Press Releases

Crispin Introduces New Offerings (PR)

(Colifax, CA) — Since its launch in 2008, Crispin Cider Company has become famous for its innovative takes on 100 percent fermented, fresh-pressed apple and pear hard ciders, and for its outside-the-box thinking. But for its latest introduction, the hard cider maker is thinking Continue Reading →

Odell Releases The Meddler (PR)

Enter The Meddler

Odell Brewing releases Oud Bruin

Fort Collins, CO. — On September 8, 2012, Odell Brewing will celebrate the release of The Meddler, a barrel aged Oud Bruin Ale and the brewery’s fifth Single Serve release this year.

Inspired by a Continue Reading →

Posted in Crispin/Fox Barrel Ciders, Press Releases

Crispin Introduces New Offerings (PR)

(Colifax, CA) — Since its launch in 2008, Crispin Cider Company has become famous for its innovative takes on 100 percent fermented, fresh-pressed apple and pear hard ciders, and for its outside-the-box thinking. But for its latest introduction, the hard cider maker is thinking inside the box —- introducing boxed hard cider from Crispin.

“We know that cider drinkers are wine drinkers, and vice-versa, so in many ways cider is the ultimate ‘bridge’ beverage between beer and wine —- the beer for wine drinkers and the wine for beer drinkers,” said Joe Heron, president and CEO, Crispin Cider Company.  “Our boxed ciders reflect that connection in a fun and delicious way.”

Each box contains three liters of cider, equivalent to four bottles of wine. Once opened and stored in the fridge, they will stay fresh for about four weeks.

Crispin Cidre Blanc — 6% ABV

  • Classically refined, crisp and refreshing, Crispin Cidre Blanc is naturally fermented, using a classic, white wine yeast and unpasteurized fresh-pressed American apple juice.
  • Smoothed with pure apple juice, and no added sugars, benzoate or sorbate preservatives.
  • Fresh and zesty, lively and fruity with crisp apple aromas, and an off-dry, long clean natural finish. Pairs perfectly with food, especially spicy dishes, white meats, seafood and salads.

Fox Barrel Pomegranate & Pear — 5.3% ABV

  • Pearfectly still. Fox Barrel Pomegranate & Pear is naturally fermented, using 100 percent, unpasteurized, American, fresh-pressed pear juice.
  • Not from pear-juice concentrate or pear-flavored hard apple cider.
  • No added sugars, benzoate or sorbate preservatives.
  • Infused with natural pomegranate juice and touched with a kiss of natural blackberry juice. Naturally elegant, deliciously adult with a naturally sharp pomegranate tang and a soft-pear finish.

“We’ve always tried to bring new experiences and adventures, to the American drinker,” said Bruce Nissen, Crispin’s head cider maker. “These still ciders represent delicious refreshment in a convenient, casual format. We think we’ll introduce even more legal age drinkers to cider.”

The suggested retail price for the boxed ciders is around $14.99.

Anywhere. Anytime.

  • More convenient than bottled wine. Portable and nearly unbreakable.
  • Equivalent to four 750mL bottles of wine.
  • Nine months shelf life.
  • Environmentally friendly — recyclable, less costly to transport.

About the Crispin Cider Company

The Crispin Cider Company produces natural hard apple craft ciders using fermented, American unpasteurized fresh-pressed apple-juice in Original, Light and Brut varietals, and additional unfiltered Artisanal Reserves — Honey Crisp, Lansdowne, The Saint and Cho-tokkyu, and also imports a classic English Dry Cider, Crispin Browns Lane.

The Fox Barrel Cider Company is dedicated to the production of superior pure pear ciders, using American fermented fresh-pressed pear-juice. Available in Pacific Pear, Blackberry Pear and Apricot Pear varietals and additional unfiltered Cidery Reserves  — Ginger & Blackcurrant and Rhubarb & Elderberry. The company also imports a classic English Perry. 


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Ommegang, Press Releases

Brewery Ommegang Releases Scythe and Sickle Harvest Ale (PR)

COOPERSTOWN, NY – Brewery Ommegang is debuting a new palate pleasing seasonal fall beer, Scythe & Sickle Harvest Ale. Scythe & Sickle is an-amber ale brewed with a variety of malts, including pils, rye flakes and oat flakes, for incredible depth of flavor and a hint of natural sweetness. Scythe & Sickle brings a new life and flavor to autumn beer lists traditionally filled with Oktoberfests and pumpkin ales. The flavors of the hard work of summer and the celebration of autumn harvest are captured in Scythe & Sickle, creating a unique but traditional Ommegang farmhouse harvest ale.

“Scythe & Sickle is our foray into honoring the harvest season, taking the finest malts and blending them seamlessly into a rich amber ale,” says Brew Master Phil Leinhart.  “Farming is about precision, timing and care, and this gently sweet ale is our testament to the craft and care of farming.”

