Brewing up in Santa Monica, California is Gina Ales. Apparently slated to go online in May, it looks like the first beers will be appearing in July. After finding the label, I went searching for information, only to Continue Reading →
Brewdog Brewing (Fraserburgh, Scotland) expected to open door to investors this week. James Watt mentioned over the weekend that the brewery has sold some shares recently, and Brewdog would be seeking some fresh funds. From the sound Continue Reading →
There is a power play occurring in Wisconsin right now, between the big guys and the little guys. A provision was inserted into the states budget (pushed by Miller-Coors) that will essentially prevent growth of craft breweries in the state. Continue Reading →
(SORRY SLOW PAGE LOAD, VID LOADING) Clown Shoes Brewing was all but called out by a “director” at BeerAdvocate.com this week about their labeling. So… of course that sparked debate. ARE we taking our selves too seriously? Are there other Continue Reading →
Announcing Zwanze 2011 from Cantillon. This HIGHLY sought after lambic will be making draft appearances at a few select U.S. locations. (Below.) This years vintage is made with Pineau d’Aunis grapes. The prime ingredient changes each year – with the 2008 Continue Reading →
A press release from New Belgium Brewing this AM announces the addition of a larger canning line. Fat Tire among others is already in cans, but this addition can put it and other can offerings in markets not currently receiving Continue Reading →
Uinta Brewing celebrates their anniversary with an American barleywine. Keeping with the impressive new labeling, the barleywine is prime for a sprucing up. The previous artwork had a roman numeral denoting the year/vintage (as seen below.) This beer is now Continue Reading →
Brewing up in Santa Monica, California is Gina Ales. Apparently slated to go online in May, it looks like the first beers will be appearing in July. After finding the label, I went searching for information, only to find a coming soon webpage – and a Facebook page.
The brewery’s tag line is… Your new BREST Friend. Check out the beer description:
Gina Ale is a brilliant golden ale with the signature graininess and the soft, delicate palate that defines the Kölsch style. Using a special strain of Kölsch yeast, it is fermented warm and then cold-aged to produce its smooth clean finish.
Gina Ale’s goal in producing this beer was not to duplicate a Kölsch exactly, but rather to draw on some of its unique characteristics to produce a distinctive Brazilian beer that would be enjoyable to the American beer drinker. Gina Ale is similar to Kölsch in that it is very smooth and drinkable, with very little aftertaste. It differs, however, in several aspects of its brewing as well in its ingredients. Gina Ale is maltier, richer, not as pale, and has more flavor and body than that of the Kölsch beers brewed in Cologne. The special strain of yeast used imparts a flavor reminiscent of a fine Brazilian beer and is part of what makes Gina Ale so distinctive. Gina Ale is better balanced and more drinkable than a pilsener, dancing between hops and malt with each sip.
Brewdog Brewing (Fraserburgh, Scotland) expected to open door to investors this week. James Watt mentioned over the weekend that the brewery has sold some shares recently, and Brewdog would be seeking some fresh funds. From the sound of it, only European investors will be entertained.
According to Business.Scotsman, 1300 investors bought shares in the brewery in 2009 which raised £600,000 (950,000 U.S.) to fund brewery additions/expansions. That number is slightly less than what James Watt & Martin Dickie were seeking.
I’m sure by now you have heard of Tactical Nuclear Penguin & Sink The Bismarck – Some of the strongest beers in the world. Brewdog announced a few weeks ago some brewery additions & improvements. <BusinessScotsman>
There is a power play occurring in Wisconsin right now, between the big guys and the little guys. A provision was inserted into the states budget (pushed by Miller-Coors) that will essentially prevent growth of craft breweries in the state. In a few cases, could put breweries out of business.
As a way of protesting the the budget proposal, The Firehouse Bar in Eau Claire, Wisconsin held a “dumping” event. If you ordered a “big beer” product and dumped it out, you received a craft beer for free. It continued until no more Miller-Coors products were left at the bar.
(SORRY SLOW PAGE LOAD, VID LOADING) Clown Shoes Brewing was all but called out by a “director” at BeerAdvocate.com this week about their labeling. So… of course that sparked debate. ARE we taking our selves too seriously? Are there other things to be offended by in this world besides a double entendre?
Announcing Zwanze 2011 from Cantillon. This HIGHLY sought after lambic will be making draft appearances at a few select U.S. locations. (Below.) This years vintage is made with Pineau d’Aunis grapes. The prime ingredient changes each year – with the 2008 edition being rhubarb. Only bottles available will be at the brewery. Check out the full write up below from the website on the brewing process and 2011 release.
Cantillon:
Since lambic is a type of beer produced through spontaneous fermentation, its characteristics will by definition vary from one batch to another. On top of this, the types of barrels, fruits and hops used during production can sometimes cause the beer to mature in new and unexpected ways.
For this reason, I have for several years been experimenting with my lambics and trying out new kinds of blends, barrel woods and fruits.
Some of these beers, such as Blabaer, Goldackerl or Don Quichotte, are intended for sale outside Belgium while others are produced exclusively for consumption at the brewery.
It’s interesting to note that even for brewers the inner workings of lambic continue to have a mysterious side to them, with on occasion surprising results. The kind of experimentation I do is important to me because it allows me to learn more about my beer and look at it from different angles. Following on from this, to make a distinction between these experimental beers and Cantillon Brewery’s other products, in 2008 I made the decision to call this beer Zwanze.
