Press Releases

Redhook Double Black Stout (PR)

Woodinville, WA) — Redhook Ale Brewery first brewed Double Black Stout 17 years ago. Since he stopped brewing the beer in 2000 and briefly brought it back for a limited release in 2008, it remains one of Redhook’s most requested beers. Beginning Oct. 29, Continue Reading →

Posted in Press Releases, Woodchuck Cider

Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select Returns (PR)

MIDDLEBURY, VT — Woodchuck Hard Cider is happy to announce that Private Reserve Barrel Select is back on store shelves.  This limited batch cider arrives just in time for the holiday season.  Barrel Select was aged for six months in oak bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill Distilleries in Kentucky.

A true connoisseur’s cider, Barrel Select displays a copper hue and carries a 6.9% ABV.  It features the delicate balance of a sweet and crisp apple base, with dry smoky bourbon notes throughout.  It’s a cider expertly crafted to help battle the bite of winter’s impending chill.

Barrel Select, which is ideally served at 50 degrees, also stands to enhance any upcoming holiday meal.  It pairs well with pork roast, a variety of cheeses, and chocolate cake to name just a few.  As with all of Woodchuck’s cider styles, it is naturally gluten free.

Woodchuck’s commitment to innovate the finest ciders in the world is on full display with this rare cider.  Woodchuckfirst set the bar for barrel aged ciders in June of 2011 and is thrilled to be bringing Barrel Select back.

Suggested retail is $10.99 for a six pack.  Barrel Select is already shipping across the country.  The Woodchuck Cider Locator is a great resource for finding all of our ciders across the country.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing, Press Releases

Firestone Walker IPAs Golden at European Beer Star Competition (PR)

Paso Robles, CA–European beer enthusiasts cast their vote in favor of American hops as Firestone Walker’s Double Jack IPA was named the “Consumer Favourite Gold” for top honors at the European Beer Star competition.

The competition included 1,366 beers from 45 countries. The judging was conducted by 102 expert tasters–including brewmasters, beer sommeliers, and specialized journalists from 25 countries–during a period of two days. The resulting gold medal winners represent “the world’s best beers in 50 beer categories by blind tasting.”

The Consumer Favourite is an additional public prize, with festival attendees blind-tasting all 50 gold medal beers and awarding Gold, Silver and Bronze honors to the top three.

Firestone Walker’s Union Jack IPA was also one of 10 total gold medals awarded to American craft breweries at the competition. A total of 21 American craft breweries won a combined 35 awards in 22 different categories at the event, which was held in Nuremberg, Germany.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized by the judges of the European Beer Star for beers with big American hop character,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “Our collective results send a strong message that American craft beers are world class and changing the way the rest of the brewing community is thinking about better beer.”

Double Jack IPA is an aggressive yet balanced Imperial IPA with mouth-puckering hop bitterness. Huge tangerine, grapefruit and juicy fruit aromas blossom over the herbal blue basil and malt earthiness.

For more information on the European Beer Star consumer awards and to view a full medal list, see: http://european-beer-star.com/ebs12_en/gewinner/rueckblick/gewinner2012.php?navid=12

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Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a pioneering regional craft brewery founded in 1996 and located in the Paso Robles wine country on California’s Central Coast. The brewery specializes in iconic pale ales and vintage barrel-aged beers. Firestone Walker Brewing Company was awarded Mid-Sized Brewery of The Year honors at the 2003, 2007 and 2011 Great American Beer Festivals® as well as Champion Mid-Sized Brewery honors at the 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012 World Beer Cup® competitions. 

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases, Redhook

Redhook Double Black Stout (PR)

Woodinville, WA) — Redhook Ale Brewery first brewed Double Black Stout 17 years ago. Since he stopped brewing the beer in 2000 and briefly brought it back for a limited release in 2008, it remains one of Redhook’s most requested beers. Beginning Oct. 29, Black is back. Redhook’s Double Black Stout will be available for a limited time through the brewery’s Blueline Series on draught and in 22-ounce bottles to beer drinkers in Washington and Oregon.

This time around Redhook is brewing up some mischief with Seattle’s own Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Co. Redhook brewmaster Jen Talley and Caffe Vita green bean buyer Daniel Shewmaker collaborated every step of the way to create a stout so dark no one will know what’s in your mug. Double Black Stout is a robust stout brewed with Farm Direct Caffe Vita coffee to create a complex beer with deep color and aromas, highlighted by rich coffee flavor.

