Thursday, April 28, 2016

SAMUEL ADAMS CELEBRATES TWO DECADES OF HOMEBREWING INGENUITY WITH THE 2016 LONGSHOT AMERICAN HOMEBREW CONTEST

Courtesy of Boston Beer Co
BOSTON, April 28, 2016— The brewers at Samuel Adams proudly announce a call for entries for the 2016 LongShot American Homebrew contest, and the release of the LongShot Variety six-pack featuring the winning homebrews from last year. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the national contest, which Sam Adams founder and brewer Jim Koch first started in 1996, when there were barely 1,000 breweries operating in the U.S. Today, there are more than 4,000 American breweries in operation and more than 1.2 million people who brew their own beer at home. Ever since drinkers got their first taste of Boston Lager in 1985, Jim has made it his mission to give back to the craft beer and homebrewing communities through programs such as Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream and the Craft Brewer Experienceship, Hop Sharing, and the LongShot Homebrew competition. Today, America is the envy of brewers in the rest of the world, where entrepreneurs are taking their inspiration from American craft brewers.

LongShot Homebrew Contest Background:
Jim Koch created the Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest to celebrate the innovative spirit of American homebrewers. Jim himself has deep homebrewing roots having brewed the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in his kitchen 32 years ago, and recently released a book titled “Quench Your Own Thirst,” which details the lessons he’s learned over the past three decades as a brewer and an entrepreneur. A number of past LongShot winners have followed in Jim’s footsteps and gone on to become professional brewers, turning their homebrewing hobby into a full-time career, including Cesar Marron (2013), Don Oliver (2006), Bob Gordash (1996), and 2015 winner Tim Thomssen, who left his full-time job to join a brewery shortly after he won.

“When I first homebrewed Samuel Adams Boston Lager 32 years ago, craft beer didn’t exist as we know it today, and few American beer drinkers had ever tasted a beer with so much flavor,” said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams. “Today the craft brewing community is flourishing, and we want to recognize our nation’s best homebrewers, by making their delicious brews available to drinkers across the country.”

Calling All Homebrewers for the 2016 Competition:
To celebrate the contest’s 20th anniversary and honor craft beer innovation, Samuel Adams is asking homebrewers to submit their best and most innovative beers for this year’s contest. To be considered for the 2016 LongShot contest, homebrewers must submit a beer whose style is part of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines. A full list of applicable styles can be found at http://bjcp.org/stylecenter.php. The 2016 judging panel will consist of notable seasoned brewing experts from across the country, and for the first time, past LongShot winners. Winners will be announced in early October at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The ultimate prize: entries from two winning homebrewers and one Samuel Adams employee winner will be featured in the Samuel Adams LongShot variety pack, available nationwide in 2017. Those interested in entering can visit www.samueladams.com/longshot for contest rules, regulations and information on purchasing a homebrewing kit. The homebrew submission window is July 1-July 22, 2016.

While Samuel Adams is accepting entries for the 2016 contest, the Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest variety six-pack with winning brews from the 2015 contest will be available nationwide this spring in select retail locations. The variety pack will include two bottles each of Tim’s Raspberry Berliner Weisse, Kevin’s Belgian Golden Ale, and Colin’s Neighborino Flanders Red Ale.

Courtesy of Boston Beer Co

About the 2015 winners:
·         Tim Thomssen’s Raspberry Berliner Weisse (Lincoln, Nebraska):
At first look, you notice the big frothy head of this Raspberry Berliner Weisse. The bright notes of raspberries are balanced by refreshing tartness, followed by a wonderful fruity sweetness and clean finish. (4% ABV)

·         Kevin Nanzer’s Belgian Golden Ale (Mountain View, California):
This Belgian Golden Ale has notes of fruit, clove and pepper in the aroma, balanced by subtle malt character, with a clean citrus taste and bitterness from the hops. This beer should be sipped slowly to savor the delicious flavors. (9.1 % ABV)