Brewed with balance in mind, Scythe & Sickle boasts a smooth, creamy mouthfeel with light toastiness.  It is bright amber in color from the mixed malts and delicately hopped to counter, rather than overpower, the malt profile.  It is available exclusively from September through November in all 43 states where Ommegang is currently offered on draft and in 12-ounce bottles.

About:

Brewery Ommegang opened in 1997 to craft-brew fine Belgian-style ales. The brewery creates six ales year-round as well as a range of seasonal and specialty ales. The beers have won national following by connoisseurs of fine beer and are distributed in over 40 states. The brewery is located on a 136-acre farmstead in Cooperstown, New York (656 County Highway 33) and offers free daily tours and tastings, as well as a well-stocked brewery store and café. Ommegang is open every day of the year except for Christmas Eve day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, and New Year’s Day. For more info, contact [email protected], call 1-800-544-1809, or visit www.ommegang.com. Ommegang is a member of the Duvel family of fine beers. Follow on Twitter (@BreweryOmmegang) and like onFacebook.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases, Shipyard Brewing

Shipyard Brewing Company’s Pumpkinhead Ale Now Available in Cans (PR)

Shipyard Brewing Company’s Pumpkinhead Ale Now Available in Cans

PORTLAND, ME — (September 7, 2012) — Shipyard Brewing Company’s award-winning Pumpkinhead Ale has returned for the season with a new addition to the crop. For the first time, Pumpkinhead is available in cans.  Pumpkinhead can 6-packs will hit the shelves in CT, FL, MA, ME, NH, RI, and VT next week with other select markets to follow.

Pumpkinhead Ale is also available nationwide in bottles and on draft.  Consumers can check for availability on a state-by-state basis through Shipyard’s Beer Finder.
Earlier this summer, Shipyard released its flagship Export Ale in cans.  More information can be found at this link.  

Both Pumpkinhead and Shipyard Export Ale can 6-packs have a suggested retail price of $7.99 – $8.99.  These products will also be available soon in can 12-packs.

More about Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale: Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale is a crisp and refreshing wheat ale with delightful aromatics and subtle spiced flavor.
Malt:  2-Row British Pale Ale, Light Munich, Malted Wheat
Hops: Willamette, Hallertau
Yeast:  Top-Fermenting English
Color:  Golden
OG:  1.048
ABV:  5.1%
Food Pairings:  Lamb, Turkey, BLT, Pumpkin Pie
First Brewed: August 2002
Availability:  Late-July — Mid-November
Available: 12oz. Bottles, 12oz. Cans, Kegs
 In 2008, Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale took home a silver award at the European Beer Star competition in Nuremberg, Germany.  In 2007, this beer took first place in the Specialty Beer category at the California Brewers Festival.

About Shipyard Brewing Company:  Founded in 1994, Shipyard Brewing Company is located on the historic waterfront in Portland, Maine and produces 17 varieties of award-winning English style and seasonal beers.  Its products are distributed in over 35 states. The Brewers Association ranks Shipyard as the 16th largest craft brewery in the U.S. and 24th overall, making it one of the top 15 rising breweries in the country.  In 2011, the brewery produced 129,285 barrels (1,781,260 cases) of its award-winning brews.  This marks a 31.7% increase over 2010. 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Odell Brewing, Press Releases

Odell Releases The Meddler (PR)

Enter The Meddler

Odell Brewing releases Oud Bruin

Fort Collins, CO. — On September 8, 2012, Odell Brewing will celebrate the release of The Meddler, a barrel aged Oud Bruin Ale and the brewery’s fifth Single Serve release this year.

Inspired by a resurrected style from the Flemish region of Belgium, The Meddler Oud Bruin is a blend of several generations of brown ales that were barrel aged for over 18 months. Wild yeasts, Lactobacillus, and Brettanomyces meddle with the beer creating complexity and depth of flavor. Intricate, yet balanced, The Meddler has an 8.9% ABV.

“At first sniff you get a caramel crystal malt aroma with hints of tartness,” said Brent Cordle, the brewery’s barrel aging manager. “A creamy tan head appears after the pour giving way to flavors of brown sugar, oak and vanilla paired with sour black cherry and a crisp dry finish.”

The Meddler is offered in cork and cage finished 750 ml bottles and will be available throughout the brewery’s ten state distribution footprint. Odell Brewing will celebrate the release of the beer with live music, beer samples, and local food in the brewery’s Tap Room on September 8th from 4:00 — 6:00 p.m.

