Press Releases

Penn Brewing Launches Over Look IPA & Cool River

(Pittsburgh, PA) — Penn Brewery is pleased to announce the launch of two new beers, Overlook IPA and Cool River Kolsch-style.

Penn’s New Beers

“Overlook IPA is the latest introduction to Penn’s expanding family of ales, joining Allegheny Pale Ale, Harvest Rye IPA, and Nut Roll Ale,” Continue Reading →

Deschutes Lands In Springfield, Missouri (PR)

(Springfield, MO) — Jealous, much? Springfield craft beer lovers won’t be green with envy anymore! Deschutes Brewery, which launched its craft beer in other parts of Missouri in early January, is expanding distribution to Springfield, MO this week. Distributed by local Continue Reading →

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy Arrives Early

(Chippewa Falls, WI) — Forget spring — summer has arrived ahead of schedule. The Chippewa Falls, Wis.-based Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is celebrating “Leap Day” by bringing warm weather refresher, Summer Shandy, out of hibernation early.

Typically not on shelves until late March, Leinenkugel’s Continue Reading →

Stevens Point Begins 3rd Expansion

STEVENS POINT, Wis.  February 20, 2012 – For the third time in three years, Stevens Point Brewery is expanding its production capacity to keep up with demand.

The latest expansion — a $1.1 million project includes nine new fermentation tanks, two new Continue Reading →

PR: 2012 Brewers Associate Style Guidelines

(Boulder,CO) — The Brewers Association (BA) recently released its 2012 Beer Style Guidelines. Updated annually, the guidelines currently describe 140 styles of beer and are used in prestigious beer competitions, including the Great American Beer Festival®  and the World Beer Cup®.

For this year, Continue Reading →

Posted in Press Releases

Leinenkugel Introduces Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company today launched Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, the first in a series of daring, yet delicious Big Eddy brews to be released in 2012. Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale captures the signature warmth and comfort of traditional scotch ales, one of the most majestic beer styles in the world.

Thanks to an intensive brewing process, Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale offers significant malt complexity, including eight malts and grains for a robust richness. The brew, which adds a touch of hops to balance the malts, features assertive chocolate, toffee and caramel notes, with a hint of smoke and dark fruity undertones subtly emerging throughout.

Born in Scotland, velvety full-bodied Wee Heavy Scotch Ales were originally brewed to satisfy the demand of hearty laborers who endured cold weather and harsh working conditions. “Being from Wisconsin’s Northwoods, we know a thing or two about cold temperatures and had no problem capturing the signature warmth and comfort of the traditional brew,” said Jake Leinenkugel, fifth generation brewer and president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

Bold in flavor, yet remarkably balanced, Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy family of beers shares a common taste for the extraordinary. Inspired by the Big Eddy Spring, the lifeline of the Leinenkugel’s brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis. since 1867, the Big Eddy brand offers big beer fans complex, yet balanced flavors beyond the mainstream.

Filling the senses with a fragrant malt aroma, Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale features a variety of robust malts that create rich flavor and texture. Hand-selected malts include Pale, Honey, Caracrystal® Wheat, Roasted, Victory®, and Cherrywood Smoked. Like its predecessor, Russian Imperial Stout, Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale ages and travels well.

Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, a dense, mahogany-colored brew, features a creamy tan foam. As it warms, the layers of malt flavors will melt together revealing the subtle undertones of fruit and biscuits. As the brew mellows, it reveals more of its plum, raisin, and dark cherry flavors.

Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale will be available in limited release through June 2012 in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Kansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, and Arizona. The ale, which is 9.5 percent ABV, will be available in four-pack bottles and on draft.

About Leinenkugel’s
Leinenkugel’s, brewed in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, since 1867, is the leading craft brewer in the upper Midwest. Year-round offerings include Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss, Sunset Wheat, Berry Weiss, Leinie’s Red, Creamy Dark, Original, Light and Leinenkugel’s Classic Amber Lager. In addition to Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Leinenkugel’s offers three limited-release seasonal beers, including summer favorite Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Oktoberfest, and Fireside Nut Brown. For more information on the rich history of Leinenkugel’s, visit www.leinie.com or join Leinie loyalists atwww.Facebook.com/Leinenkugels.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases

Penn Brewing Launches Over Look IPA & Cool River

(Pittsburgh, PA) — Penn Brewery is pleased to announce the launch of two new beers, Overlook IPA and Cool River Kolsch-style.

