Volume #4 of Terrapin/Left Hand Brewing’s Midnight Brewing Project is nearly upon us. Left Hand Brewing travelled to Athens, Georgia at the end of July for brew day. Peotch features both Colorado and infamous Georgia peaches. Since it is brewed Continue Reading →
One gallon at a time, Coney Island becomes a true “nano” brewery. Fully licensed on June 24, 2011, the brewing system is capable of yielding 1 gallon per batch. That’s the same amount a jug of milk. The tiny Continue Reading →
Just dropping the term “session” will cause a debate you won’t soon find the end to. Is it 4%? 5%. Bottom line, it’s not over 5% by any means. (Start the debate if you must.) Esquire Magazine Continue Reading →
Michael Payne used to work at Terrapin Brewing in Athens, Georgia. He’s currently the brewer at Brewer’s Pizza in Orange Park, Florida, the only brewpub in the county. Payne has announced plans to phase out the pizza business in the fall to Continue Reading →
Introducing the next edition in Brooklyn Brewing’s Brewmaster’s Reserve Series – The Companion. A book and a beer. They both hit shelves this September. The book contains beer info from more than 160 experts including, Garrett Oliver and Continue Reading →
SHMALTZ BREWING COMPANY UNITES BOURBON AND BOCK: CONEY ISLAND BARREL-AGED Human Blockhead®
New York, NY – August 4, 2011 – Shmaltz Brewing Company, ringleaders of the sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers®, is excited to announce the release of Coney Island Barrel-Aged Continue Reading →
Volume #4 of Terrapin/Left Hand Brewing’s Midnight Brewing Project is nearly upon us. Left Hand Brewing travelled to Athens, Georgia at the end of July for brew day. Peotch features both Colorado and infamous Georgia peaches. Since it is brewed at Terrapin this year, Terrapin does the packaging & labels.
Label: Yep, we brewed a beer with Georgia & Colorado peaches. We tried to tell the peaches to get of the way, but they wouldn’t. Ludicrous , we know. Cheers! Spike & Ro.
Senator Files Legislation Protecting Massachusetts Brewers
SEN. HEDLUND FILES LEGISLATION PROTECTING MASS BREWERS (8-4-11)
Sen. Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth)
Contact: Rob Butman 617-722-1646
August 4, 2011
SEN. HEDLUND FILES LEGISLATION PROTECTING MASS BREWERS
Legislation promotes craft brewing in Massachusetts
BOSTON, MA – Sen. Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth) responding to a recent advisory from the Alcoholic Brevages Control Commission (ABCC) has filed legislation protecting Massachusetts brewers.
The advisory sent August 1st, explains the ABCC interpretation of Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) chapter 138, §19C which indentifies farm-brewers. In its decision, the Commission held that each applicant for a Farmer-Brewery license must document that it grows cereal grains or hops of at least 50%, in the aggregate, of the quantity of cereal grains and hops needed to produce the gallonage of malt beverages estimated to be produced by the applicant during the license term.
The interpretation by ABCC appears as an attempt to force small brewers to obtain the more complicated manufacturer’s license, which also cost far more than the “Farm-Brewer” License.
“At a time when industries are struggling, forcing small brewers to obtain high cost licenses seems counter-productive,” said Senator Hedlund, “what we should be doing is creating a streamlined licensing process using these low cost licenses as an incentive and actually grow an industry in Massachusetts as opposed to destroying one.”
The legislation Senate Docket 2072, filed August 4th by Hedlund, creates a new license in the alcoholic manufactures license law for craft brewers. Brewers still have the option of operating under newly interpreted “Farm-Brewer” definition or to utilize the new craft beer license the legislation creates. Rather than paying the $6,000 – $10,000 for a manufactures license, this new license makes it affordable for craft brewers producing less than 200,000 barrels per year. The legislation also protects the self- distribution and retail sales components of the “Farm Brewer” business model.
Craft Brewers producing less than 5,000 barrels pay a fee of $22
Craft Brewers producing 5,000 barrels to 20,000 barrels pay a fee of $44
Craft Brewers producing 20,000 barrels to 100,000 barrels pay a fee of $82
Craft Brewers producing 100,000 to 200,000 barrels pay a fee of $110
With 28 members of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild and breweries ranging in size from Harpoon, to Idle Hands the legislation could be a means of attracting even more brewers to Massachusetts and employing even more Massachusetts residents.
“Craft brewers already must deal with many disadvantages, from our archaic regulatory structure to the outdated 3 tiered distribution rules to competition from international conglomerate brewers. We should be creating incentives to promote this industry not hamstring it,” said Senator Hedlund.
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BROWN CO-SPONSORS BIPARTISAN BEER ACT OF 2011 (8-5-11)
U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA)
CONTACT: Colin Reed: 202-224-4543
August 5, 2011
BROWN CO-SPONSORS BIPARTISAN BEER ACT OF 2011
Legislation Lowers Excise Tax On Brewers, Helps Create Jobs In Key Massachusetts Industry
WASHINGTON, DC – Today on the first stop of his statewide jobs tour, U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) announced that he was co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to lower excise taxes on brewers at the August Annual Meeting of the Beer Institute in Boston.