·         Colin Foy’s Neighborino Flanders Red Ale (Samuel Adams Employee Winner, Cincinnati, Ohio):
This Flanders Red was brewed the traditional way, with “younger” beer blended with mature beer that has been aged in wood for several months, while Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus labor to produce fruity, tart and acidic flavors. (6.3 % ABV)

How the winners were chosen:
·         The beers were judged on the aroma, appearance, flavor and mouthfeel according to the style category under which it was submitted. Eight semi-finalists were selected during the first round of judging conducted at three regional judging locations in New England, California, and Illinois.  
·         The final winners were ultimately selected by a panel of industry judges including Jim Koch. The winning brews were judged as the best examples of their style. Industry judges include Bob Townsend of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tony Forder of Ale Street News, John Holl of All About Beer Magazine, Jason Alstrom of Beer Advocate, Don Russell (aka “Joe Six Pack”) of Philadelphia Daily News and esteemed beer writers Jay Brooks and Lisa Morrison.
·         The Sam Adams employee winner is voted on by visitors to the Boston Brewery.

How to get your hands on these beers:
The Samuel Adams LongShot Variety Six-Pack is available nationwide in select retail stores beginning in April for a suggested retail price of $9.99 -$10.00 (prices vary by market).

Samuel Adams, Sam Adams, Boston Lager, Brewing the American Dream, LongShot, and American Homebrew Contest are registered trademarks of The Boston Beer Company.

ABOUT THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY:
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. Inspired and unafraid to challenge conventional thinking about beer, Jim brought the recipe to life in his kitchen. Pleased with the results of his work, Jim decided to sample his beer with bars in Boston in the hopes that drinkers would appreciate the complex, full-flavored beer he brewed fresh in America. That beer was aptly named Samuel Adams Boston Lager, in recognition of one of our nation's great founding fathers, a man of independent mind and spirit. Little did Jim know at the time, Samuel Adams Boston Lager would soon become a catalyst of the American craft beer revolution.

Today, The Boston Beer Company brews more than 60 styles of beer. It relentlessly pursues the development of new styles and the perfection of classic beers by searching the world for the finest ingredients. Using the traditional four vessel brewing process, the Company often takes extra steps like dry-hopping, barrel-aging and a secondary fermentation known as krausening. The Company has also pioneered another revolution, the 'extreme beer' movement, where it seeks to challenge drinker's perceptions of what beer can be. The Boston Beer Company has been committed to elevating the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and competitions around the globe, and is one of world’s most awarded breweries at international beer competitions. As an independent company, brewing quality beer remains its primary focus. Although Samuel Adams beer is America's leading craft beer, it accounts for only one percent of the U.S. beer market. The Boston Beer Company will continue its independently-minded quest to brew great beer and to advocate for the growth of craft beer across America. For more information, please visit www.samueladams.com.

Oskar Blues Brewery Heads Down Under

Courtesy of Oskar Blues Brewery

Longmont, CO; Brevard, NC; Austin, TX  - As Oskar Blues Brewery expands its efforts to get cans of Dale's Pale Ale into the hands of thirsty beer drinkers around the globe, the brewery will make its first foray into the Southern Hemisphere by entering the Australian market in July. The brewery will partner with Phoenix Beers and initially sell the six core Oskar Blues brands: Dale's Pale Ale, Mama's Little Yella Pils, Pinner Throwback IPA, Oskar Blues IPA, Old Chub Scotch Ale and Beerito Mexican Lager. The brands will available in cans as well as on draft in one-way kegs.

"We feel that our cans and kegs of American craft-brewed flavor will be a great fit for the Aussies, and, considering that our newest IPA - Oskar Blues IPA - is made with all-Australian hops from Bushy Park Estates in Tasmania and Rostrevor Farms in Victoria, we think that the timing couldn't be any better. It's like a homecoming... for our hops," says Tim Matthews, Oskar Blues Director of Brewing Operations.

Phoenix Beers will be holding launch events across the continent to announce Oskar Blues' arrival, and to celebrate the fact that the brewery's beers will be officially available for Aussies to enjoy on a regular basis. Details on these events will be finalized and announced via social media in the coming weeks. Follow Oskar Blues on Facebook and Twitter for details. 


