Beer News

Sam Adams Small Batch Cider Bock & Dark Depths Arrive

The newest additions to the Sam Adams “Small Batch” lineup are on shelves in Atlanta: – Dark Depths and Cinder Bock.

Cinder Bock

Cinder is billed as a “rauchbock” or smoke bock.

Unusual and playful this half-breed brew begins with a rush of smoky, almost savory, aromas and flavors.  The Continue Reading →

Posted in Beer News

Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout Bottle Rollout Parties

Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout Atlanta PosterLeft Hand Brewing rolls out Nitro Milk Stout bottles to Atlanta starting today.  Now the beer loving city of Atlanta can enjoy the nitrogen infused milk stout in a bottle too.

The 6 packs will set you back around $10 (or less) and have, or are hitting shelves as you read this ATL.  There’s something else to get excited for too.  Launch parties.  Left Hand Brewing brought a few people from Longmont to celebrate with the fine people of Atlanta.

Left Hand Guests (at both events) Include:
Chris Lennert –  VP of Operations

Jason Ingram — Eastern Regional Sales Manager
Ro Guenzel — Head Brewer
Josh Goldberg — Head Bartender (See video below)
Sara Gould — NC/SC/TN Sales Rep
Steve Ponsetti — TX/OK/KS Sales Rep
Josh Breckel — Colorado Sales Manager
Bubba Love — Boulder County Sales Manager

Tonight (3/1/12) at Leon’s Full Service:

Beer Guest of Honor: Nitro Milk Stout Bottles
Nitro Milk Stout (Tap)
Black Jack Porter
Polestar Pilsner
Sawtooth Ale
Ambidexterious Ale, Step #1
400 Lb. Monkey

CASK: Milk Stout on cascade hops.  Taps 9 pm

Leon’s Full Service – Everything except cask taps at 5 pm.
131 E Ponce De Leon Ave
Decatur, GA 30030

The Fred Bar 3/2/12, 8 pm
400 Lb. Monkey
Ambidextrous Ale #1
Black Jack Porter
Polestar Pilsner
Nitro Milk Stout
Milk Stout Cask
Sawtooth
Stranger
Widdershins Barley Wine
CASK: Milk Stout on cascade hops. Taps 8pm
The Fred Bar – 3/2/12, 8 pm
5600 Roswell Rd  
Atlanta, GA 30342

Right after the launch, BeerStreetJournal was at the brewery in Longmont, Colorado.   Check out Josh talking about the new Nitro bottles.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Flying Dog Brewing

Flying Dog Lucky S.O.B Brewed With Real Clover Leafs

Feelin’ lucky?  If not, maybe Flying Dog Brewery has a solution for you.  A beer brewed with real four leaf clovers has to be lucky right?  As Flying Dog adds the four leaf clovers to the brew that were hand picked at the brewery last year, they recite the following poem:

“Here’s to a long life and a merry one,
“A quick death and an easy one,
“A pretty girl and an honest one,
“A cold beer and another one!”

Lucky SOB is an easy drinking Irish Red Ale that checks in at 5%ABV.  Though Flying Dog doesn’t guarantee that good luck will come with consuming this brew, they do ask: why risk it?

Lucky SOB will appear next week, draft only, in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Washington DC.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

ATL Hop Lovers, Find You Some Deviant Dale’s

Oskar Blues Brewing’s newest hoppy concoction Deviant Dale’s is now hitting shelves in the city (and selling fast!)  4 packs are selling out in less than an hour.  If you love hops (and I know a crap ton of you do) don’t miss these sexy tall boys.

Deviant is the brewery’s signature pale ale, made bigger.  Made hoppier.

It’s a double edition fo the perennial favorite — Dales’s Pale Ale.  The brewery describes it as “a sensory assault for Hop Lovers.”   There are 4 hop editions during the hop process, and final massive dry hop of Columbus hops. Hops, hops and more hops.  Not just for tap handles anymore.  We’re talking tallboys baby!

Style: Imperial IPA
Taste Expectations: Big on hops – lots of grapefruit.  Chewy,  & fresh.  Piney, slightly floral. Touch of caramel malt.
Availability: 16oz tallboy cans, Draft.

8% ABV 

pic via @GreensBeer

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

Sam Adams Small Batch Cider Bock & Dark Depths Arrive

The newest additions to the Sam Adams “Small Batch” lineup are on shelves in Atlanta: – Dark Depths and Cinder Bock.

Cinder Bock

Cinder is billed as a “rauchbock” or smoke bock.

Unusual and playful this half-breed brew begins with a rush of smoky, almost savory, aromas and flavors.  The distinctive campfire smokiness of a rauchbier lingers and beings to reveal the rich and velvety malt smoothness of a double bock with a notes of toffee and caramel.  This roguish brew transforms from its bold start to a hearty and satisfying finish. 

