(Boulder, CO) – Twisted Pine Brewing Company will be re-releasing Ghost Face Killah this Cinco De Mayo in 12oz single bottles.
Named one of the top 25 beers of 2010 by Beer Advocate’s Alstrom Brothers, Ghost face is brewed with five different fresh peppers before Ghost Peppers, or Bhut Jolokia, are added to the fermentation. “We wore masks and gloves when cutting the Ghost Peppers,” says Hoperations Manager Eric Mosiman, “but it didn’t matter, our eyes were still watering and our skin was still stinging. This isn’t hype, these peppers are hot!”
Mosiman notes that when drinking Ghost Face, if you survive the initial shock of the peppery heat, you are free to savor the flavors of the brew and are left with a very palatable smokiness. The wheat based ale, described as the hottest beer this side of hell, has been submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records and returns to Twisted Pine for a second tour of tongue-burning fun. “As brewers we’re encouraged to challenge what a beer can be and continually craft innovative brews for our Ale House,” says Mosiman. Recent releases include Poison Fish- ginger wasabi brown ale, Razzy Xpress- raspberry and espresso lovers stout and IHK- Imperial India Black Ale.
Chili beer is not a new concept at Twisted Pine Brewing Co. where Billy’s Chilies has been brewed for several years. Once designed as a novelty the chili beer is now a top seller for the brewery and was the inspiration behind Ghost Face Killah. Twisted Pine Brewery, notorious for their small batch seasonal and unique brews has certainly created a distinctive drinking sensation that rapper, Ghost Face Killah, should be proud to call his namesake.
Based in Boulder, Colorado Twisted Pine Brewing Company has been handcrafting beer since 1995. They are the brewers of such favorites as “Hoppy Boy IPA,” “Raspberry Wheat Ale” and “Billy’s Chilies.” The Ale House is a very popular local hangout and boasts 17 taps, 5 rotating. Twisted Pine is active with local charitable organizations and a strong believer in sustainable business practices. You can find more information at www.twistedpinebrewing.com.
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Bend, Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery and Kansas City, Missouri’s Boulevard Brewing Company collaborate on a White I.P.A.
(Bend, OR) – Deschutes Brewery and Boulevard Brewing Company today announced that they will release two versions of a new collaboration beer later this summer. The style, which is described by brewmasters Steven Pauwels of Boulevard and Larry Sidor of Deschutes as a White I.P.A., combines Boulevard’s expertise in making Belgian-style witbiers with Deschutes’ mastery in brewing hop-forward ales. The ale will be made at both breweries and released simultaneously throughout each of their distribution territories.
“To say we’re excited about working with Deschutes on this project would be an understatement,” said Pauwels. “We have a lot of respect for Larry and his team, and we look forward to sharing our knowledge with them through the collaborative process.”
Pauwels and Sidor began exploring the idea of brewing together after crossing paths several times at craft beer events around the country. The brewers discovered they had much in common in their brewing philosophies, both pushing the envelope whenever possible, yet remaining dedicated to the time-honored traditions that keep them consistent and grounded.
“It will be interesting to see how similar the brews turn out despite being brewed more than 1,600 miles apart,” said Sidor. “That’s part of the fun of working together with a brewery like Boulevard. We both use the latest technologies but also stay true to traditional brewing ingredients and methods.”
Despite both beers being characterized as White I.P.A.s, there will be differences in packaging and in how they will ultimately taste. Brewed at their Bend, Oregon facility, Deschutes’ version will be the second beer in their new Conflux collaboration series and will be distributed throughout their 18-state region in kegs and 22-ounce bottles. Their first collaboration, brewed with Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, is still aging in wood barrels.
Boulevard’s version, christened Collaboration No. 2, will be distributed throughout their 20-state region as part of the Smokestack Series seasonal lineup in kegs and 750ml bottles. The brewery’s first collaboration, a partnership with distinguished Belgian brewer Jean-Marie Rock, was released in January of 2010.
About Deschutes Brewery
Located on the banks of the Deschutes River 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 back in 1988, selling Black Butte Porter at a time when others were sure a dark beer would never catch on. Our brewers love to buck convention, especially if it makes someone nervous. For us, however, 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, on Facebook at facebook.com/Deschutes.Brewery or on Twitter at Twitter.com/DeschutesBeer.
About Boulevard Brewing Company
Boulevard Brewing Company has grown to be the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest, dedicated to the craft of producing fresh, flavorful beers using traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques. Boulevard’s portfolio of year-round and seasonal beers is available in fourteen states, primarily in the Midwest, with selected offerings distributed in an additional six states. For more information about Boulevard visit www.boulevard.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/Boulevard or on Twitter at twitter.com/Boulevard_Beer.