About Oskar Blues Brewery 
Founded by Dale Katechis in 1997 in Lyons, Colorado, Oskar Blues Brewery launched the craft beer-in-a-can apocalypse with hand-canned, flagship brew Dale's Pale Ale. Today, Oskar Blues is one of the fastest growing breweries in the country and operates breweries in Longmont, Colorado and Brevard, North Carolina, while producing 192,000 barrels in 2015. The original canned craft brewery continues push innovation with the announcement of an Austin, TX brewery in April of 2016 and creations like The Crowler while it distributes to 49 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., as well as parts of Canada, Sweden, and the U.K.  

In 2013, Oskar Blues founded the CAN'd Aid Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity that offers grassroots grants to those making a difference in the areas of community, the environment, music, and more. In 2015 alone, CAN'd Aid partnered with 52 organizations and provided nearly $400,000 in charitable contributions, bringing the total amount raised $1.9 million to date. CAN'd Aid's "do-goodery" efforts include: 
  • Towns - building strong communities
  • Tunes - for your eyeholes and earholes
  • Treads + Trails - get outside and get after it
  • Love Yur Mama - save the blue marble
To keep up with all things Oskar Blues, visit http://www.oskarblues.com.

About Phoenix Beers
Phoenix Beers is Australia's leading craft beer importer/distributor, bringing a wide, wonderful world of beer flavour to our shores since 2004. From Bavarian Germany's Weihenstephan Brewery to Northern California's Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Phoenix has partnered with the best in the business; with a new generation of craft-brewers ably represented by Scotland's BrewDog, New Zealand's Garage Project and Melbourne's Moon Dog. The team works hard to ensure its extensive portfolio of products is supplied in the best possible condition, and is proud to be bringing Oskar Blues' highly-credentialed craft beers to Australian drinkers.

Cascade Brewing Announces Release of Vertical Reserve Box Set of its Popular Kriek Ale

Courtesy of Cascade Brewing Co

PORTLAND, Ore. – Cascade Brewing is releasing a limited series of Vertical Reserve Box Sets. Each release will feature 100 four-packs that will contain bottles of a single brand from each of the past four years’ releases: 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Each box set will retail for $100.

The first release will be Kriek and will take place starting at Noon on Friday, May 6 at the Cascade Brewing Barrel House at 939 SE Belmont St. in Portland.

Kriek is a blend of sour red ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 17 months with Bing and sour pie cherries. One of the brewery’s flagship products, Kriek features complex flavors of cherries, roast malts, oak and spice.

Look for future Vertical Reserve Box Set releases on the first Friday of each month.

About Cascade Brewing
Cascade Brewing has been a pioneer in the sour beer renaissance since 2006 and is the proud innovator of the Northwest Sour Ale. Its distinctive sour beer blends feature fruit forward, barrel-aged ales with an emphasis on project year-to-year variation. These beers offer a complex array of flavors derived from Northwest grown ingredients, with each project year release capturing the unique subtleties of that year’s growing season. Cascade Brewing sour ales are brewed and blended in Portland, Oregon, and distributed in 31 U.S. markets as well as Canada, Japan, The Netherlands, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

Twitter: @CascadeBrewing
Instagram: @CascadeBrewing
Hashtags: #CascadeSours #HouseofSour

