Breweries
Monday Night opening Charlotte taproom in 2023
Atlanta-based Monday Night Brewing has announced their fifth taproom location, slated for Charlotte, North Carolina in 2023.
The new taproom, located at 2217 S. Tryon Street, is already under construction. Providence Group Capital (PGC) acquired the location – a former auto shop, in February 2021. The 8,500 square foot building on 1.13 acres is being overhauled into a food hall, with Monday Night being one of the first tenant announcements.
“The South End is an incredibly exciting locale to debut our broad beer portfolio in the great state of North Carolina. Not only is Charlotte our fifth taproom, but North Carolina is also the fourth state we’ll be expanding our distribution to. We are thrilled to join the beer scene and community in North Carolina, which we have long admired. ” – Jeff Heck, Monday Night CEO
The burgeoning South End of Charlotte is already home to Wooden Robot, Hopfly Brewing, Resident Culture, Triple C, Sycamore Brewing, The Suffolk Punch, and Trolley Barn Fermentory & Food Hall.
Monday Night opened their production facility in Atlanta’s Westside area in 2011. Since then, the brewery has built a wild ale facility in Atlanta’s West End, as well as the Monday Night Social Club in Birmingham, AL, and Monday Night Preservation Co. in Nashville, TN.
2271 S. Tryon St. via Google Maps
PBR releases the 1,844 pack, 68 more than last year
Pabst Blue Ribbon has unveiled the 1844 case of beer. That’s a full 68 cans more than the 1776 pack they unveiled last summer.
The year 1844 and fighting inflation.
Why 1844? That’s the year Pabst was founded. Considering the financial challenges we’re facing here in 2022, Pabst wants to help. Every day in July, the brewery is giving away $1,844 to help offset the rising costs of basically everything you touch. (That’s a grand total of $57,164.) Need gas too? Once in July and once in August, Pabst is giving away 1,844 gallons of gas. Consumers can enter the sweepstakes online starting July 1st. We’re assuming you don’t have to show up to the brewery with your own tanker truck to get it.
250 of the 1844 packs have been sent around America. Good luck track them down.
We have no idea how much the 1844 pack will cost, but you better have some thirsty friends.
Sapporo acquires Stone Brewing
Sapporo has reached an agreement to acquire Stone Brewing Company for an undisclosed sum.
Sometime in 2021, Sapporo approached Stone Brewing in a bid to increase the production of Sapporo brands in the United States, using Stone’s Escondido and Richmond facilities. According to the official press release, “Sapporo gains major, high-quality brewing capacity on both U.S. coasts that will enable it to significantly increase production to meet the strong consumer demand of its Sapporo-branded beers for the domestic market.”
Sapporo intends to brew 360,000 barrels (11,160,000 gallons) of beer in the United States by 2024. Stone’s facilities will play a larger role in that goal. According to Sapporo, that will essentially double Stone’s production volume, which was ranked 9th nationally in 2021 amongst craft breweries.
“This acquisition puts the resources and legacy of the largest Asian beer brand in America together with one of the most innovative and recognized craft beer brands in the world. It’s a perfect fusion of east meets west that is an ideal marriage for Sapporo’s long-term growth strategy in the U.S,” Kenny Sadai, Chairman, Sapporo U.S.A.
In addition to Stone’s two production facilities, all 7 taprooms and World Bistro & Gardens destinations and workforce will remain intact, run under the Sapporo business structure.
According to co-founder Greg Koch, who has been an outspoken detractor of large corporate beer companies, said “This unique partnership allows us to preserve the Stone legacy that our fans know and love and will add exponential opportunities for growth, from production to more investment in people, equipment, sales, and marketing.”
In 2017, Sapporo acquired San Francisco-based Anchor Brewing.
Stone Brewing’s southern California distributorship is not included in the acquisition, which will be maintained by the current ownership.
Sapporo was founded in 1876 and is the oldest beer brand in Japan. The company has two breweries in North America, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Sleeman brewery in Canada acquired in 2006.
The transaction is expected to close in August 2022.
Blackberry Smoke band has their own beer thanks to New Realm
Music collaborations are nothing new in craft beer but that doesn’t make each one unique. This is an either way it’s cool statement – New Realm Brewing is releasing a beer with the band Blackberry Smoke. If you know the band, you’re already excited. If you’re not there yet, their music is in the tv show Yellowstone. In yet?
This collaboration comes from a mutual friendship between the band and New Realm Brewing that started back in high school. Here are New Realm, fresh cans of New Realm Blackberry Smoke Lager are being signed by Brit Turner, drummer. He greets me with a smile and a beard that literally says musican or craft brewer.