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(Kansas City, MO) – Some Deschutes Brewery news that is of particular interest to those in Missouri…
Boulevard Brewing and Deschutes Brewery are known to have been collaborating on a beer recipe. Earlier this week, KC Beer Blog got hold of a sales sheet with information regarding their project:
Boulevard Brewing Company and Deschutes Brewery are jointly crafting a beer described as a “White I.P.A.,” slated for release in Summer 2011. Combining Boulevard’s expertise at making Belgian-style witbiers with Deschutes’ skill at brewing hop-forward ales, the beer puts a new spin on the idea of collaborative brewing. Working from a single recipe, brewmasters Steven Pauwels of Boulevard and Larry Sidor of Deschutes are producing two separate beers, more than 1,600 miles apart.
Pauwels and Sidor first began exploring the idea of working together after they frequently crossed paths at the craft beer events around the country. The two have much in common in their brewing philosophies, each pushing the envelope whenever possible, yet remaining dedicated to the time-honored traditions that keep them consistent and grounded.
Despite the beers’ shared recipe, each of the two versions will develop a distinct, unique identity, to be reflected in their naming and packaging. Boulevard’s half of the equation, christened Collaboration No. 2, will be distributed throughout their 20-state region in kegs and 750ml bottles, as part of the Smokestack Series seasonal lineup. Brewed at their Bend, Oregon facility, Deschutes’ effort will be the second beer in their new Conflux collaboration series, and will be distributed throughout their 18-state region in kegs and 22-ounce bottles.
Deschutes Digital Marketing Manager, Jason Randles, clarified that the Conflux beer with Boulevard will actually be the first release in their new collaboration series. The first collaboration beer they brewed was with Hair of the Dog but that will be released sometime in the future as the second beer.
Randles also said that Deschutes will launch in Kansas City and the western half of the state in June. In July, Deschutes will launch in St. Louis and the eastern half of the state. Contracts with distributors have not yet been signed so Randles declined to comment any further.
Deschutes is aiming to release the first Conflux beer in July.
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(Woodinville, WA) – Redhook Ale Brewery has teamed up with the Seattle Sounders FC to become its exclusive craft brewing partner. The three year long partnership kicks off this season.
“Partnering with our home team, the Seattle Sounders, seemed the perfect way to celebrate our 30th birthday as Seattle’s original craft brewer,” said Robert Rentsch, brand manager for Redhook Ale Brewery. “We are psyched about the opportunity to give soccer fans the chance to root for their favorite team while drinking a great beer. We all know you can’t give your full 90 with a parched throat.”
Redhook Ale Brewery was established in 1981 in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. The brewery has gone on to be recognized as a craft brewing pioneer with distribution throughout the U.S. Maintaining its Pacific Northwest roots, Redhook’s West Coast brewery is located in Woodinville, Wash.
About Redhook
Redhook was born out of the energy and spirit of the early 80’s in the heart of Seattle. While the term didn’t exist at the time, Redhook became one of America’s first “craft” breweries. From a modest start in a former transmission shop in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard, to the current breweries in Woodinville, Wash. and Portsmouth, N.H., Redhook has become one of America’s most recognized craft breweries. While Redhook has “grown up” over the past 30 years, one thing has never changed – it’s still brewing great beers like ESB, Long Hammer IPA, Copperhook, and seasonal brews. Most importantly, Redhook makes sure it has fun doing it. Redhook’s beers are available in both draught and bottles and are distributed nationally through a network of wholesale distributors. For more information, visit www.redhook.com.
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(Salt Lake City, UT) — Uinta (you-in-tah) Brewing Company proudly unveils their new logo, a symbol that closely represents the meaning behind the name “Uinta” and exemplifies character of the company, as well.
Uinta Brewing Company, established in 1993, was named after the Uinta Mountain Range, the only major East-West running mountain range in the continental United States.
To celebrate the uniqueness of its namesake, the new logo depicts a mountain range circumscribed by a compass dial highlighting the East and West coordinates. The Compass is a tool which represents Uinta Brewing in several ways. The Uinta family prides itself on its sense of direction and focus on brewing quality, consistent beers. Additionally, as its beer names portray, Uinta appreciates the great outdoors that surround them in Utah and the entire Intermountain West.
The compass speaks closely to the Uinta family’s sense of adventure and exploration, inside and outside of the brewery. This can be seen in surveying Uinta’s wide-ranging beer-styles, including its new exploratory series, the elegantly crafted Crooked Line. The tagline, “Earth, Wind and Beer”, will remain married to Uinta’s logo, as it speaks directly to the responsible business practices with which Uinta is genuinely concerned: sustainability, commitment to renewable energy, and of course, crafting great beer.
Uinta plans to roll out this new logo gradually, primarily due to the fact that it will be updating eighteen years worth of the previous brand-identity. Stay tuned, and keep your eyes peeled for the new look!