“We are stoked to partner with Caffe Vita to bring back Double Black Stout,” said Talley, Redhook’s brewmaster in Woodinville, Wash. “Daniel and I had a great time tasting different styles of coffee to develop the recipe. This version of Double Black Stout plays on the delicate coffee flavors and aromas with the perfect combination of roast and chocolate character to warm you up as the temperatures drop.”

“When Redhook approached us about partnering to bring back Double Black Stout, we were really excited to work on a project that brings together two Northwest favorites: beer and coffee,” said Caffe Vita’s Shewmaker. “It’s a great partnership. We’re both dedicated to great brewing and we’re excited to share Double Black Stout with our fans.”

Released under Redhook’s Blueline Series, a limited release series brewed specifically for local distribution, Double Black Stout comes in at 7.0% ABV and 40 IBUs. The beer is a robust stout brewed with the generous use of roasted barley, Munich malt and Carafa 3, giving the beer a deep opaque black color. Roasted, chocolate and coffee aromas and flavors round out the beer for a rich, creamy finish.

About the Blueline Series
Launched in 1993, the Redhook Blueline Series is named for the streetcar line that once ran to the Redhook’s former brewery location in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, which was formerly a trolley barn. Redhook’s brewers are a creative bunch and are always cooking up new ideas for beers outside the standard lineup. Several times a year, the best and most interesting of these ideas are brewed and released under the Blueline Series. These special brews are only available for a limited time in 22-ounce bottles and on draft in Redhook’s backyard markets.

About Redhook
Redhook was born out of the energy and spirit of the early ‘80s in the heart of Seattle. While the term didn’t exist at the time, Redhook became one of America’s first “craft” breweries. From a modest start in a former transmission shop in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard, to the current breweries in Woodinville, Wash., and Portsmouth, N.H., Redhook has become one of America’s most recognized craft breweries. While Redhook has “grown up” during the past 30 years, one thing has never changed — he’s still brewing great beers like ESB, Long Hammer IPA, Pilsner, Copperhook and a variety of seasonal brews. Most importantly, Redhook makes sure he has fun doing it. Redhook’s beers are available on tap and in bottles, and are available in markets across the country. For more information, visit www.redhook.com.

About Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Company
Caffe Vita Roasting Co. has been roasting coffee in Seattle since 1995. Locally owned and artisanally roasted, Vita operates nine cafes in the Pacific Northwest, a roasteria café in New York City, and will soon expand to Los Angeles. Caffe Vita has made it their mission to source the best coffees directly from exceptional farms that practice extraordinary levels of stewardship and sustainability. For more information, visit www.caffevita.com.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Oskar Blues Brewing, Press Releases

Oskar Blues Brewery and Blue Ridge Community College Announce Oskar Blues Brew School (PR)

BREVARD, N.C – Oskar Blues and Blue Ridge Community College are collaborating on a course that will provide students with hands-on brewing training starting in January 2013.

Oskar Blues Brew School will alternate between the College’s Transylvania County Campus and the new Oskar Blues Brewery, both in Brevard, NC.

“We are thrilled to be working with Blue Ridge Community College on the Oskar Blues Brew School,” says Noah Tuttle, head brewer of the Brevard Oskar Blues Brewery. “This program will allow students to get the strong education and hands-on training they need to help them pursue careers in an incredibly fast growing industry.”

Gabe Mixson, the primary instructor, holds a master’s degree in microbial biotechnology and has training and experience in the area of industrial fermentation processes including commercial beer brewing.

Oskar Blues will provide regular guest speakers in addition to on-site training. Speakers will cover topics ranging from brewing to marketing to sales. Toward the end of the course, students will develop and brew a beer on Oskar Blues’ pilot system, which will be served in the brewery taproom.

At the completion of the course, students will be ready to take the General International Beer and Distribution Certification exam, an internationally recognized exam offered at centers throughout the U.S. by the United Kingdom’s Institute of Brewing and Distilling. Blue Ridge Community College will become an IBD examination center.

Blue Ridge College recently launched its North Carolina Back-to-Work program that offers scholarships to those who’ve been unemployed for 26 weeks or longer. The Back-to-Work program can cover both the cost of the course and the cost of sitting the IBD exam for eligible Brew School students. Registration for the course opens on December 3. The course will cost $175, and will be limited to 20 students. Students must be 21 years or older to enroll in the Oskar Blues Brew School. The course will begin in January and run for 16 weeks.