Portland Brewing Celebrates Rose City Tradition with a Golden Brew

Courtesy of Portland Brewing Co
 Lemon Blonde to Debut as the Official 2016 Rose Festival Beer
Portland, Ore. (April 28, 2016) — Get ready for summer! Portland Brewing kicks-off the season with a limited-edition beer made exclusively for the Portland Rose Festival. Lemon Blonde Ale celebrates the 109th annual Rose City tradition with a bright citrus aroma and refreshing flavor — making it the perfect addition while enjoying the festivities along Portland’s Waterfront.
Portland Brewing is the exclusive craft beer sponsor of the Rose Festival and brewers created the easy-drinking blonde ale with the festival’s fun atmosphere in mind. “Bright and golden in hue, the Lemon Blonde features wheat and Munich malts to create a creamy-smooth summertime treat,” notes head brewer Ryan Pappe. He adds, “Three different hop varietals provide a lovely herbal and citrus character. The Lemon Blonde is then kicked up a notch with dried lemon peel.” Just as the Rose Festival embraces the diverse interests and culture of the community, Lemon Blonde highlights the connection between the different hops. Delta, Cascade and Liberty hops blend perfectly together to deliver a crisp aroma. 
Lemon Blonde Ale is available from May 27 through June 12 at CityFair and RoZone along Tom McCall Waterfront Park. For the first time, you can pick up the Rose Festival’s official brew at Fred Meyer growler fill stations inside select Portland metro locations throughout the festival. It will also be available at Portland Brewing’s Taproom, area pubs and restaurants until supplies run out. 
ABV: 6% | IBU: 30

Courtesy of Portland Brewing Co


About Portland Brewing Company
Celebrating 30 years of passionate brewing in the Rose City, Portland Brewing looks ahead to a future of unwavering obsession over what our civilized world simply can’t live without: great beer. Founded in 1986, the brewery is one of Portland’s craft brewing pioneers and remains committed to the city for which it is named. Portland Brewing is located at 2730 NW 31st Ave., Portland, OR 97210. For more information about Portland Brewing Company, head to its website, Facebook and Twitter.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

New Belgium Brewing is Ready to Soak up the Sun with Heavy Melon and Juicy Mandarina

Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing Co
Ft. Collins, Colo., April 27, 2016 – The heat of summer will be here in no time and New Belgium is ready for refreshment with its latest seasonal Heavy Melon. This super crisp and refreshing American-Style Fruit beer is brewed with juicy watermelon and zesty lime peel. Ripened fruit aromas of melon, papaya and citrus offer an invigorating wash of fruity sweetness, grassy bitterness and the slightest touch of tartness.

“Since our first days back in 1991, New Belgium has been crafting fruit beer and Heavy Melon continues our tradition of pushing boundaries, while making creative and innovative beers,” said Andrew Emerton, New Belgium Brewing specialty brand manager. “Heavy Melon uses only real ingredients and even though it’s a watermelon beer, it’s actually born from the same place as other New Belgium favorites like Citradelic, Ranger, and Fat Tire. The pressed watermelon juice we sourced comes from Yakima Valley, the same region that grows almost all our hops.”

Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing Co

Heavy Melon has a juicy, mouthwatering start with a spritzy crisp finish and pours a bright golden color. This medium-light body beer comes in at 5 percent ABV, with 14 IBUs.

Heavy Melon
Style: American-Style Fruit Beer
Malts: Pale and Caramel 80
Hops: Nugget
ABV: 5%
IBU: 14
Food Pairing Ideas: Bruschetta with fresh mozzarella, basil, balsamic and watermelon; vanilla ice cream.
Availability: now in 12 oz. bottles and draft, starting May 30 in folly packs in 12 oz. cans

To learn more about Heavy Melon, check out New Belgium’s blog “Get Ready to Crush Some Heavy Melon Ale”.


Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing Co
Juicy Mandarina IPA
Also available this summer is Juicy Mandarina IPA. This Hop Kitchen release offers a wave of exotic hop flavors. Juicy Mandarina IPA sports a full array of island hop vibes courtesy of citrusy Mandarina Bavaria, vibrant Calypso, tropical Galaxy, and a bonus experimental hop #522 that rounds out the ensemble with bright, breezy floral notes. Fruity hybrid yeast accentuates the burst of hops, while soft wheat mats float each sip across the tongue with ease.

Juicy Mandarina IPA is 6.5 percent ABV and 65 IBUs. It’s available on draft only.

Juicy Mandarina IPA
Malts: Wheat
Hops: Mandarina Bavaria, Calypso, Galaxy and experimental hop #522
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 65
Availability: Draft only

To find Heavy Melon or Juicy Mandarina IPA near you, use the New Belgium Libation Location tool: or download New Belgium’s Beer Mode app.