Uinta Brewing Company
Uinta Brewing Company embarked upon its mission of brewing world class, full-flavored, craft-brewed beer in the winter of 1993 Many of Uinta’s beer names are inspired by Utah’s diverse landscapes or have historical significance. Uinta has broadened its market and can be found in 22 states from coast-to-coast, and has even ventured to other countries around the world. Uinta is committed to brewing world-class beer using the best practices and ingredients. Since 2001 Uinta Brewing has used 100% wind-powered energy, becoming the first Utah business to reach this mark.
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(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.
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(Fort Collins, CO) – Though New Belgium Brewing and Odell Brewing tend to grab headlines on Beernews.org more often, there is another small brewery making a national name for itself in Fort Collins.
Business at Fort Collins Brewery is booming these days. The brewery opened up a brand-new facility last summer enabling annual production to grow up to 60,000 barrels. An excerpt from last week’s CBS Local coverage reads, “‘The sign of that are going to be these new 100 barrel tanks. Before this, the largest tank we had ever bought was a 60-barrel,” Smith said. ‘It brought us from a 600 barrel capacity fermentation space to a 1,000 barrel fermentation space.’”
Year-over-year growth for 2010 passed the 40% mark and production now exceeds 10,000 barrels a year according to FCB representative, Margaux Dart. The big year catapulted Fort Collins into a place among the largest 100 craft breweries in the U.S..
The brewery planned for excess capacity from the get-go but Dart said that they’re being careful in how they fill that capacity and are exercising caution with respect to spreading distribution. New Planet Beer is one company that is helping fill it under an alternating proprietorship agreement.
As with many other breweries mentioned as of late, Fort Collins’ ride hasn’t always been a smooth one. FCB has pulled out of a half dozen states in the past couple years. Despite the brewery’s much larger facility, Dart said that there is currently no plan to re-enter these markets. Meanwhile, the brewery has entered South Carolina and Louisiana over the past year, furthering its reach in the country’s fastest-growing region for craft beer sales (per Symphony IRI data).
The latest distribution exit is Wisconsin, a move that was finalized within the past few months. Fort Collins was distributed there by Beechwood Sales and Service. Avery Brewing, Dogfish Head and Stone Brewing are other Beechwood clients that announced in recent months that they are no longer distributing in Wisconsin through Beechwood.
Change is also evident in Fort Collins’ product mix. The brewery launched a new quarterly line of beers earlier this year called The Incredible Hop, a set with a highly-hopped, high gravity slant. Imperial Black IPA was the first release and Imperial India Red Ale just arrived over the weekend. Imperial Wheat IPA will be introduced in Q3 and Double Tripple will be introduced in Q4.
In addition, 1900 Amber is now available in 6-packs for the first time and with a new label.
Looking ahead, Dart declined to comment on any future distribution news but said that the brewery is always considering new opportunities. She estimated that 2011 production may reach 12,000 barrels.
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(Anchorage, AK) – Midnight Sun Brewing is the latest to test out its local wild yeast in brewing.
San Francisco-based City Beer Store will celebrate its 5th anniversary next month. What better way to mark the event than with a new wild beer? Midnight Sun is helping them do just that…
“Brewed in July 2010 at Midnight Sun by City Beer Store owners, Craig and Beth Wathen and our brew crew, Open Container was fermented with Wild AK yeasts then aged in Chardonnay barrels for several months. This very special 3-barrel batch honors eccentric West Coast brewing.”
Stats: 6% ABV, 20 IBUs, 22 oz. bottles
City Beer has not published any information about bottle sales for this. Tickets for its anniversary party sold out earlier this week but perhaps bottles will be may be available outside of the event (they’re trying to see if they will be able to sell more tickets and I will try to get some details on the beer release when they open). In any case, this beer will be poured at the event along with four other special beers brewed by: the hometown San Francisco Brewers Guild, the pack from The Bruery, the Portland sourhouse Cascade, and the fellas from FiftyFifty.
The first video below is brief but shows how Midnight Sun worked with this beer. The second is a virtual tour of the brewery for those (most) of us that will never make it out to Alaska.
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(Fort Collins, CO) – Odell Brewing‘s upcoming funkified hoppy beer, Hiveranno, could debut as soon as next month will be released on May 21st and is being bottled today (per Facebook).
I sent a note to Odell brewer, Joe Mohrfeld, to ask about the brewing team’s latest project. After reading their original write-up, I was curious as to whether this could accurately be dubbed a “funky IPA” similar to the Super Friends IPA that grabbed so much attention last year. I was also interested in the way hops are used in this beer because they are sometimes aged or are not otherwise a standout feature when it comes to beers with sour/earthy/barnyardy character.
Below is the original write-up on Hiveranno (received via email and edited for readability) followed by Mohrfeld’s answers to my questions.