“This class is unique, given the mix of hands-on and classroom experience,” says Ben Kish, workforce training development director at Blue Ridge Community College. “Plus, it’s affordable.”

For information about enrolling in the Oskar Blues Brew School, contact Ben Kish at Blue Ridge Community College, (828) 694-1751 or [email protected]. For information about Oskar Blues Brevard Brewery, contact Anne Fitten Glenn at Oskar Blues, (828) 230-1662 or [email protected].

Oskar Blues’ Brevard brewery is slated to open New Year’s Eve 2012. The brewery will produce 40,000 barrels of super-fresh beer in 2013.

ABOUT OSKAR BLUES:

Dale Katechis founded the quirky brewpub turned regional craft brewery inside his original restaurant and music venue in 1999. Three-dimensional brewing since 1999, Oskar Blues began the “Canned Beer Apocalypse” in 2002 when Dale’s Pale Ale became America’s 1st Hand CANNED craft beer. For additional info, interviews, images or samples, please contact Chad Melis at [email protected], (720) 273-8888, or visit www.oskarblues.com.

ABOUT BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE:

Blue Ridge Community College is a comprehensive community college with campuses in Henderson and Transylvania Counties in Western North Carolina. Ranked “Exceptional” by the North Carolina Community College System, Blue Ridge offers more than 100 degrees, diplomas, and certificates, a wide range of transfer programs, and one of the largest continuing education programs in the state. More information about the College and its programs is available at www.blueridge.edu.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hangar 24, Press Releases

Hangar 24 Increases 2012 Pugachev’s Cobra Production (PR)

REDLANDS, CA. — Hangar 24 Craft Brewery, one of the top 100 craft brewers in the country, is celebrating the return of winter by releasing its bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout, Pugachev’s Cobra on Saturday, Dec. 8.

Hangar 24 will also be marking the occasion by hosting an inaugural Barrel Aged Beer Tasting Event that day with twelve different beers to choose from for sampling. Pugachev’s Cobra, which won gold at the 2012 California State Fair, is an intense assault on your senses. This Russian Imperial Stout, with a thick caramel head, is bursting with aromas of chocolate, vanilla, oak, bourbon, licorice and dark fruits. Flavors of chocolate-covered plum, sweet malt, bourbon and roasted coffee explode on the pallet with every sip.

Pugachev’s Cobra features three different-dark roasted malts and rich maple syrup in a truly unique brewing process to create complexity and depth. Once fermented, it’s then aged for eight months in freshly emptied bourbon barrels. While Pugachev’s Cobra can be enjoyed the day it is purchased, Hangar 24 recommends cellaring the bottle for up to three years to receive the full flavor effect.

Pugachev’s Cobra gets its name from an aerial maneuver where a pilot suddenly raises the aircraft nose to near vertical before dropping back to attack mode. Pugachev’s Cobra was first released on Dec. 10, 2011 with 3,495 bottles; due to the extremely popular demand for the craft beer, Hangar 24 has increased its production for 2012 to an estimated 6,000 bottles. Attendees of the inaugural Barrel Aged Beer Tasting Event will be able to sample six, 4oz pours of any of the following Hangar 24 Barrel Aged craft beer:

On Draught:

  • 2012 Pugachev’s Cobra o 2011 Pugachev’s Cobra
  • 2012 Hammerhead o 2011 Pugachev’s Cobra aged in Rye Barrels
  • 2011 Immelmann aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels
  • 4th Anniversary Dopplesticke Alt aged in Rye Barrels

In Bottles:

  • 2012 Pugachev’s Cobra
  • o 2011 Pugachev’s Cobra
  • 2012 Chandelle
  • 2012 Hammerhead
  • 2011 Humpty Bump

2010 Immelmann Pugachev’s Cobra will be available for sale in 750mL bottles ($20 each, limit 6) and draught in Hangar 24’s Tasting Room in Redlands, California.

Limited Southern California distribution to on- and off-premise locations will begin on Monday, Dec. 10. Tickets are available on Dec. 8 for $25 in the Tasting Room. The first 250 participants will receive a complimentary, Hangar 24 Barrel Aged Beer taster glass. Hangar 24’s Tasting Room will be fully open on Dec. 8 and will be serving all of its craft beer styles. For more information on Hangar 24 Craft Brewery, please visit www.Hangar24Brewery.com.

