Big news a few months ago was Cigar City Brewing’s news that they were expanding distribution into Georgia. January 2011 has been suspected. My most recent info puts CC in the state around March 2011.
A few days ago Stone Brewing (Escondido, CA) announced that they were going to switch things up a bit. Starting in 2011, and continuing every odd year after, a couple of beers would go “Belgian”. Namely the Russian Imperial Stout, and the Old Guardian Barleywine. Apparently the Stone beer drinking breathren didn’t take that so well. Or, not at all actually. Prompting Greg Koch, CEO of Stone to write this on the Stone Blog:
When we’re right, we’re right. And this, we suppose, is a chance to own up to that. It’s sort of a “They told us so…but we didn’t listen now did we?”
A few weeks ago I mentioned that 5 Seasons Prado has split away from the other 5 Seasons Brewing restaurants to become Lucky Devil Brewing. Well… forget about that. Lucky Devil Brewing is back to being 5 Seasons Prado. Confused? Continue Reading →
In 2011, Stone Brewing will be throwing a curve ball. 2 of the brewery’s popular released will be Belgian-ized going “Belgo”. Stone calls the program “Odd Beers for Odd Years”. The stone Russian Imperial Stout and Old Guardian Barleywine will undertake this transformation.
From the Stone Blog: Starting in 2011, we’re kicking-off a program we’ve dubbed “Odd Beers for Odd Years.” Translation: in odd numbered years (2011, 2013, 2015, etc…) we’ll be releasing new variations on Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout in place of the classic version. A radical redirection for two reliably wonderful beers, we know, but we think you’ll be pleased with the results.
2012 will bring the regular editions back of course, only to have Belgian style counterparts in 2013. Read on for the full blog post.
Taste testing different barrels of our collaboration beer with Cigar City… it’s coming along splendidly. Can’t wait to bottle this up.
Not many people knew about this beer… but it exists!!! No word on the style, Continue Reading →
Victory Brewing is set to release an anniversary beer in 2011. This release celebrates the brewery, the neighbors and friends of their home city Downingtown, Pennsylvania, and Brandywine creek for which the water for brewing flows – this beer debuts February 15th, 2011.
From The Victory Beer Blog: Reflecting over the years as we approach our 15th anniversary here at Victory, we can’t help but be struck by the realization that Downingtown has made a great home for Victory. From the enthusiastic throngs that crowd our brewpub to enjoy our creative, flavorful beers and cuisine to the natural charms of the area, we are blessed with good fortune. As the active community contributor we’ve been over those years, we recognize our opportunity to both utilize and protect these assets. Chief among those assets is the pure water we receive from the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek that begins its journey to us just under 14 miles from where we brew with it. We’ll be celebrating this water (insert your lite beer joke here) with our anniversary beer, Headwaters Pale Ale, due to be released February 15, 2011. Now, considering that beer is the product of four simple ingredients and the three other than water rely on water for their existence, we’ve had a fair amount of latitude in paying homage to water in our beer. So, we’ve played all of our cards deftly, bringing the hops, malt and yeast in harmony, with our great local water as the conductor in Headwaters Pale Ale.
It is unclear currently how far this beer will travel, but early talk is that it will reach all markets where Victory beer is sold.
A fire broke out today at St Remy-Rochefort in Rochefort, Belgium. The brewery is best know for brewing 3 Trappist beers – Rochefort 6,8,10.
The fire, while under investigation seems to have originated from a temporary generator that was put to use after the brewery experienced electrical problems. It seems the brewery was not extensively damaged, and brewing will resume in about a week.
The aging tanks(vats) were undamaged. All the monks (around 15) were able to get out unharmed. More importantly, there are no founded reports of beer damage!
Big news a few months ago was Cigar City Brewing’s news that they were expanding distribution into Georgia. January 2011 has been suspected. My most recent info puts CC in the state around March 2011.
There will obviously be some launch party events in Atlanta, but one interesting to note will be at Aromas in Athens, Georgia. Rumor has it that Cigar City is going to be bringing their A game. A big tap lineup, bottles, and possibly a few casks. A event worth swinging up for.
A few days ago Stone Brewing (Escondido, CA) announced that they were going to switch things up a bit. Starting in 2011, and continuing every odd year after, a couple of beers would go “Belgian”. Namely the Russian Imperial Stout, and the Old Guardian Barleywine. Apparently the Stone beer drinking breathren didn’t take that so well. Or, not at all actually. Prompting Greg Koch, CEO of Stone to write this on the Stone Blog:
When we’re right, we’re right. And this, we suppose, is a chance to own up to that. It’s sort of a “They told us so…but we didn’t listen now did we?”
It wasn’t broken. Yet, being who we are, we couldn’t resist the urge to tinker. To mess with the “well enough” and not leave it alone. We won’t apologize, anymore than a lion would apologize for downing a gazelle, an orca would apologize for munching a seal, or marauding space aliens would apologize for enslaving humanity as dinner.
You see, sometimes we don’t notice just how right we are. But you’ve reminded us. And we got the message. Hard.
We recently announced the “Odd Beers for Odd Years” idea that explained the concept that in the “odd year” of 2011 we were going to release so-called “odd” versions of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout. We thought it was a pretty cool and fun idea.
Many of you thought that idea was only slightly preferable to humanity being enslaved by space aliens. Some even wondered if that’s what had actually already happened to us at Stone (to which we say “No, that’s not happened,” but truth be told how can you really know.)