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“Hiveranno is our third offering that uses a wild yeast we captured from the brewery grounds. The first beer we used this wild yeast for was, ‘Deconstruction,’ a Belgian Inspired Golden Ale, which was released last summer. The second was, ‘Avant Peche,’ an Imperial porter barrel aged with Palisade Organic Peaches, released this past winter. This spring, we will be releasing, ‘Hiveranno,’ a New American Wild Ale with a Wild Barrel Aged component and a fresh hop forward component blended together. [Ed. note: the brewers are using the same method here that they did with Deconstruction where they design and brew multiple beers with the specific intention of blending them together.]
Hiveranno is made with what we affectionately refer to around the brewhouse as the ‘Fester’ Strain, named as such due in part to its ability to continue to ferment beers that are at an extremely low pH and high alcohol level. Each beer we’ve made so far with this yeast has been a totally different style.
After capturing ‘Fester,’ we isolated it and grew it in our lab before inoculating a number of oak barrels with it for Deconstruction. We have kept this strain alive in the Oak over the past year be continuing to age new projects with it. The Fester strain imparts a beautiful grapefruit rind character with notes of tart tropical fruit. We are very excited to use it in a beer like Hiveranno that features a strong fresh hop component; it compliments rather than clashes with the tropical citrus character of most American Hop varieties.
As with all our Single Serve offerings, Hiveranno is going to be a very limited release and truly a one time offering. At this time, we have no plans to ever reproduce beers in our Local Wild Yeast program, but will continue to draw inspiration from past projects while crafting new offerings.”
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“I haven’t had Super Friends but it sounds like a similar concept. The color of this beer is more of a amber/dark copper which separates it, at least in color, from just being a funky IPA. The hop forward component has maybe 20 IBUs yet the hopping rate of a double IPA so everything is added at the end of the boil, hopback, and dry hopping stages. This keeps the bitterness from clashing with the tartness of the wild yeast.
The Fester strain is essentially like any other wild yeast; it just happens to be a particular one that we captured from the air here outside the brewery. When I was out at CBC talking with other brewers, there is a definite trend starting with working with local wild yeasts and each brewery’s beer that I tried had a very unique character. This is much like the Belgians have had historically with their sour or wild beers, but we as American craft brewers are reinterpreting this history with our own styles.
The local wild yeast speaks to the ‘Terroir’ of each brewery and every brewery’s locally captured wild yeast will likely be quite unique. I think this is a very exciting trend for both us as brewers and especially for American craft beer drinkers because the diversity of flavors and styles is poised to grow exponentially as we continue to experiment with local wild yeasts.”
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(Boulder, CO) – Avery Brewing Company plans to withdraw from eight states and seven other partial-state markets beginning in April. Faced with skyrocketing demand–first quarter 2011 production growth for their home state of Colorado is 81% and overall production growth is 75%–the brewery has been forced to make the tough decision or lose the ability to support all markets with a steady supply of fresh beer.
Beginning in April 2011 beer shipments will be ceased to Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Tennessee. Avery Brewing Company hopes to re-enter these eight states at some point in the future once production capacity can catch up with demand. The brewery is also leaving several partial state markets, including: Northern California (Bay Area and Sacramento), Eastern Arkansas, Upstate New York (outside of New York City), Central Florida (Orlando area) and Wisconsin.
Avery Brewing Company would like to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to those who have supported us–and our beers–in these markets over the past years. To our distributors and their hard working sales staff, to our retailers in on-premise and off-premise channels who have promoted our products with zeal and passion, and to our loyal customers and fans who have challenged their palates and enjoyed our beers over the years: thank you, thank you, thank you!! Our apologies for any frustrations this change brings your way. According to Avery Brewing President/Founder Adam Avery, “We all feel terrible about having to pull out of these markets. No matter how you cut it, it is disappointing that we’ll no longer be able to serve our loyal fans in these areas. ” Ted Whitney, National Sales Director at Avery Brewing Company, added “This is certainly unfortunate, but it was done with the best intentions. It’s about getting fresher beer and better experiences for our customers.”
Avery Brewing Company is one of several craft breweries to announce such cuts in 2011, but these disappointing changes are actually the sign of a very positive trend in the industry. Exponential sales growth for craft brewers can only mean one thing: the craft beer movement is on fire, attracting more followers and gaining mindshare with people of all demographics across the country. More fans means more market potential for all of the craft industry, and that’s a very good thing that will bring more great beer into the lives of Americans everywhere. Here’s to American craft beer in 2011 and beyond!!
Established in 1993, Avery Brewing Company has developed a reputation as being one of the most daring and visionary breweries in the nation. They are the brewers of Avery IPA, The Maharaja Imperial IPA, White Rascal Belgian Wheat Ale, Mephistopheles’ Stout and eighteen other year-round and seasonal beers. Please go to www.averybrewing.com for more information on Avery beers.
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