ale this year, which has been in 22oz. bombers. The reason? He said that Goose Island is expanding their sales market so much right now that they’re having trouble keeping up with the demand of their staples such as 312 and just don’t have the space.”

There’s no word on the beer actually being retired as the thread title suggests though. It will likely return once the brewery has a better handle on its growth.

In other news, as of last Friday, Goose Island has packaged one million case equivalents and is expected to have shipped that case sometime this week. Narragansett ran quite the promo on its one millionth case when it hit the mark this past spring but it’s not as big of a deal for some other brewers apparently.

Goose Island cancels Christmas

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(Longmont, CO) – July 29th – Oskar Blues Brewery has announced its’ final of three planned expansions during a three month period. The status-quo-crushing brewery has increased its internal investments with two more massive 200-barrel fermenters to its ever-expanding arsenal. The new tanks will allow Oskar Blues’ most recent canned monstrosity, a 100 IBU and ten percent ABV Imperial IPA hop grenade, dubbed GUBNA, to go from seasonal to year-round status.

“It’s always been about pushing boundaries and providing the best possible beer experience” says founder Dale Katechis. The intense demand for GUBNA has led Oskar Blues to expand its offering from a seasonal brew to a year round go-to IPA. “We’re driven to continue to destroy the barriers of what folks expect from a canned beer,” says Oskar Blues head brewer Dave Chichura. “GUBNA’s intense demand is due to its unique take on the style and is no doubt the hoppiest beer in a can. GUBNA celebrates the simple complexity of each ingredient with a distinctly smooth mouth feel and crisp hop aroma.”

GUBNA emphasizes that complexity of character can arise from simple elements. This ale is made with three malts and one hop. Its light amber color and spicy malt character are derived from the use of German dark Munich malt and rye malt respectively. The GUBNA Imperial IPA greets beer drinkers with a pungent citrus blast, provides a spicy, yet round middle, and finishes with a brisk, clean bitterness. Charlie Papazian waxes poetic about GUBNA Imperial IPA: “Profound & Complex hop character engages philosophic and woozy reminders of the life’s joys.”

Check out the GUBNA Launch Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMAtze-BAfM

Today’s expansion follows May and June’s, bringing the Oskar Blues tally to seven 200-barrel tanks in the last 60 days. Each 200-barrel fermenter adds 400 barrels of capacity per month and brings their current capacity to 5,500 barrels per month.

The additional infrastructure will enable Oskar Blues to continue its extreme growth trajectory that has crushed strong industry trends. 2010 production is anticipated to come in at 44,000 barrels, a whopping increase over the company’s 2009 production of 29,500 barrels.

Set in the heart of Colorado craft beer country, Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons began canning its beers in November of 2002 with a hand-canning line in the 60- year-old barn next door to their funky little brewpub. Although it’s now a full- throttle canning operation that is quickly expanding its cult-like following across the nation, Oskar Blues remains true to its original mission of simply blowing minds with what can come out of a can of beer.

Oskar Blues expands, makes GUBNA year-round

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“It was great to see people respond so positively to Big Barrel. This is a huge, hoppy beer with a quickly growing fan base,” says Brewmaster Paul Segura. Big Barrel Double IPA has earned a loyal following with solid “A” scores on popular beer rating websites BeerAdvocate.com and Ratebeer.com.

Big Barrel is a bold double IPA characterized by the use of New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops, known for their tropical fruit flavor and aroma. “It is interesting to see how the hop character changes with each batch we brew. Hop varietals can vary based on weather and soil conditions and this batch leans more towards an earthy fruitiness,” says Paul. The finished beer has an intensely hoppy nose with hints of mango, pine, grapefruit, and orange.

Big Barrel Double IPA comes in at 9.0% ABV and over 90 IBUS. A blend of Marris Otter and Caramel malts provide the perfect balance to the bitterness. Fermented with Chico yeast, this beer finishes smooth and dry with a pleasant, fruity bitterness.

A limited run of Big Barrel Double IPA will be available in 22oz bottles and on draft across Southern California in early April. Look for the next installment of the Coastal Reserve Series, Whistler Imperial Pils, in July. For more information and a video about Big Barrel Double IPA, visit www.karlstrauss.com.

Specs:
9.0% ABV
90 IBU
15.4 SRM

Label Copy:
“To kick off this series of intense hoppy beers, we wanted to go big. Imported New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops provide a vibrant tropical aroma that raises eyebrows and expectations. Aggressive amounts of Warrior and Ahtanum hops produce an assertive bitterness that stands out against a firm malt backbone. Balanced even at 90 IBUs, Big Barrel leaves a considerable first impression that serves as a prelude of things to come.”

