Don’t Miss This

Modern Times is now employee owned

San Diego based Modern Times is now employee owned, a first for California breweries.

Recently employees repurchased 30% of shares from out of state investors, achieving at least a partial employee ownership status. The brewery plans on being 100% employee-owned in Continue Reading →

Posted in New Realm Brewing, Don't Miss This

This is what Atlanta’s New Realm Brewing will look like

The name ‘Mitch Steele’ has been synonymous with California’s Stone Brewing for a long time. In 2016, he announced his departure.

If you were thinking his next stop would be another brewery California, you weren’t alone. Then, New Realm Brewing was announced in Atlanta, Georgia.

Steele, along with partners Bob Powers and Carey Falcone, are opening the brewpub (brewery) on Atlanta’s burgeoning Beltline this fall. Above is the first rendering of the new space.

New Realm Brewing will boast an industrial feel, with reclaimed hickory and railroad timbers. The space will seat 400, plus special event space for weddings and private parties.

The 20 barrel, 4-vessel Steinecker brewhouse will boast 20,000 barrels annually at maximum capacity. Besides draft, New Realm is planning to bottle and can as well.

Thanks to newly passed Georgia SB85 (that goes into effect on September 1st), New Realm Brewing will operate as a brewery, instead of a brewpub. This will allow them to both distribute their beer and sell to-go from their location. This license also means that consumers will only find New Realm beer on site – no other breweries, liquor or wine.

The construction of New Realm Brewing is being handled by Choate Construction. The brewery at 550 Somerset Terrace NE is expected to open in fall 2017.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Burial Beer Co, Don't Miss This, J Wakefield Brewing, New Releases

Caramel, chocolate & pecans make Burial The Cosmic and Divine

Asheville, North Carolina’s Burial Beer and Miami’s J. Wakefield are teaming up on a new dessert beer. Meet The Cosmic and Divine.

Think of the “Turtle” candy when approaching this beer. The brand was developed by the DeMet’s Candy Company in 1918. Filled with caramel and pecans and dipped in chocolate, the finished product looks a bit like a turtle.

This beer might not look like a turtle, but it certainly incorporates similar flavors. The base is an imperial stout that has been fermented with lactose for added creaminess, plus salted caramel, chocolate, and toasted pecans.

Upon the backs of behemoths, we hatch the most worthy of ideas. Made with our dear friends at J. Wakefield Brewing, this Imperial Stout was fermented with lactose and salted caramel from Asheville’s Postre Caramels, and then aged with chocolate and toasted pecans.

Burial The Cosmic and Divine will be available in 12 ounce cans when the brewery opens on July 12th. Distribution will be limited.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Salted Caramel. Chocolate. Toasted Pecans. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz Cans.
Debut: 7/12/17

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Terrapin Beer Company, Don't Miss This

Side Project #30: Terrapin Blueberry Thyme Saison

Terrapin Blueberry Thyme Saison is slated to be the 30th edition in the brewery’s Side Project Series.

Incorporating one of the Athens, Georgia based brewery’s bright farmhouse ales, and aged it on fresh blueberries and thyme. The beer pours a beautiful light purple color thanks to the fresh blueberry additions.The thyme adds an interesting summer touch. We enjoyed it

RELATED: Terrapin Chubby Bunny with graham crackers

Our newest Saison is a blend of fresh summer flavors. The tart sweetness of ripe blueberries combined with the floral warmth of thyme evoke garden memories in the culinarily-inspired brew.

Terrapin Blueberry Thyme Saison 16.9 ounce bottle release for the summer season, debuting in late-May, 2017.

Style: Saison (w/ Blueberries, Thyme)
Hops: Fuggle, Golding
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: May, 2017

7.7% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Stone Brewing Co., Don't Miss This, New Releases

Stone Farking Wheaton w00t Stout 2017 hits shelves

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout 2017 has returned to shelves this month. This year marks the fifth release of this geek collaborative.

In 2013, Greg Koch of Stone Brewing teamed up with Will Wheaton (aka Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: Next Gen) and Fark.com founder Drew Curtis. The collective created Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout, an imperial stout with pecans and rye malt that was partially barrel aged.

2014 brought w00tstout 2.0, and a new actress into the collaboration, Aisha Tyler.