For more information about New Belgium Brewing, visit NewBelgium.com. You can also follow New Belgium on Facebook at Facebook.com/NewBelgium and Twitter @NewBelgium.

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses. The 100% employee-owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses, and a Certified B Corp. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews thirteen year-round beers; Citradelic Tangerine IPA, Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Slow Ride Session IPA, Snapshot Wheat, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsner, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel and a gluten-reduced line, Glutiny Pale Ale and Glutiny Golden Ale. Learn more at www.newbelgium.com.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Stone Brewing Releasing Stone Enjoy By 05.30.16 Tangerine IPA

Courtesy of Stone Brewing Co
ESCONDIDO, CA (April 26, 2016) – When it comes to freshness, Stone Brewing is known for pushing boundaries. Perhaps the craft brewery’s greatest commitment to freshness comes in the form of the Stone Enjoy By IPA series, which this week offers a new recipe showcasing the juicy awesomeness of tangerine. Stone Enjoy By 05.30.16 Tangerine IPA is now ripe for the picking.

For those hopheads with summer already on the mind, this tangy, fresh IPA was brewed to enjoy now. The vibrant flavors are gloriously jam-packed using more than ten hop varietals and puréed tangerines to add a hop-pushing twist to this double IPA.

 
Stone Enjoy By 05.30.16 Tangerine IPA will be available in 22-ounce bottles, 12-ounce bottles in six-packs, and on draft beginning this week. Brewed to be enjoyed within 37 days, this date-driven series of devastatingly fresh double IPAs serves as an encouragement for fans to live in the NOW.

Fans can share their #EnjoyByTangerine experiences on Twitter and Instagram and check in on Untappd. Tweets, photos and check-ins are then shared on the beer’s social wall.
Courtesy of Stone Brewing Co

Quick Facts

Stone Enjoy By 05.30.16 Tangerine IPA

Name: Stone Enjoy By 05.30.16 Tangerine IPA
URL: enjoyby.stonebrewing.com
Stats: 9.4% ABV, 90 IBUs
Availability: 22-ounce bottles, 12-ounce six-packs and draft, beginning April 25
Hop Varieties: Nugget, Super Galena, Simcoe, Amarillo, Delta, Target, Cascade, Citra, Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, Motueka and Helga
National Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico
Find Beer: find.stonebrewing.com

about stone brewing

Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 10th-largest craft brewer in the United States. Stone has been listed on the Inc. 500 | 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list 11 times, and has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. The multifaceted company will be the first American craft brewer to independently build, own and operate a brewery in Europe, and is also building a production brewery and destination restaurant in Richmond, Virginia. Brewing at both locations will be underway in summer 2016. Known for its bold, flavorful and largely hop-centric beers, Stone has earned a reputation for brewing outstanding, unique beers while maintaining an unwavering commitment to sustainability, business ethics, philanthropy and the art of brewing. For more information on Stone Brewing, please visit StoneBrewing.com or the company’s social media sites: Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and The Stone Blog

Sierra Nevada Partners With Bamberg, Germany's Mahrs Bräu On New Oktoberfest Beer

Courtesy of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co
Oktoberfest fall seasonal will feature a different German partner each year
 
Chico, CA— April 26, 2016—Sierra Nevada is pleased to announce Bamberg, Germany’s Mahrs Bräu as their brewing partner for this year’s Oktoberfest seasonal beer. Released each fall, Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest collaborative seasonal will feature a different German brewery every year. The partnership blends centuries of brewing tradition with modern spirit, giving craft drinkers the ultimate Oktoberfest, a festival beer unlike any they’ve experienced in the US.

Last fall, Sierra Nevada’s owners, Ken Grossman and Brian Grossman, travelled to Upper Franconia, a Northern Bavarian region in Germany, to meet with the venerable brewers and found plenty of common ground with the Mahrs Bräu team. “We’re impressed by their commitment to quality, as well as their inventive spirit and eye toward creative and interesting beers,” said Brian Grossman.

