Blue Point Brewing Company
Taco Bell Beer is coming to NYC, thanks to Blue Point Brewing
Taco Bell Beer is real. Big City Bell, a pilsner will soon be available at three Taco Bells in New York City thanks to Anheuser-Busch’s Blue Point Brewing.
Taco Bell recently launched a series of “Cantina” style locations, that are not focused on the drive-thru concept, but Cantina and Urban-Inline dining experiences (similar to Chipotle or Moe’s). These new locations feature open kitchens, custom menus, sharable appetizers, and alcohol. It is important to note that only the Cantina locations will serve alcoholic beverages, Urban In-Line locations do not.
New York City will be home to three of these Cantina restaurants by the end of 2018, and with it, Taco Bell inspired beer. Big City Bell, a pilsner-style beer will be found on tap at all of the new Taco Bell Cantina’s, brewed at nearby Blue Point Brewing.
Taco Bell Corp. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, operating more than 450 Taco Bell restaurants in 26 countries. At the time of this article, the number of Taco Bell Cantinas nationally is limited to less than 10 coast to coast.
Image via Taco Bell/Yum! Brands
Blue Point Jingle Mingle
Blue Point Jingle Mingle
Oops. Blue Point Joked About Being Bought By Miller
This week, craft brewery Blue Point announced they were being purchased by brewing giant Anheuser-Busch. For the craft beer loyal, it wasn’t the best beer news.
Sometimes you make a joke, then life decides it wants to be funny too. Growing up in the northeast, a good friend and I used to joke about the south according to Jeff Foxworthy. We told redneck jokes for weeks on end. Then I ended up moving to Atlanta. Oops.
Perhaps that “oops” moment is something Blue Point Brewing is going through right now. As an April Fool’s Joke, the brewery posted that they were purchased by Miller-Coors. In true April 1st fashion, the brewery worked up a fake press release on their blog, even talked about making a Blue Point Lite Lime IPA. Owner Pete Cotter even went as far as to say Blue Point is independently owned with no corporate ties. Ever.
Then this week happened. It may not have been Miller-Coors, but what was once a joke, became very real.
The blog post has since been deleted. As you can see, the internet left a trace. Oops indeed.
Anheuser-Busch Acquires Blue Point
Mega brewer Anheuser-Busch (AB-InBev) has purchased another craft brewery – Blue Point Brewing (Long Island, NY).
The purchase, valued at $24 million, adds Blue Point’s lineup to AB’s portfolio and allows for the expansion of Blue Point and to “enhance the consumer experience.”
As you’ll recall, AB-InBev made a splash a couple of years ago with the purchase of Goose Island in Chicago. Much of the year round lineup was moved away from the production facility on Fulton Street to AB’s 8-10 million barrel facilities around the United States. It is reasonable to expect at least some of Blue Point’s beers will follow suit, as AB takes the brand nationwide over the next year or so.
Blue Point was founded 15 years ago by Mark Burford and Peter Cotter. The deal is expected to be completed at the end of the second quarter, 2014.
Developing….
Blue Point Mosaic IPA Coming in 2014
A blip on the draft radar is Blue Point Mosaic IPA.
If this pertains to you, you’ll see it again in 2014. The brewery is gearing up to brew and release it again in both bottle and draft.
Mosaic hops have been referred to as Citra hops on crack. They make for a pretty amazing craft beer Terrapin Beer Co (Athens, GA) released a one off last year (Mosaic,) and it was such a hit they are brewing it again.
More to come on this one…
Beer Community Comes Together for Hurricane Sandy Victims
In the wake of the devastation of hurricane Sandy, 8 breweries in Long Island came together in an effort to aid those in need. Barrier Brewing, Blind Bat Brewery, Blue Point Brewing, Great South Bay Brewery, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Long Ireland Beer Co, Port Jeff Brewing Co, and Spider Bite Beer Co each donated an ingredient to create their Surge Protector IPA. Profits from the sale of the final product will be donated to Long Island Cares and to help Barrier Brewing Co. rebuild.
Style: IPA
Availability: 22 oz bottles Arrival: 1/22/13
5% ABV
Blue Point Toxic Sludge Returns in Tallboys
Back for another round is Blue Point Brewing’s Toxic Sludge Black IPA. The release sees the sludgy hop offering in 16 oz tallboy cans.
Hopped at four stages of the brewing process, we combined a hoppy India Pale Ale with a richer, darker malt base for a full bodied beer that’s big on flavor. This limited release, specialty brew was crafted to benefit birds affected by BP’s 2010 Gulf oil spill.
Style: Black IPA
Availability: 16 oz tallboy cans
Arrival: Late November 2012
7% ABV, 40 IBUs