So then, what are we so right about? Well, it turns out we were already right…before the Odd Years idea. Cue: About face. Sorta.
To recap: we’ve now decided to go ahead and release the — dare we say — ‘classic’ versions of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine (the OG OG?) and Stone Imperial Russian Stout. And, just so we don’t have to embarrass our moms with a complete retraction, we’re ALSO going to release the “Odd Beers” versions, starting with the Stone Old Guardian Belgo Barley Wine in February 2011.
Yes, we realize that some conspiracy-theorist is going to think we had this idea all along and that we were only just whipping everyone into a frenzy to get attention (as if we could do that more than some folks do it to themselves). That’s OK, they’re probably also the ones that think we’ve been commandeered by space aliens.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that 5 Seasons Prado has split away from the other 5 Seasons Brewing restaurants to become Lucky Devil Brewing. Well… forget about that. Lucky Devil Brewing is back to being 5 Seasons Prado. Confused? So am I.
What’s behind the identity crisis? Well, there is a rumor floating around right now that there already is a Lucky Devil Brewing out in California. Dennis Lange, the location owner/operator of the Prado location, and previously Lucky Devil has departed completely.
I approached 5 Seasons Westside (I was nearby) and was informed that a formal press release will be issued soon about the Prado location. In the meantime, the doors are open, the food is cooking, and the beer is flowing.
In 2011, Stone Brewing will be throwing a curve ball. 2 of the brewery’s popular released will be Belgian-ized going “Belgo”. Stone calls the program “Odd Beers for Odd Years”. The stone Russian Imperial Stout and Old Guardian Barleywine will undertake this transformation.
As a Stone fan, you undoubtedly know and love two of our long-standing special releases: Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout. We love them too. We think they’re great beers and both receive sterling marks from BeerAdvocate and RateBeer, the two most prominent craft beer rating websites.
But we’ve been making Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine since 1998 and Stone Imperial Russian Stout since 2000, and if you subtract those numbers from 2010, you arrive at a long time to be making the same beers. So being the dynamic young go-getters that we are, we felt like mixing things up a bit.
Starting in 2011, we’re kicking-off a program we’ve dubbed “Odd Beers for Odd Years.” Translation: in odd numbered years (2011, 2013, 2015, etc…) we’ll be releasing new variations on Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout in place of the classic version. A radical redirection for two reliably wonderful beers, we know, but we think you’ll be pleased with the results.
Hell, we are.
The first Odd Beer for Odd Years release will be rocking your collective world in the form of Stone Old Guardian Belgo Barley Wine, which hits shelves in February.
While brewing up 2010 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine, Stone Brewing Head Brewer Mitch Steele redirected 30 barrels of the batch into a fermenter containing the Belgian yeast we love from Stone Cali-Belgique IPA. After 8 weeks of comingling, bubbling, and resting, the results were ready for sampling. And sample we did. The English/American/Belgian chimera was so delicious, we quickly decided to make it the “Odd Beer” version of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine for 2011.
So entranced were we with the effects of Belgian yeast on our barley wine, that we chose to go in a similar-ish direction for 2011 Stone Belgo Imperial Russian Stout. It will be an approximately 50/50 blend of classic Stone Imperial Russian Stout and the Belgo-ized version, with a hint of star anise added during the brewing process. You can expect to see this blendo-rific version Stone Imperial Russian Stout on shelves in April of 2011.
Taste testing different barrels of our collaboration beer with Cigar City… it’s coming along splendidly. Can’t wait to bottle this up.
Not many people knew about this beer… but it exists!!! No word on the style, or who will receive this beer… BUT!!! Starting in 2011, Cigar City Brewingwill be distributed in Georgia. Can’t wait to see how this beer pans out. The Bruery & Cigar City Brewing. Sounds like a match made in heaven.
Victory Brewing is set to release an anniversary beer in 2011. This release celebrates the brewery, the neighbors and friends of their home city Downingtown, Pennsylvania, and Brandywine creek for which the water for brewing flows – this beer debuts February 15th, 2011.
From The Victory Beer Blog: Reflecting over the years as we approach our 15th anniversary here at Victory, we can’t help but be struck by the realization that Downingtown has made a great home for Victory. From the enthusiastic throngs that crowd our brewpub to enjoy our creative, flavorful beers and cuisine to the natural charms of the area, we are blessed with good fortune. As the active community contributor we’ve been over those years, we recognize our opportunity to both utilize and protect these assets. Chief among those assets is the pure water we receive from the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek that begins its journey to us just under 14 miles from where we brew with it. We’ll be celebrating this water (insert your lite beer joke here) with our anniversary beer, Headwaters Pale Ale, due to be released February 15, 2011. Now, considering that beer is the product of four simple ingredients and the three other than water rely on water for their existence, we’ve had a fair amount of latitude in paying homage to water in our beer. So, we’ve played all of our cards deftly, bringing the hops, malt and yeast in harmony, with our great local water as the conductor in Headwaters Pale Ale.
It is unclear currently how far this beer will travel, but early talk is that it will reach all markets where Victory beer is sold. Below is a picture of Victory co-founder Bill Covaleski standing in Brandywine Creek. Doesn’t it make you thirsty?
A fire broke out today at St Remy-Rochefort in Rochefort, Belgium. The brewery is best know for brewing 3 Trappist beers – Rochefort 6,8,10.