Like Sierra Nevada, Mahrs Bräu is a privately-held, family-owned brewery. Founded in 1670, Mahrs Bräu is now owned by the Michel family and run by Stephan Michel who represents the fourth generation of the family. Mahrs Bräu is highly regarded for their traditionally styled lagers, but also for their technical precision and willingness to experiment. In 2007, Mahrs Bräu was named the “Best Brewery in the World” by Men’s Journal magazine. In 2010, Mahrs was awarded the gold medal at the European Beer Star awards for their “Festtags Weisse” beer and in the same year, then owner Ingmar Michel was awarded the prestigious “Bayerischen Bierordens” medal for brewing excellence. Mahrs Bräu also has a commitment to environmental responsibility and participates in the strict Bavarian Environmental Pact.
Courtesy of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co
“We’re excited to be working together with Mahrs Bräu,” said Ken Grossman, “We have so much in common with them in the way we approach brewing, and the way we run our businesses. We’re both independent, family-owned breweries with a respect for tradition, yet we’re not handcuffed by it. We’re not afraid to innovate and to change things up. We both care deeply about the environment, and work to make our respective beers with a mindful eye on how that impacts the world around us.”

The Sierra Nevada and Mahrs Bräu collaboration Oktoberfest will hit retail shelves in August. The beer will be a traditional festival lager featuring the nearly forgotten “Record” hop varietal and lean heavily on the rich and layered malt complexity found in the best authentic festival beers.

 About Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of America’s premier craft breweries, highly regarded for using only the finest quality ingredients. The pioneering spirit that launched Sierra Nevada now spans both coasts with breweries in Chico, California and Mills River, North Carolina. Sierra Nevada has set the standard for craft brewers worldwide with innovations in the brewhouse as well as advances in sustainability. It is famous for its extensive line of beers including Pale Ale, Torpedo®, Otra Vez Gose-style Ale, Hop Hunter® IPA, Nooner® Pilsner, Porter, Stout, Kellerweis® and a host of seasonal, specialty and limited release beers. Learn more at www.sierranevada.com.

About Mahrs Bräu
Founded in 1670, Mahrs Bräu is considered one of Germany’s leading breweries. Located in Bamberg, Germany, in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Mahrs Bräu has made a name for themselves in a region known for having one of the highest concentrations of breweries in the world. More information at: http://www.mahrs.de/en/

Monday, April 25, 2016

Cheers To 30 Years John Harris - Celebration at Ecliptic Brewing April 28th

John Harris - Courtesy of Ecliptic Brewing Co
Come celebrate John Harris
and his 30 years of brewing!

When: April 28th at 6:00pm
Where: Ecliptic Brewing
What: Tapping of Reflection Nebula Pale Ale
followed by a cheers to John.

A note  from John Harris: 

Hi,

I started Brewing in April of 1986 at the Hillsdale Brewpub in Portland. It has been a long strange ride! Two years at McMenamins stretching the boundaries brewing with fruit. Most thought we were nuts. Helping start Deschutes from their startup for 4 years. Then 20 years with Full Sail and my fellow employee owners. Then off on my own to start Ecliptic!

I am very proud of all my years making beer for a living. I have created many beers over those years but there is one I am linked to more than any other.  I brewed a special beer, Reflection Nebula Pale Ale, to celebrate this 30 year milestone. I invite you to join me for a beer to celebrate on April 28th at 6pm.

Cheers,
John
Courtesy of Ecliptic Brewing Co
 

Cascade Brewing Expands Distribution Across the U.S.

Courtesy of Cascade Brewing Co
PORTLAND, Ore. – Cascade Brewing, which has been rapidly expanding into markets across the nation, has announced distribution deals in more than a dozen new markets.

The producer of award-winning Northwest sour ales has begun shipping its 750 ml bottled products to Alabama (Pinnacle Distributing); Connecticut (Sarene Craft Beer Distributors); Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C. and West Virginia (Kysela Pere et Fils); Indiana and Ohio (Cavalier Distributing); Maine (Mariner Distribution); Michigan (Henry A Fox Sales); Minnesota (Clear River Beverage); South Carolina (Advintage Distributing); Tennessee (Bounty Beverage); Upstate New York (Gasko and Meyer); and Wisconsin (Johnson Brothers of WI).