Founded in 1989, Odell Brewing was started by Doug Odell, his wife Wynne, and his sister Corkie. Twenty-three years later, the culture of family and collaboration still thrives fostering a brewery full of beer-centric people. It is this passion for beer that inspires Odell Brewing to create quality, hand-crafted, innovative brews. As a regional craft brewery, Odell Brewing is committed to serving the communities in which it distributes by sourcing local raw materials, and through its charitable giving program known as Odell Outreach. Odell Brewing was recently named a “Top Company of 2010” by ColoradoBiz Magazine and is an award winning brewery, nationally and internationally: 2012 Brewers Association Recognition Award, 2011 Great American Beer Festival® – gold medal for Friek. 2010 North American Beer Awards — gold medal for Woodcut No. 3. 2009 BrewNZ Awards — gold for 5 Barrel Pale Ale. 2008 World Beer Cup® — gold for IPA. 2007 Great American Beer Festival® — gold medal for IPA.


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Full Sail Brewing, Press Releases

Full Sail Brewing’s Big Daddy J’s Malt Liquor Released In September (PR)

HOOD RIVER, OR — Full Sail Brewing is proud to announce the release of another beer in their Brewer’s Share Series — Big Daddy J’s Malt Liquor, developed by Assistant Brewing Supervisor, Jason Muñoz.  In 2008 Full Sail Brewing created their small batch Brewer’s Share series as an opportunity for each of their individual brewers to express their creations to be shared on tap exclusively in their pub. Since their crew came up with so many great beers, they decided to share a selection of them with beer lovers everywhere. The beer will be released in 22oz. bottles and on draft in September.

“As an independent and employee owned brewery, you know that we put our hearts and souls into every drop. With Brewer’s Share we’re proud to showcase the people behind our award winning brews by introducing our individual brewers by name and beer,” said Irene Firmat, Full Sail’s CEO and Founder.

As a new dad and a graduate of Oregon State University’s Brewing Sciences program, Jason celebrates his inner college student and his new station in life with Big Daddy J. Big Daddy J is a malt liquor that is perfectly balanced so that it’s clean and drinkable smoothness makes that 8% alcohol go down so easily. It’s golden in color and hopped with Hallertau Hersbrucker hops, IBU 28. BDJ redefines what malt liquor can be when brewed by a very talented craft brewer and new dad.

The inspiration for the name “Brewer’s Share” came from that mysterious portion that vanishes from a barrel during aging that brewers refer to as the “angel’s share,” and that led to “Brewer’s Share,” an equally mysterious offering that appears during inspiration. Brewer’s Share can also mean a unit of ownership, as in stock. Consider this program to be an Initial Pub Offering (IPO). Whenever you purchase a Brewer’s Share you get a unit of ownership — one share of the batch. As a shareholder you have the right to consume the beverage. In doing so you will also be investing in the public good — as each brewer not only chooses the recipe, they choose a local charity or organization that will benefit from each bottle sold — Which can bring an excellent return on ingestion (ROI).

With each Brewer’s Share series beer, Full Sail picks a local charity or organization to receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the beer. Jason has chosen to support Helping Hands Against Violence who is dedicated to serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking by focusing attention on said issues through education and outreach.

Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share small batch offerings will be available in 22oz. bottles and on draft.  The other beers in the 2012 line-up include Extra Special Barney (ESB), Phil’s Existential Alt and Chris’s Summer Delight. Full Sail will release one Brewer’s Share at a time and a new beer will be released for each season.

About Full Sail Brewing Company:

The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment our specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer. Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA, Pale, LTD, Wassail, Session Premium, Session Black, and Session Fest lager. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 25 years.  Committed to brewing great beer and sustainable practices their award winning brews are now available in 29 states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week. Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view.  Visit us online at http://www.fullsailbrewing.com  or on Facebook and Twitter. 


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases, Ska Brewing

Ska Kicks Off Seasonal Stout Program with Autumnal Mole Stout (PR)

(DURANGO, CO) – Ska Brewing’s Seasonal Stout program–featuring a different canned stout released near the equinox or solstice of each of the four seasons–kicks off September 22nd with the series’ first release: Autumnal Mole Stout.

The Autumnal Mole Stout is an ale brewed with cocoa nibs, spices and three varieties of chile peppers: Mulato, Ancho and Hatch green chiles, (also known as Anaheim Peppers.)

An important source of inspiration for the Autumnal Mole Stout is Ska Brewing’s location in the high desert of Southern Colorado, not far from the New Mexico border. “Mexican, New Mexican, Southwestern–that’s just the way we eat here,” said Ska President and co-founder Dave Thibodeau. “Around this time of year, chile roasters show up at the farmers market and grocery store parking lots and you can smell fresh-roasted chiles all over town. Given our Steel Toe (Milk) Stout’s 2011 GABF Gold and 2012 World Beer Cup Gold medals, we thought this new program should showcase our stouts. The balance between the milk stout sweetness and the chile spice and flavor seemed like a perfect combination for autumn.”