Blackberry Smoke, a rock/blues/country band formed in Atlanta, Georgia 21 years ago. “The best way to celebrate your 21st is with a beer!” Turner jokes. “But really though, it’s the best way I can see. it.” He always hoped there would be a full scale band inspired beer, but getting one is harder than you think. Brewery capacity and distribution is a complicated thing. Turner says there was a small scale “Smoke” beer made in North Carolina a few years ago, that was available at one of their sold out shows. The band hoped the rest would be available in distribution later. Their rabid music and beer-loving fans managed to drink it all that night and there was none left over.
“We knew a few of the New Realm Brewing folks as far back as high school,’ Turner says. We have basically have our own record label situation and making a beer with a craft brewer really made sense to us,” he adds. Blackberry Smoke started a year before the first iPod, a few years before YouTube and more than a decade before Spotify. “Our only choice was to tour,” say Turner. Craft beer has that “out of the garage” feel to it like a lot of rock bands.
In preparation for Blackberry Smoke Lager, Turner sat down for a tasting session with brewmaster and co-founder Mitch Steele. “A lager just makes sense,” Steele tells me. “We made it with a touch of pilsner malt on top of 2-Row, so there’s a little bit of Europe in this lager.” It’s crazy how many bands we’ve interviewed lean towards the lighter side of beer like a pilsner or lager. Almost every time their reasoning is that they want to drink a few on stage and still be able to play.
Over the course of a few hours with the band, Turner’s excitement was solely focused on what this beer means to their fans. Steele and Turner designed it with them in mind. “They got us where we are, and we wanted to do something for them,” Turner says. “I’m more excited to see them drink it then I am to have it.”
Mitch Steele himself is a guitarist and music fan, making it easy to put a little extra musical passion into it. Both brewing and music require emotion and passion if you want it to be good. New Realm Blackberry Smoke is about both.
Two decades ago Blackberry Smoke got together and started playing in bars. Not long after, they were performing with Guns N’ Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Church, ZZ Top, and Zach Brown Band.
Honestly, to Turner and the rest of the band, this might be more exciting.
New Realm Blackberry Smoke Lager is available in 16-ounce cans and draft where ever New Realm is sold.
Style: Lager
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: Late May, 2022
4.5% ABV
Orpheus Brewing appoints new CEO
Atlanta, Georgia-based Orpheus Brewing has appointed Abby McLocklin Cheng as the brewery’s new Chief Executive Officer. She will assume the role immediately.
We’ve been in the unique position to have seen Cheng’s career flourish, first meeting her at Total Wine more than 10 years ago. At that time she had recently finished multiple degrees at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. She was a heavy foodie and I mistakenly took her as someone that was just into French reds, and hated on new world wine. There was so much more there than that. She also had a desire to work in beer and explore the craft beer industry. As with everything she does, it didn’t take long for her to fit into the industry successfully, many if not all of your favorite Founders beers on tap in the Atlanta area are thanks to her.
On both personal and professional levels we are happy to announce that after only a few months at Orpheus Brewing they have realized the value of having Cheng run more integral parts of the Brewery as CEO. Her aims are to bring additional leadership and focus to a brewery that she feels passionate about.
Additionally, this gives brewery founder Jason Pellett the opportunity to step back into his much more familiar creative role,
She’s already assumed the CEO role, and we’re looking forward to seeing the direction she takes Orpheus in the future.
Summer Seasonal Extended: Arches Brewing Bohemian Riot Pilsner
Arches Brewing Bohemian Riot first debuted at the brewery in 2019. The summer seasonal’s had grown over the years, prompting the brewery to extend the brewing season through August.
“Riot” is a pilsner, brewed in collaboration with North Carolina’s Riverbend Malt House. The Georgia-based, lager-forward brewery used traditional Czech Saaz hops to create this “crisp summertime drinker”.
Arches Brewing Bohemian Riot is available in 12-ounce cans and draft until fall 2022.
Style: Pilsner
Hops: Saaz
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: 7/5/19
Latest Return: Spring 2022
5.3% ABV
The “Martian style” imperial IPA from New Realm has arrived
New Realm Restricted Area Double IPA marks the second release of the brewery’s Monsters & Myths Series in 2022.
Apparently, the secrets of the infamous Area 51 in Nevada include hops. Restricted Area Double IPA is a double IPA, brewed with a “paranormal” amount of Citra and Mosaic hops. According to New Realm, the brewery had yet to brew a beer using those two hop combinations together.
“Our Monsters & Myths DIPA series is a favorite among beer fans every year, and we can’t wait for Restricted Area to make its debut as our newest addition to the lineup. We joke that Restricted Area is a ‘Martian-Style’ DIPA, but really, it’s just out of this world! We cannot wait to see what our hop-loving beer fans think of this new release.” – Bob Powers, Co-Founder and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
New Realm Restricted Area Double IPA is available in 12-ounce cans and draft in late April 2022.
Style: West Coast Style Imperial IPA
Hops: Citra, Mosaic
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Limited Seasonal Release
Debut: Late April 2022
9% ABV