Penn’s New Beers

“Overlook IPA is the latest introduction to Penn’s expanding family of ales, joining Allegheny Pale Ale, Harvest Rye IPA, and Nut Roll Ale,” said Sandra Cindrich, Penn’s President and CEO. “Cool River is the first Kolsch-type beer made by Penn,” Cindrich added. “It’s brewed in the style of the classic Kolsch beer originating from Cologne, Germany.”

Penn Overlook IPA (Photo) — a clean, hoppy, American-style IPA with a smooth mouthfeel. It’s brewed with two-row barley malt and American hops, including Zeus and Northern Brewer varieties. It has an attractive light-copper color and a prominent aroma, with an ABV of 6%.

Overlook IPA is named for the popular Pittsburgh vantage point atop Mt. Washington, which overlooks the city and its Three Rivers. Its label design captures this quintessential image of Pittsburgh.

Cool River Kolsch-Style (Photo) is a crisp, clean beer with a subtle fruit fragrance. It’s pale golden in color and delicate in flavor, with subdued hoppiness and a 4.5% ABV. Cool River’s refreshing tang makes it an excellent summer beer. Its packaging pays homage to Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers and summertime fun on the water.

Overlook IPA and Cool River Kolsch-style will be available on draft and in 12 oz. bottles in Penn’s Gourmet Selection variety pack beginning in March and May, respectively.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Deschutes Brewing, Press Releases

Deschutes Lands In Springfield, Missouri (PR)

(Springfield, MO) — Jealous, much? Springfield craft beer lovers won’t be green with envy anymore! Deschutes Brewery, which launched its craft beer in other parts of Missouri in early January, is expanding distribution to Springfield, MO this week. Distributed by local company Wil Fischer Distributing, the brewery will be launching with both popular and limited release brands.

Jeffrey Gower, principal operating manager for Wil Fischer Distributing, said, “We are very excited that the Deschutes River will soon be flowing through the Ozarks. We are confident these high quality brews from the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon will be warmly welcomed by craft enthusiasts throughout the area.”

Beer fanatics in Springfield will be able to quench their thirst with favorites like Mirror Pond Pale Ale, a deftly balanced pale ale, and Black Butte Porter, the nation’s number one selling craft porter. Also included in the launch will be Deschutes Brewery’s Inversion IPA, the brewery’s fastest growing brand, and its spring seasonal, Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale. All four brands will be available in 6-packs, with Mirror Pond and Black Butte Porter also being available in 22-ounce bottles and on draft.

Additionally, Deschutes will be bringing in a limited amount of The Stoic, Black Butte XXIII and The Abyss for serious beer aficionados.

“Our first truckload of beer to Springfield, which hits today, was completely pre-sold,” said Dave Espe, Midwest zone manager for Deschutes Brewery. “We love seeing this kind of enthusiasm for our beers in new markets, and we are already getting another truck ready to supply our beer to Springfield fans.”

For more information on where Deschutes Brewery beer will be available in Missouri, please contact Brad Hootman, Market Manager, at 314-616-9796 [email protected].

About Wil Fischer Distributing
Wil Fischer Distributing was founded in 1966 by Wil and Vera Fischer as an exclusive Anheuser-Busch wholesaler. Today, Wil Fischer Distributing sells and distributes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from many suppliers across the country. The company’s business philosophy is and has always been “Excellence in all phases of business.” The entire Wil Fischer staff is devoted to the belief that quality service is what drives sells in the beverage industry. The company provides great service that delivers constant growth and continued customer satisfaction. Quality employees sell the highest quality product and deliver that product with exceptional service. www.wilfischer.com

About Deschutes Brewery
Located in beautiful Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery is in the business of daring people to expect more from their beer. That’s why we started off in 1988, on the banks of the Deschutes River here in Bend, Oregon, by selling Black Butte Porter at a time when others were sure a dark beer would never catch on. Our brewers love to push the envelope, especially if it makes someone nervous. But for us, the highest praise is a raised glass and a toast of “Bravely Done!” For more information about Deschutes Brewery and our courageously crafted beers, please visit www.DeschutesBrewery.com.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy Arrives Early

(Chippewa Falls, WI) — Forget spring — summer has arrived ahead of schedule. The Chippewa Falls, Wis.-based Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is celebrating “Leap Day” by bringing warm weather refresher, Summer Shandy, out of hibernation early.