The Brewers Excise and Economic Relief or BEER Act of 2011, which was introduced in May 2011 by U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), would lower the excise tax on beer to pre-1991 levels. It would also cut the tax per barrel in half from 18 dollars to 9, and provide tax relief for small breweries by cutting the tax on their first 60,000 barrels produced from 7 dollars to 3.50.
In 1991, an excise tax was imposed on a series of products, and beer is the only product on which the tax has not yet been repealed. The higher tax has resulted in a loss of 60,000 jobs throughout the industry. In Massachusetts alone, the beer industry generates more than 40,000 jobs, including brewers, distributors and licensed retailers, and contributes nearly $5.5 billion annually to the Commonwealth’s economy.
“The beer industry is responsible for thousands of good-paying jobs in Massachusetts, and I am proud to be joining this bipartisan legislation that will cut their taxes,” said Sen. Brown. “Bay State brewers led the way in the brewing revolution, and we need to make sure that we provide a favorable business environment so they can continue growing, creating jobs and, last but not least, producing quality beer.”
Brown is also an original co-sponsor of the Brewer’s Employment & Excise Relief Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) earlier this year and is targeted at lowering taxes for small breweries.
Coney Island Is Worlds Smallest Brewery, 1 Gallon At A Time
One gallon at a time, Coney Island becomes a true “nano” brewery. Fully licensed on June 24, 2011, the brewing system is capable of yielding 1 gallon per batch. That’s the same amount a jug of milk. The tiny production brewery is nestled amidst the magical land of Coney Island in New York. The beers are just as creative and unique as Coney Island itself. Local guest brewers and home brewers are invited to brew some wild, unconventional recipes. Beers like Horny RYEnocerous, Zomerfest, Mexi Kolsch (a take off a Mexican Lager), and Korndog Kolsch (yep, a hotdog flavored beer.)
… the CIBC brewing staff will craft three original beers each week to be bottled and sold at the brewery in collectible Coney Island Brewing Company packaging. All recipes brewed at CIBC are exclusive releases inspired by the local artistic and gastronomical landscape. Recent batches include a Pumpernickel Bagel Porter; a Red, White, and Blueberry Hefeweizen; and a Caramel Apple Ale. Shmaltz Brewing’s Coney Island Craft Lagers® and HE’BREW Beers® are also for sale at the brewery, and a limited amount of beer sampling will be available on premise.
On August 10th, Coney Island hosts the worlds tiniest ribbon cutting ceremony from 5:30-8:30 pm
Below is a pic of the tiny brewing system at Coney Island Brewing Co, featuring Fritz Fernow brewing up Horny RYEnocerous.
Just dropping the term “session” will cause a debate you won’t soon find the end to. Is it 4%? 5%. Bottom line, it’s not over 5% by any means. (Start the debate if you must.) Esquire Magazine just dropped an impressive list of the Top 9 Session Beers.
The list includes:
Avery – Joe’s Pils, 4.7%
Surly – Bitter Brewer, 4.1%
21st Amendment – Bitter American, 4.4% (soon to be year round)
Half Acre – Gossamer Golden, 4.2%
Bell’s – Oarsman, 4%
Notch Brewing – Notch Session Pils, 4%
Schlafly – Kolsch, 4.8%
Liepziger Gose, 4.6%
That’s a damn fine list. If I could do some honorable mentions, I would add
Michael Payne used to work at Terrapin Brewing in Athens, Georgia. He’s currently the brewer at Brewer’s Pizza in Orange Park, Florida, the only brewpub in the county. Payne has announced plans to phase out the pizza business in the fall to pursue his own brewery.
Financing hasn’t been secured yet. The Riverside/San Marco Area of Jacksonville, Florida. He studied at Siebel Institute in Chicago, and Doeman’s in Munich. [Jacksonville.com]
Introducing the next edition in Brooklyn Brewing’s Brewmaster’s Reserve Series – The Companion. A book and a beer. They both hit shelves this September. The book contains beer info from more than 160 experts including, Garrett Oliver and Thomas Kraus-Weyermann (Of Weyermann Malts). The beer is a floor malted wheat wine, brewed with by duo to act as a “companion” to the book.
Per Brooklyn:
For the past four years, brewmaster Garrett Oliver has been working on a massive project. It’s the ultimate beer collaboration, but it’s not a beer. Published this September by Oxford University Press, it’s The Oxford Companion to Beer, the most comprehensive book on beer ever published, featuring 160 experts covering more than 1,100 subjects. It’s a momentous thing, so Garrett (Editor-in-Chief), Horst Dornbusch (Associate Editor, writer, scholar, man-about-town) and Thomas Kraus-Weyermann (writer and master maltster) hatched a plan. Together, they brewed our next Brewmaster’s Reserve beer, called The Companion.
Thomas created special new floor malts for The Companion, which is brewed in an old style called “wheat wine”, a wheat-based equivalent to barley wine. The floor malts give this beer a juicy malt character of considerable depth, 55% malted wheat gives it a surprising lightness on the palate, while our house ale yeast lends a gentle fruitiness. The Oxford Companion will impart knowledge, whileThe Companion imparts conviviality. Maybe you really can have it all?