The packaging for the Autumnal Mole Stout (picture below) features a black, 12-oz. can, with Ska’s comic book-inspired take on the Mayan snake-god Kukulkan. The beer’s release will be celebrated on the Equinox at Ska Brewing World HQ in Durango, but according to Thibodeau “all the points on the celestial sphere should align, creating a national celebration on that most scientifically important day. At least in our nine markets.”

Ska will release three more new, canned seasonal stouts this year, with releases coming in December of this year, then in March and June of 2013, when–assuming the 12/21/12 calamity howlers are wrong– the cycle will begin again.

About Ska Brewing

Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and now produces over a dozen award-winning beers including the Pinstripe Red Ale, True Blonde Ale and Steel Toe Stout. Four Ska beers are now widely available in cans: ESB Special Ale, True Blonde, Modus Hoperandi IPA and the winter seasonal Euphoria Pale Ale. For information, music and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com. Find out what “calamity howlers” are, chat us up and get the latest news at facebook.com/skabrew and twitter.com/skabrewing.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Brewing Co Donates More Than $115K To Waterbury Relief (PR)

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (August 27, 2012) — Stone Brewing Co. has donated $86,373.61 toReBuild Waterbury and $30,000 to Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund for efforts to restore Waterbury, Vt., a community that was damaged by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.  The proceeds are from the sale of the collaboration beer, The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone More Brown Than Black IPA, brewed in December 2011 with Ninkasi Brewing Companyin Eugene, Ore. and The Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury.  The beer was sold in 17 states, including Vermont.

The Alchemist Pub and Brewery was one of the unfortunate casualties of Tropical Storm Irene. The destruction of their business prompted Stone’s brewmaster, Mitch Steele, to invite The Alchemist owner John Kimmich to San Diego as an opportunity to get away from the reality of the storm and its damages. John’s wife, Jen Kimmich, suggested perhaps they could brew a beer together at Stone, and Mitch agreed. To complete the brewing trifecta, Mitch invited Jamie Floyd, brewer and co-founder of Ninkasi Brewing Company, to join in the efforts. Together they brewed The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone More Brown Than Black IPA, and Stone vowed to donate all funds from the beer to non-profits helping to restore the community.

“Helping the Waterbury community and our fellow brethren at The Alchemist Pub and Brewery is what the craft beer industry is all about,” Greg Koch, Stone Brewing Co. CEO and co-founder stated. “As soon Mitch heard about the flooding, he immediately reached out to John, and asked how he could assist. We hope these funds will help Waterbury continue to rebuild.”

The Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund is a non-profit organization designed to provide financial assistance to those in need in the greater Waterbury community.  Stone provided Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund with a check in advance of the sales to assist with the immediate needs of people affected by Tropical Storm Irene. Since the storm struck, the Good Neighbor Fund has distributed $390,000.

“The donation from Stone Brewing Co. came at a crucial time; we were almost out of funds and were heading into the hardest part of the heating season,” said Rev. Peter Plagge, who helps administer the Good Neighbor Fund. “The $30,000 advance on the profits from the sale of The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone More Brown Than Black IPA was a godsend for many of those whose heating bills were stacking up. It was a great privilege to be able to share the wealth.”

ReBuild Waterbury is a long-term recovery project that functions under the auspices of Revitalizing Waterbury, an established 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was formed as a result of the devastating flooding that occurred in August 2011. Their mission is to assist individuals and families in the greater Waterbury-Duxbury area who need assistance rebuilding their homes after the disastrous effects of Tropical Storm Irene.

“We are continually amazed and grateful for the support of people and organizations in Vermont, and all over the country,” Theresa Wood, chair of ReBuild Waterbury stated. “It’s particularly touching when a business like Stone Brewing Co. in California, donates proceeds from their collaborative limited edition ale made with Ninkasi Brewing Company and The Alchemist Pub and Brewery.  This will help significantly as we push to meet our fundraising goal of $918,000.”

The funds raised for ReBuild Waterbury are used to purchase building materials, from sheetrock to flooring and kitchen cabinets, as well as provide skilled trade services such as plumbing and electrical work.  Coupled with the use of volunteer and low-cost labor, ReBuild Waterbury continues the recovery process to assist flood-impacted families.

 

ABOUT STONE BREWING CO.

Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch in North County San Diego. It is the 11th largest craft brewery in the United States and has been named “All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine – TWICE! The brewery recently announced more than $50 million in expansion plans that includes Stone Packaging Hall, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens — Liberty Station, and the future Stone Hotel among other lofty ventures. For more information, please visitstonebrewing.com, follow on Twitter or “like” on Facebook.

by Reid Ramsay