Courtesy of Cascade Brewing Co
"We are ecstatic to have found solid business partners who share so much enthusiasm in building the Cascade Brewing brand in their respective markets,” stated Tim Larrance, vice president of sales and marketing. “Aligning with such great distributors enables our retail customers and consumers to get the most up to date releases on all the Cascade Brewing products in cities where demand was previously high but availability was limited.”

Added Larrance, “We look forward to supporting our new wholesalers in their efforts to increase selection, volume and exposure for the Cascade Brewing portfolio of sour beers."
Cascade Brewing is known for its award-winning sour ales that feature a clean, lactic acid profile produced by a house culture of lactobacillus bacteria. The beers frequently rely on the use of fresh ingredients grown exclusively in the Pacific Northwest, including cherries, apricots, berries and grapes. Its blending house currently holds more than 1,500 French oak, Kentucky Bourbon and Northwest wine barrels — plus nine foudres (giant wooden barrels that typically hold around 1,800 gallons of beer).

Courtesy of Cascade Brewing Co
  Look for Cascade products to arrive in the new markets in early May.

Courtesy of Cascade Brewing Co
About Cascade Brewing
Cascade Brewing has been a pioneer in the sour beer renaissance since 2006 and is the proud innovator of the Northwest Sour Ale. Its distinctive sour beer blends feature fruit forward, barrel-aged ales with an emphasis on project year-to-year variation. These beers offer a complex array of flavors derived from Northwest grown ingredients, with each project year release capturing the unique subtleties of that year’s growing season. Cascade Brewing sour ales are brewed and blended in Portland, Oregon, and distributed in 31 U.S. markets as well as Canada, Japan, The Netherlands, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
 

Twitter: @CascadeBrewing
Instagram: @CascadeBrewing
Hashtags: #CascadeSours #HouseofSour

Breakside Brewery collaboration with Lewis & Clark College

Courtesy Breakside Brewery

April 25, 2016Portland & Milwaukie, OR 
For the past 3 years, Breakside Brewery and Lewis & Clark College have partnered to offer a course in brewing and the business of beer for students interested in the craft beer industry. Sponsored by Lewis & Clark’s Center for Entrepreneurship, the course is instructed by Breakside brewmaster Ben Edmunds and R&D brewer Will Jaquiss. The course is a comprehensive introduction to the beer industry, designed to prepare students with a practical understanding of how beer is designed, developed, produced and sold. The course focuses on three intertwined elements of brewing: fermentation science, beer as a business, and beer as an artisan craft, and students develop a broad understanding of the skills and theory needed to understand and/or join the beer industry.

In the capstone project of the course students split into small groups and each brew a beer of their own design on Breakside’s 3 barrel pilot system. The students work closely with Breakside’s brewing staff to select raw materials, develop a recipe, and create a sales plan for the beer. In the final class of the semester, the beers are evaluated by brewers from other breweries in Portland, so the students get real-time feedback from sources other than their day-to-day instructors. Unlike other brewing seminars for students, these beers are actually sold to the public and marketed just like any of Breakside’s other beers.

Breakside and Lewis & Clark are excited to announce the release of this year’s three student-brewed beers.

The Beers:Going Golden
American Summer Ale 5.3% ABV 22 IBUs
This hoppy golden ale is equally refreshing and complex. it features the new Enigma hop, which has notes of apricot and peach, as well as touch of Mosaic and Cascade hops.

Sunny Day Wit
Hoppy Belgian Wheat 4.1% ABV 15 IBU
This is an interpretation of a Belgian witbier with the addition of more flavoring and aroma hops than would be found in a classic version. The hard-to-find Huell Melon hop, featured here, provides beautiful notes of honeydew and grass.

Royal Baby
American ESB 5.8% ABV 35 IBU
An American take on the classic English-style ESB, with a spicy, citrus aroma from both English and American hops, and a rounded mouthfeel from the addition of Torrified Wheat.

Availability
All three beers will be available at Breakside’s two locations in late April and early May, until the batches run out.