Typically not on shelves until late March, Leinenkugel’s will roll out the seasonal brew on Feb. 29. An adventurous blend of select malted wheat and barley, lemonade flavor and a hint of Wisconsin honey, Summer Shandy is available nationwide in cans, bottles and on draft.

Leinie’s Summer Shandy, the first shandy-style brew in the United States, experienced an impressive 80 percent growth in 2011. When autumn rolled around, many Shandy fanatics stocked up on as much as they could for the off-season. Since then, Leinie fans have anxiously awaited its return.

“Summer Shandy has captured the imagination of fans who want a refreshing light-bodied beer — the ultimate combination of craft beer and refreshment,” said Jake Leinenkugel, fifth generation brewer and president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. “We’re excited to celebrate this leap year by giving our fans an early taste of summer.”

The “shandy” (which is short for “shandygaff”) as it’s called in England and Germany, is typically a mixture of beer and soda or lemonade. The drink has been enjoyed across Europe since the 17th century. Another variation of a shandy is the “radler,” which is a German term for cyclist. In September 1922, Franz Xaver Kugler developed the radler, when approximately 13,000 cyclists visited his tavern in Munich. His beer supply started to run out, so he cleverly mixed the remaining beer with lemonade and claimed to have created the blend especially for the cyclists.

Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy features a tangy character with malty undertones of hops. Its tart lemonade flavor complements spicy and robust grilling dishes, and its subtle hoppiness creates the perfect balance for salads.

Summer Shandy will be available where Leinenkugel’s is sold in 12-pack 12-oz. cans, 6 and 12-pack bottles and on draft. Summer Shandy retails for approximately $6.99 to $7.99 a 6-pack.

About the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where the brewery was founded in 1867. It is the leading craft brewer in the upper Midwest. Year-round offerings include Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss, Sunset Wheat, Berry Weiss, Leinie’s Red, Creamy Dark, Original, Light and Classic Amber Lager. In addition to Summer Shandy, Leinenkugel’s offers several other limited-release seasonal beers, including Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest and Fireside Nut Brown. Leinie’s also brews a robust Big Eddy lineup, including a Russian Imperial Stout and a Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.

Leinenkugel’s has a dedicated fan base of more than 200,000 Leinie loyalists living throughout the U.S. Leinie loyalists are a group of devoted fans of the specialty brewer who stay in touch virtually throughout the year via Leinenkugel’s newsletters and gather for the Leinie Lodge Family Reunion in Chippewa Falls, Wis. every June. For more information on the rich history of Leinenkugel’s, visit www.leinie.com or join virtual Leinie loyalists at www.facebook.com/leinenkugels.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases

Stevens Point Begins 3rd Expansion

STEVENS POINT, Wis.  February 20, 2012 – For the third time in three years, Stevens Point Brewery is expanding its production capacity to keep up with demand.

The latest expansion — a $1.1 million project includes nine new fermentation tanks, two new bright beer tanks, a new 7,000-gallon hot water tank and a centrifuge for filtering finished beer. When all of the new equipment is up and running this spring, the brewery will be able to brew 120,000 barrels of beer annually, a 20% increase.

Since 2009 the Stevens Point Brewery has invested approximately $2.6 million in new equipment and additional storage space to increase capacity and improve efficiency, according to Joe Martino, Stevens Point Brewery Operating Partner.

“Last year we added 6,600 square feet of warehouse space, five aging tanks and three fermentation tanks to bring our brewing capacity up to 100,000 barrels per year,” Martino said. “In 2010, we built a 2,700-square-foot addition to expand our keg cooler room and add four aging tanks.