Bourbon & Bock: Shmaltz Releases Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead
SHMALTZ BREWING COMPANY UNITES BOURBON AND BOCK: CONEY ISLAND BARREL-AGED Human Blockhead®
New York, NY – August 4, 2011 – Shmaltz Brewing Company, ringleaders of the sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers®, is excited to announce the release of Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead®. Weighing in at 10% ABV, this burly Imperial American Bock has aged over five months in first-use Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Barrels. While Human Blockhead® originally was conceived as a Tough-as-Nails strong lager, Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is the evolution of a true professional, bearing the signature richness of Munich and Vienna malt but emerging from the barrel softened and silky, with hints of maple, caramel, and vanilla. With approximately 500 cases produced, Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is as rare and special as it is highly coveted.
Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® joins the Shmaltz line-up as the third member in the Limited Engagement Barrel-Aged series, which also includes 2010 Great American Beer Festival Silver Medalist HE’BREW R.I.P.A. on Rye; 2011 World Beer Championships Gold Medalist HE’BREW Vertical Jewbelation; and HE’BREW Genesis 15:15, a 15% ABV barleywine brewed with grapes, figs, dates, and pomegranates, which will be released Fall 2011. The Limited Engagement Barrel-Aged series not only represents some of Shmaltz’s most decorated beers, but also boasts the highest consumer ratings from BeerAdvocate.com and RateBeer.com. The latter recently ranked Shmaltz Brewing as one of the “Top 100 Brewers in the World” for 2011. With the release of Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead®, Shmaltz Brewing continues to design unique and sophisticated beers that can stand with the world’s best specialty beverages.
In a fusion of Old World brewing tradition with bold, flavor-driven American ingenuity, Coney Island Human Blockhead® and Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® are examples of how Shmaltz has elevated lagers to the creative peaks ales have enjoyed in the American craft beer movement. After selecting Coney Island Craft Lagers® as “Best in Show” at their inaugural BevStar Awards, Beverage World Magazine noted that “in a segment largely dominated by ales… Shmaltz has demonstrated how creative one can be when pushing the limits of lager.” The Chicago Tribune also praised Shmaltz’s artistic vision and pioneering spirit in a recent article, declaring that “the Coney Island series has put [Shmaltz] on the leading edge of craft lagers.” Not surprisingly, Coney Island Human Blockhead® has garnered top awards across the country since its debut in March 2009. In its first bout against other strong lagers at the 2009 United States Beer Tasting Championships, Human Blockhead® took home the Gold Medal and then was designated the Bock/Doppelbock Grand Champion the following year at the World Beer Championships.
Like the other beers from Coney Island Craft Lagers®, Human Blockhead® pays tribute to the eclectic performance culture of Coney Island, New York. The Human Blockhead stunt, developed by renowned musician and sideshow entertainer Melvin Burkhardt, is kept alive today by Donny Vomit, whose persona is captured on the Human Blockhead® bottle label. Known for spellbinding stage antics with his trusty hammer, sixty-penny nail, and occasionally a power drill, Donny is thrilled to be featured in the Coney Island Craft Lagers® line. “As a kid, I always thought it would be cool to have an action figure made after me, but having a kickass beer is a whole lot better,” says the man behind the mustache.
Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is nationally available in 22 oz. bottles and limited draft at specialty shops and select bars from August – October 2011. A portion of the proceeds of Coney Island Craft Lagers® help Coney Island USA, a 501(c)(3) Arts Non-Profit, fulfill its mission to defend the honor of lost forms of American popular culture in Brooklyn’s historic Coney Island neighborhood.
About Shmaltz Brewing Company
Shmaltz Brewing Company was recently named “Best American Craft Brewer” and won the “Best In Show 2010” title by Beverage World Magazine, after being named “Breakout Brand” for 2009. Shmaltz was also included in the “Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies” by San Francisco Business Times, and is a recipient of the “Distinguished Business Award” by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.
Established in San Francisco in 1996 with the first batch of 100 cases of HE’BREW Beer® bottled, labeled, and delivered by hand, Shmaltz has sold more than ten million bottles of beer to date. Along with their acclaimed line of HE’BREW Beers®, Shmaltz introduced its new line of sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers®. Proceeds help Coney Island USA, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit fulfill its mission to defend the honor of lost forms of American popular culture in Brooklyn’s historic Coney Island neighborhood.
Shmaltz offerings are available in more than 25 states through 30 wholesalers at more than 3,000 retail specialty shops across the U.S., including Beverages & More, Whole Foods, Total Wine, select Krogers and Cost Plus.
Shmaltz Brewing beers have appeared in such distinguished media outlets as The New York Times, CNN Headline News, The Onion, Beer Advocate Magazine, Celebrator Beer News, Ale Street News, NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” New York Magazine, Newsweek, Men’s Health, BUST, Playboy, Associated Press, Reuters, MSNBC, San Francisco Magazine, The Jerusalem Report, New York Jewish Week, Washington Post, MAXIM, Forbes.com, Smartmoney.com, Entrepreneur.com and Epicurious.com.