The imperial stout finish is softened by the wheat presence, and nuanced by pecan and bourbon soaked oak. A fun break from the lighter beers of summer. Yes, you could cellar it, but keep in mind, it’s quite good fresh.

This barrel-aged palate-saver has been a favorite among our fans—and us—since its inception in 2013. Pecans, wheat, flaked rye and bourbon-soaked wood provide this whopping, complex superhero version of an imperial stout with a profound complexity that makes it ideal for cellaring—if you can wait that long. Now, we can’t say this beer bestows superpowers, exactly, but your taste buds may just be fooled into believing as much.

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout 2017 is a 22oz bottle and draft offering.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Pecans, Rye, Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
Hops: Target
Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft
Distribution: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico

Arrival: July, 2017

13% ABV, 65 IBUs

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout 2016 Trooper

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Modern Times Beer

Modern Times is now employee owned

San Diego based Modern Times is now employee owned, a first for California breweries.

Recently employees repurchased 30% of shares from out of state investors, achieving at least a partial employee ownership status. The brewery plans on being 100% employee-owned in the near future. It only took Modern Times four years to be able to repurchase those shares.

What this means for you is that we now have a staff full of brewery-owners investing their various talents & abilities in a company they’re meaningfully and directly responsible for. Essentially, you should probably prepare to be even more dazzled than usual with what’s about to emerge from our brewhouse, coffee program, and upcoming new locations. This is a seriously massive step for us, and we cannot wait to share the resulting radness with all of you.

The brewery as a whole touts a list of employee incentives already, including health care, competitive salaries, two-month paid sabbatical after 5 years, unlimited paid time-off, and a take home wage of $15 dollars an hour (plus lots of free beer and coffee).

The Modern Times employee stock ownership plan was facilitated by Ambrose Advisors. Neil Brozen of Ventura ESOP Fiduciary Services has been retained as the Trustee.

The future holds not only sustainable ownership structure, according to CEO and founder Jacob McKean, but new growth and efficiency improvements, new beers, and an expanded company direction.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in The Collective Brewing Project, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Texas brewery creates a Ramen Noodle infused ‘Cup O Beer’

We’ve all been there. You’re down to your last dollar and you’re hungry. Then you see the price tag on the Cup O’ Noodles and all of a sudden you’re back to baller status. Last time we checked you can buy about 40 of them for a dollar.

Cup O’ Noodles, known by college students (and beer writers) the world over, is now officially in a beer thanks to Fort Worth, Texas based The Collective Brewing Project.

RELATED: Rogue brews stout with Sriracha Hot Sauce

The base beer is a tart/sour gose brewed with ginger, lime, lemongrass, and seaweed-cured sea salt. Let’s not forget the star of the show – 55 pounds of Ramen Noodles. (Which probably set the brewery back around $7.50.)

Collective Brewing Project Cup O’ Beer debuted in June, but the beer is still showing up at bars and events around Texas.

Style: Gose (w/ Lemongrass. Ginger. Lime. Sea Salt. Ramen Noodles.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Debut: June, 2017

?? ABV

Image: The Collective Brewing Project 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in AleSmith Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Baseball great Tony Gwynn’s namesake beer is going national

In 2014, San Diego based AleSmith Brewing is released San Diego Pale Ale .394, named for the late baseball great Tony Gwynn’s batting average at the end of the 1994 season.

In 2015 after Gwynn’s passing, AleSmith released Hall of Fame Imperial San Diego Pale Ale .394. This edition was big on American hops, weighing in at a much higher 9% alcohol by volume.

Staring this month, AleSmith Hall of Fame Imperial San Diego Pale Ale .394 is going into national distribution.

“Tony’s spirit and the friendship we developed while working together has brought the Gwynn and Zien families incredibly close. We hold the Tony Gwynn 5.5K run and walk annually with proceeds benefitting the Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation. Hall of Fame Imperial San Diego Pale Ale .394 is just one more way for us to keep the memory of our dear friend alive.” –  Peter Zien, AleSmith CEO

Look for Hall of Fame Imperial San Diego Pale Ale .394 in 22 ounce bottles in AleSmith distribution territories starting this moth.

Style: Imperial Pale Ale
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Debut: July, 2017

9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay