American Craft Beer Week
Cigar City Guava Grove Arrives This Week
Back for Round #2. Cigar City Brewing’s Guava Grove. A saison brewed with Florida guava (duh).
Guava Grove Ale is a Belgian ale that sees a secondary fermentation with and extended aging on Guava puree. The complex flavors imparted by both the Belgian yeast strain and the Guava are unlike anything you are likely to have encountered. This is an elegant beer that pairs well with white fish, mussels, fresh tropical fruits and earthy cheeses. It also makes a fine accompaniment to Guavaween festivities.
Style: Saison (w/ Guava)
Availability: 750ml bottles, Draft.
8% ABV
7venth Sun Stave Fly
Ottos Pub Apricot Wheat
Kissmeyer Honey Porter
Lagunitas To Open Chicago Location (PR)
Petaluma, CA April 10, 2012 — The Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma CA is moving forward with the construction of a second brewing facility in the crossroads of the US; Chicago Illinois. Carl Sandburg’s ‘City of Big Shoulders’ will be home to a new ROLEC-built 250 barrel kettle and 200,000 barrels of initial capacity. The brewery will be operating by the 4th quarter of 2013, and will occupy 150,420 square feet on the grounds of the CineSpace Movie Soundstage complex at 15th Street and Rockwell in Chicago’s Douglas Park neighborhood.
According to Lagunitas founder and CEO, Tony Magee, the idea got very real in the last 2 months. A few days spent with a calculator and a couple more visiting sites around the city crystalized the plan. “I was born and raised in Chicago so the siting questions were easy to figure out. But the real driver behind it all was two-fold; first, I realized that there was about 4 ounces of diesel in every 22oz bottle of our beer when enjoyed in Chicago, even more if you’re in NYC. Secondly, the future of Craft Beer is, we believe, local and we sure want to be a part of the future so the decision was easy. One of the best things about craft brewing is being close to the people who are digging it.”
Lagunitas is just finishing up a major expansion of its Petaluma home where it built a new brewhouse that will eventually enable it to brew more than four times what it brewed in 2011. The Petaluma brewery only has fermentation capacity to meet its needs through 2013. By building a second brewery in Chicago, Lagunitas will be adding that needed future capacity closer to where it will be enjoyed. According to Magee, “By the time Lagunitas Chicago is ready to mash in we will move about 140,000 barrels of production there. All the left coast and western states beer will still be brewed in Petaluma and life at the Petaluma brewery will be pretty calm, for a change, for a while…!”.
Lagunitas was founded in 1993 and shipped 161,420 barrels in 2011, up 61% from 2010. 2012 is expected to grow by another 55% to approximately 250,000 barrels. Lagunitas is working closely with Sterling Bank of Spokane Washington for project financing.
Colorado Super Collab Planned For American Craft Beer Week
The 2nd Colorado mega collaboration is in the works once again for American Craft Beer Week 2012. Nine Fort Collins brewers will come together in April to brew up a new Colorado focused brew. Last year, the 9 breweries created “Collusion Ale.“
C.B. & Potts, CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing, Crooked Stave, Equinox Brewing Co., Fort Collins Brewery, Funkwerks, New Belgium Brewing Co., Odell Brewing Co. and Pateros Creek will meet at Fort Collins Brewery to create a new beer using as many local Colorado ingredients as possible.
Colin Westcott, owner of Equinox Brewing:
A rough sketch of the recipe includes honey from Wellington, Colorado-grown hops, locally grown unmalted spelt and some snow from the high country.
Availability: Draft Only
Arrival: Week of May 14th, 2012
Where? Each of the 9 Colorado breweries
Update 4/9/12: Press Release
American Craft Beer Week Returns In May 2012
The craft beer nation is prepping to celebrate American Craft Beer Week, The Mother of all Beer Weeks, May 14-20. American Craft Beer Week® (ACBW) invites breweries, beer wholesalers, retailers, media and craft beer fans to join in the country’s craft beer revolution by celebrating with events featured on CraftBeer.com.
“Last year, all fifty states held official celebrations to hoist a glass to America’s small and independent craft brewers,” said Julia Herz of CraftBeer.com, producers of ACBW. “As the excitement for craft-brewed beer continues to grow, our goal is to list even more events in each state in 2012.”
With more breweries, beers and events to commemorate the week, a savvy craft beer enthusiast needs help keeping track of their favorite beers. That’s why ACBW will once again team up with Untappd.com to provide a special badge so you can socially share the craft beers you’ve enjoyed.
“At Untappd, it’s our goal to encourage our users to explore the world of beer,” said Untappd’s co-founder, Tim Mather. “There are so many amazing breweries out there that it’s nearly impossible to know about them all. That’s where the power of Untappd comes in. The best recommendations and discoveries often come from your friends, which is why sharing is a key component and the heart of Untappd. We’re honored to bring you a special badge for American Craft Beer Week! It’s our hope that this badge will encourage craft beer drinkers, and even more so, the average beer drinker, to explore the world of American craft beer.”
More details regarding unlocking the ACBW 2012 badge will be released as the week approaches. Be sure to follow Untappd on Twitter (@untappd) and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
About American Craft Beer Week
Started in 2006 and recognized by congress twice in its history, American Craft Beer Week® (ACBW) is the national celebration of America’s small and independent craft brewers, their impact on American culture, and the love affair that craft beer enthusiast have for their favorite American made craft beers.
ACBW fans will begin to see planned events on the ACBW Events page as breweries, wholesalers and retailers add them to the calendar. Be sure to check out the free ACBWpoint of sale materials to help promote events and the week.