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About Karl Strauss Brewing Company
This year Karl Strauss Brewing Company turns the big 2-1, the most important year in a beer drinker’s life. This coming of age will be celebrated throughout 2010 with a diverse lineup of 35 beers, including 6 year-round favorites, 3 seasonal offerings, and a host of innovative special brews. Located in San Diego and distributed exclusively in Southern California, Karl Strauss currently ranks #39 on the list of Top Craft Breweries in the country. In addition to handcrafting quality beers, Karl Strauss is a leader of the beer and culinary connection at their six local brewery restaurants.

Karl Strauss Big Barrel Double IPA is back

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Deschutes Brewery Releases Popular Summer Seasonal, Twilight Ale

April 7, 2010- Bend, Oregon– Deschutes Brewery releases its super sessionable summer seasonal, Twilight Ale, this month. This crisp and effervescent ale makes summer barbeques, trailhead gatherings, outdoor concerts and the like even more outstanding. Twilight Ale is perfect to enjoy just as the sun sets during those extended summer evenings.

While staying true to its roots, the Twilight Ale packaging has a slightly different look this year. The evolution includes a larger “window” to display the artistic interpretation of Smith Rock State Park, a world-class rock climbing destination not far from Deschutes Brewery headquarters. Yes, Twilight Ale is releasing a little earlier than usual this year (it usually hits the shelves and taps in May) because Deschutes’ spring seasonal, Red Chair NWPA, sold out in record time.

Twilight Ale is a straw-colored ale with a vigorous hop essence and a subtle, wafer-like body that complements the flavor of this special seasonal brew. It is a unique blend of four hops and malts: Cara-Pils and Carastan malts with the late addition of whole flower Amarillo, Cascade and Tettnang hops.

Deschutes Brewery’s Brewmaster, Larry Sidor, said, “Mother Nature has been good to us by giving us an exceptional harvest of Amarillo hops this year so Twilight should be doubly delicious.”

So start sipping the sunshine a little early this year by drinking some Twilight Ale and make some magic happen with a beer that’s brewed just for the long, lazy days of summer.

Twilight Ale will be available from April until September in 6-packs, 12-packs and on draft.

Beer Geek Information:
5% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
35 International Bittering Units (IBUs)

Beer-Food Pairing:
The brewery team recommends pairing Twilight with picnic classics such as barbecued chicken and potato salads.

About Deschutes Brewery
Located in beautiful Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery is in the business of daring people to expect more from their beer. That’s why we started off in 1988, on the banks of the Deschutes River here in Bend, Oregon, by selling Black Butte Porter at a time when others were sure a dark beer would never catch on. Our brewers love to push the envelope, especially if it makes someone nervous. But for us, the highest praise is a raised glass and a toast of “Bravely Done!” For more information about Deschutes Brewery and its courageously crafted beers, please visit www.DeschutesBrewery.com.

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Deschutes Twilight Ale available this month

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(Munster, IN) – Three Floyds Brewing got two new label approved for bottles.

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf is an Imperial IPA that debuted on tap early last fall at some different spots. Now it will be available in 22 oz. bombers for the first time. The artwork is based on the Death to False Prophets mural on the wall at the brewery (happens to be where they are doing some barrel-aging).

Beer description: “A dry and stupendously hopped medium bodied Imperial IPA brewed with Canadian two-row malt, dextrose sugar and lots of American hops. Arctic Panzer Wolf has superior aromas of marmalade, white wine, pine and apricot all mixed with an intense American hop bitterness.”

And then there’s Three Floyds Blackheart IPA which will be featuring a new label soon. This beer has been previously released by the brewery in 22 oz. bottles.

No release date for these have been announced yet.

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf coming to bottles, new Blackheart label

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(Woodbridge, CT) – Got some tips from Brewer / Sales Rep, Matt Westfall this week . . .

The bad news is that New England Brewing will cease calling its Imperial Stout, “Imperial Stout Trooper,” this year. The people behind the Star Wars brand contacted the brewery a while back about the label and they conceded the name though they will still make the beer. The good news is far outweighs the bad for NEB fans as the brewery has a lot in store for 2010. Here is a sneak peak at the brewery’s schedule:

February – Gold Stock Ale
March – Ghandi-Bot Double India Pale Ale + Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout Trooper
April – 668 “The Neighbor of the Beast” – Belgian Strong Pale
May – Tequila Barrel Aged Double IPA
June to August – Alpha Weizen
September – Wet Willy Scotch Ale
October – More Ghandi-Bot + a TBD seasonal
November – Flanders Oud Bruin
December – Imperial Stout (Trooper)
+ Other fun draft offerings mixed in

Westfall notes that Ghandi-Bot, 668, and Alpha Weizen will make it into cans this year. Gold Stock will be draft only and the rest bottled.

[note: in my fruitless search for a large-sized brewery logo, I found what appears to be a mock-up of a Sea Hag label that never saw the light of the day. Heavybag Media is the company responsible for New England Brewing's marketing campaign.]

New England Brewing 2010 Schedule

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