About Hangar 24

Hangar 24 Craft Brewery began with a true passion for good beer, the absolute love of flying and the pure enjoyment of being around great friends. Owner and master Brewer Ben Cook and his buddies used to meet at Hangar 24 after an afternoon of flying to trade stories, talk aviation, play music and share a few cold ones that Ben just finished brewing at home. These days, the location where these fine beers are brewed has changed, but the quality time spent enjoying a delicious, handcrafted beer and conversation is the same as ever. Hangar 24 Craft Brewery employs more than 50 team members and its distribution is now spanned throughout Southern California with its addition of another company, Hangar 24 Craft Distribution. Its annual capacity now stands at approximately 40,000 and its Brewery and Distribution Center together employ nearly 100 people.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Belgium, Press Releases

New Belgium’s “The Glass That Gives” Returns for the Holidays (PR)

Philanthropy is as Easy as Shop, Ship and Share

Ft. Collins, CO, November 5, 2012 — The holiday season is coming up, and NewBelgium.com offers Belgian glassware and philanthropic giving for the savvy shopper. For the second year in a row, New Belgium Brewing, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale, is hosting its “Glass That Gives” program, in which the purchase of the brewery’s nucleated Belgian globe glasses benefit nonprofit organizations. Each fanciful two-pack gift box is available for $8.99, with $1.00 from each purchase going to one of four beneficiaries.

The nonprofits that benefit from “The Glass That Gives” program include:

  • People for Bikes (www.peopleforbikes.org), whose mission is to make bicycling safer, more convenient, and appealing to everyone.
  •  Water Keeper Alliance (www.waterkeeper.org), whose mission is to provide a way for communities to stand up for their right to clean water and for the wise and equitable use of water resources, both locally and globally.
  • 350.org (www.350.org), which is building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis. Founded in 2008 by a group of college friends and environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben, it has coordinated over 20,000 climate demonstrations in more than 182 countries.
  • National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (http://sustainableagriculture.net), an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.

Purchasers can direct their dollar to any of the nonprofits listed above. To up the ante, New Belgium will offer website visitors the opportunity to create and share online holiday greeting cards. Using a mash-up of images, users can custom-design their card and for each card sent, New Belgium will donate $1.00 to the charitable cause of your choice. Cards can be shared via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter. The best of the best will appear in New Belgium’s online gallery alongside interactive short videos and animations.

New Belgium’s globe glasses have set a standard for stylish and functional sipping. Built from stem to lip to enhance the beer tasting experience, the globe shape captures and directs the beer’s aromas toward the nose, while a narrow opening benefits the foam. The logo etching on the bottom of the glass provides nucleation, which is designed to refresh and release flavors and create a continuous stream of bubbles. It’s all balanced atop a sturdy stem to keep hands from warming the beer and allow for unobstructed viewing.

The glassware is available in two sizes: the slightly smaller 12/14 oz. glasses (12 ounces to the line, 14 ounces to the top) and the classic 16/18 oz. globes (16 ounces to the line, 18 ounces to the top).

Join New Belgium’s online holiday festivities at www.newbelgium.com to buy globes and other souvenirs. The glassware is available through December 31.

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 nine year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit, Ranger IPA, Belgo IPA 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, visitwww.newbelgium.com.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Anchor Brewing, Press Releases

Anchor Brewing Company Announces Christmas Ale for 2012 (PR)

Anchor Brewing Company announces the release of our Christmas Ale for 2012, an Anchor tradition now in its thirty-eighth year.

Every year since 1975, the brewers of Anchor Steam® Beer have created a distinctive Christmas Ale. The Ale’s recipe is different every year — as is the hand drawn tree on the label — but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life.

Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew. For this year’s Christmas Ale, we have selected the Norfolk Island pine. Captain Cook discovered this South Seas isle and its native tree in 1774. These tropical-looking conifers, which thrive in sandy soil and coastal climes, were first planted in California in the 1850s. The Norfolk Island pine on this year’s label resides in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

When properly stored, our Christmas Ale remains intriguing and drinkable for years to come. Over time, different nuances emerge as the beer’s flavors mellow slightly, much like the memories of great holiday seasons past. We invite you to take part in one of our most treasured traditions and enjoy Christmas Ale as you create new memories this holiday season.

Anchor’s Christmas Ale is available nationally in 6-packs and magnums (1.5L), and on draught from early November to mid-January.

by Reid Ramsay