Style: Dopplebock (smoked)
Hops: Hallertau Mittlefruh
Malts: Two Row Harrington, Metcafe, Copeland Pale, Caramel 60, Smoked Malt
Availability: 22oz bottles (One time brew, as of 3/12)

9.4% ABV

Dark Depths

Depths is a IPA or a hoppy porter ( Need some clarification) brewed with a lager yeast for an interesting mesh of styles.

Across the cold and brackish waters of the Baltic, the English Porter was transferred, from a mild ale to a dark and complex lager that confounds definition.  Immersed in dark, roasted malts and a bold citrus hop character, these big and contrasting flavors are brought together with the smoothness of a lager for a brew that’s bold, mysterious, and full of flavor. Batch #1

Style: Hoppy Porter? IPA (ish)Hops: Saaz, Zeus, Ahtanum, Simcoe
Malts: Two Row Harrington, Metcalfe, Copeland Pale, Carafa I, Caramel 60, Munich
Yeast: Lager
Availability: 22oz bottles.  One time brew (As of 3/12)

7.6% ABV 

The Small Batch Series as of 3/1/12

2011
Tasman Red, Griffin’s Bow, The Vixen, and Third Voyage.

2012 Releases To Include:
Dark Depths, Cinder Bock (Both just released).  Coming soon:  Verloren, & Norse Legend.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

You Could Be Hired BECAUSE You Drink

Utah’s alcohol laws are at the very least… interesting.   (Read about Zion Curtains.)    The state is back in the news again, this time for a much better reason.  A lawmaker wants to make sure that the voice of the states drinking population is heard.  State Rep. Brian Doughty has introduced a bill that would would require that at least two members of the state’s five-member Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission be drinkers.

HB 193 requires the governor to appoint two members to the commission AFTER they sign sworn affidavits of their drinking habits.  (Here I’m trying to deny I drink as much as I do.  I’ve never had to swear to it.)

“At least two of the commissioners shall, for at least one year before being appointed and during their term, be consumers of an alcoholic product,”

Apparently, about 70% of the Utah’s population are Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members that abstain from drinking.   The restrictive laws prevent Utah from getting more tourism, and conventions due to such laws.

Other restrictive laws include:

Zion Curtains (You can’t see the liquor bottles, or the people pouring)

It’s illegal to order/pour a “double”

The mini keg or “Chubby” was banned last year, for fear that someone will drink all of it at one time.

Most kegs (5.2 gal, 7.75, 15.5 gal) are pretty hard to come by on the consumer side.

[LATimes]

 

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Alpine Beer Company, Beer News

Alpine Beer Company Takes Stand Over Ebay Sales

Alpine Beer Company took a stand against those selling their beer on Ebay today.  The fact that bottles of Alpine’s Exponential Hoppiness on Ebay annoying owner Pat Mcilhenney enough, but when a growler popped up on the popular auction site, that was the last straw.  He’s now threatening to not only ban growlers, but to potentially never bottle the beer again.  The incident lead him to this in a recent newsletter.

You have seen your very last growler of “Exponential Hoppiness” ever to be dispensed.

Since I previously stated if I ever saw a growler of “Exponential Hoppiness” for sale on ebay there would never be another growler sold again. Don’t blame me, but you can see who to blame HERE. As for bottles of “Expo” on ebay, I’m seriously considering never bottling it again. This is not just a personal issue, it’s illegal. The fact that people drove down from LA to make a quick buck and denying the locals the chance to buy some is also just plain wrong.

So, you can see the timing of the releases listed above. The first two beers were released last week, the next comes out today and the last one comes out tomorrow. That is the most advanced notice you ever receive. Our little operation is focused on supplying the local market with fine beer. If you live in the area you can now get first crack at our releases before they can drive in from points unknown. That’s the best I can do for you, my loyal locals.

Obviously this raises a few questions.  First and foremost, once something is purchased from you, how do you control it?  Do you control it?  Isn’t that Ebay’s job?  Agree or disagree Mcilhenny is one of the first to take  a stand when it comes to this common occurrence.  Will this be the start of a new trend amongst brewers?

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

Brew With Jailhouse At Cypress Street Tonight

Join Jailhouse Brewing’s Glen Golden and company at Cypress Street tonight.    Rob Merrick (previously of Hop City) will be brewing on the Cypress patio with Glen Golden. They will be brewing a Breakout Stout clone.

Special beer tonight: Breakout Stout Cask.  Also a beer float with the Breakout Stout cask – featuring Aztec Chocolate ice cream from High Road.

See you at 7 pm.

Cypress Street Pint & Plate — 2/28/11, 7 pm
817 W Peachtree Street 
Atlanta, GA 30308 

by Reid Ramsay