Taken from the Dutch dialect spoken in Brussels, the word «zwanze» describes the typical humour of the city’s inhabitants, which is characterized by a finely-balanced mix of self-deprecation and exaggeration. I quite like the idea of my lambic «Made in Brussels» having the same jovial and slightly derisive spirit as the people of Belgium’s Capital City, and of it also taking a light-hearted look at these blends, which I admit can seem a bit strange at times.
In 2008, I blended 20-month-old lambic with rhubarb and was happy to see that the beer’s acidic taste struck a very nice balance with the plant’s tartness. The following year, we decided to cold-soak elderberry flowers and the resulting product was so different from other lambic-based beers that we decided to start producing it under the name Mamouche.
The 2010 vintage of Zwanze was a white beer developed together with Yvan Debaets. It was a top-fermented product but, because of the specific bacteriological environment of a lambic brewery, the beer was certainly naturally inoculated and as such it was in fact a mixed fermentation beer.
In keeping with our approach to brewing and selling beer, as well as out of respect for the product and the attitude implied with the name Zwanze, we don’t want these vintages to become marketing tools designed exclusively to make a few bucks. A case in point: Zwanze 2010 was bottled with numbered stickers, and after one bottle had been sold at the brewery for 6 euros another one ended up on eBay less than a week later with a price tag of 80 euros. Because of my dedication to my work as a brewer and out of respect for the product itself, it is very important to me for prices to stay reasonable. Unfortunately, there are those out there who couldn’t care less about spontaneous fermentation beer but who do care a lot about making easy money. For this reason, it has been decided that not a single bottle of Zwanze 2011 will be sold by Cantillon Brewery.
In 2010 we tried something new by blending lambic with Pineau d’Aunis. The result was quite surprising and wine-like with specific accents of fruit, pepper and other spices, both as regards smell and taste. With Olivier’s approval, and despite a substandard harvest due to poor weather conditions, we recreated the same beer for Zwanze 2011. I subjected it to some very limited cold hopping using Bramling Cross hops, which yields a slightly bitter fruitiness. My friend Rob Todd of the Allagash Brewing Company calls it the «kiss of the hops», and I’ve decided to use this fantastic expression. The balance struck between the lambic, the grapes and the delicate bitter fruitiness is surprising yet very pleasant.
So to recap, there will not be any bottles of Zwanze put on sale so as to avoid any overpricing. On top of this, contrary to what was done with the Zwanze in previous years (with 80% of the production going into bottles), 2/3 of the Zwanze production for 2011 has been put into barrels. The goal here is to try to make certain that Cantillon enthusiasts everywhere will have a chance to taste the beer while short-circuiting those whose just want to make a fast buck.
In order to create an ephemeral event for this ephemeral beer, I decided to have all these barrels opened and enjoyed on the same day, when possible at the same time, by our friends throughout the world in places like Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the United States, Japan, Canada, France and Belgium.
This event, which we’ll call «ZwanzeDay», will take place on Saturday, 17 September at the following locations:
There is no such thing as a perfect idea and I’m well aware that many Cantillon enthusiasts, bar owners and fans of lambic beers will be disappointed because they won’t be able to taste or have their customers taste this Zwanze 2011. I hope they’ll accept my apologies but the brewery’s maximum production threshold is currently 1500 hl (1300 barrels) and I only have about 1000 to 2000 litres of lambic available each year which I can use to make Zwanze. Just one last thing: while all the barrels will be consumed on 17 September, the remaining 600 bottles will be available for tasting at the brewery.
A press release from New Belgium Brewing this AM announces the addition of a larger canning line. Fat Tire among others is already in cans, but this addition can put it and other can offerings in markets not currently receiving New Belgium cans. This canning line expansion will increase canning capacity 6-fold!
PRESS RELEASE
Ft. Collins, CO — July 7, 2011 — New Belgium Brewing is pleased to announce it is breaking ground on a 16,000 sq. foot can line addition to its bottling hall. The new system, manufactured by KHS, will increase New Belgium’s canning volume capacity six fold.
“Cans have been a great addition to the packaging portfolio for us,” said New Belgium spokesperson, Bryan Simpson. “We first introduced Fat Tire cans in 2008 and we’ve since added Sunshine Wheat and Ranger IPA. Sales have been ahead of projection and we’re fortunate to be able to accommodate demand.”
New Belgium’s current can line features a 9-head filler with a capacity of 60 cans per minute while the new system will feature a 40-head filler capable of filling 360 cans per minute. The system can package both 12-oz and 16-oz cans.
The addition itself will be constructed just east of New Belgium’s current bottling facility on the brewery’s fifty-acre campus in Fort Collins, CO. The building process should run through the end of the year with first beer off the line some time in January. Neenan Company of Fort Collins is contracted for construction.
About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces eight year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Ranger IPA, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.
Uinta Brewing celebrates their anniversary with an American barleywine. Keeping with the impressive new labeling, the barleywine is prime for a sprucing up. The previous artwork had a roman numeral denoting the year/vintage (as seen below.) This beer is now available year round, & no numerals on the new label either. NOTE: Might be on the neck. Barleywines cellar beautifully…
First brewed in small batches annually to commemorate Uinta’s anniversary, this soul-warming brew is now available year-round. (Uinta’s anniversary is observed and noted by the change of the roman numeral on the label.) Uinta’s award winning barley wine has a dark amber hue with a rich malty character. Serious amounts of hops are used to balance its hardy alcohol content of over 10% ABV.
Style: Barleywine Availability: 12oz bottles, year round.