“We have our loyal customers to thank for our continued success, and as our sales continue to grow, we’ll continue to expand our capacity to keep up with the demand,” Martino added. “We’ve still got plenty of room to grow and we fully intend to do so.”

New equipment installations

The two new bright beer tanks for package release beer will allow Point Brewmasters Gabe Hopkins and John Zappa and their team of Brewing Operators to brew six days per week instead of five. The 120-barrel tanks, which hold finished beer ready for the bottle and can lines, will be installed by the end of February.

Traditional fermenters are horizontal and can be used for either fermenting or aging, but not both in the same tank.”

The centrifuge, which will arrive in April, will help improve beer quality and production efficiencies. “We will be able to filter beer faster and improve the quality of our product in the package,” Hopkins said.

The new hot water tank will be used to heat water at the beginning of the brewing process and will be the first piece of new equipment to be installed, in mid-February.

The Stevens Point Brewery

Stevens Point Brewery, founded in 1857, uses only the highest-grade barley malts, specialty malts, grains and the choicest hops to brew their handcrafted beers, including flagship Point Special Lager, which won the gold medal in the American Premium Lager category at the 2003 Great American Beer Festival.

In addition to current seasonal Point Three Kings Ale, seasonal specialty brands include Point St. Benedict’s Winter Ale, a dark, abbey-style ale available from November through February; Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat, an award-winning unfiltered wheat ale; and Point Oktoberfest, a Bavarian-style Märzen beer for the fall.

Point’s year-round specialty beers include Point 2012 Black Ale, a robust dark ale; Point Horizon Wheat, an unfiltered wheat ale; Point Belgian White, a Belgian-style wheat ale; Point Burly Brown American Brown Ale; Point Cascade Pale Ale, a hoppy American-style pale ale; and Point Amber Classic, an American-style amber lager. The brewery’s year-round craft beers also include the Whole Hog Limited Edition Brewmaster’s Series of “big beers,” including year-round Whole Hog Six-Hop India Pale Ale and seasonal offerings, Whole Hog Raspberry Saison, Whole Hog Russian Imperial Stout, Whole Hog Barley Wine Ale and Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale.

Gourmet soft drinks from the Stevens Point Brewery include Point Premium Root Beer, Point Premium Diet Root Beer, Point Premium Orange Cream, Point Premium Vanilla Cream and Point Premium Black Cherry Cream Soda. Point Premium Root Beer, made with pure cane sugar, natural vanilla and Wisconsin honey, was awarded a gold medal by the Beverage Testing Institute.

For more information about the Stevens Point Brewery, visit www.pointbeer.com or call 1-800-369-4911. Tours of the brewery are available, with schedules listed on the web site.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases

21st Amendment Lower Da Boom Barleywine Returns In 2012

February 2012 – San Francisco, CA – Nationally recognized for its canned craft creations, San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewery is filling up its biggest cans – kegs – and bringing back its beloved “Big Can Draft Series.” Three times a year, 21st Amendment showcases a new small batch, hand-crafted, draft-only selection. The beers selected for the series are favorites at its San Francisco brewpub and many are award-winning brews. This year’s first offering is its strongest beer in the lineup, Lower DeBoom Barleywine.

Belgian-born ship owner Cornelius DeBoom set sail for San Francisco in the fall of 1848 when the news of the discovery of gold in California arrived. He quickly set up an office in the South of Market neighborhood where he began to speculate on local real estate. Today, the 21st Amendment Brewpub sits on that historic corner of Second and DeBoom streets.

Lower DeBoom is a powerfully balanced American-Style barleywine packed with citrusy Pacific Northwest hops. Chestnut brown in the glass, the nose is a beautiful mélange of toffee malt, fruitcake, tropical fruit, toast, piney hops and a hint of alcohol that would make the Belgian DeBoom proud. But at 10.5% alcohol by volume, better enjoy it sipped from a snifter or you might feel like the boom has been lowered on you.

The term “barleywine” itself, notes co-founder and Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan, refers to an English style, dating back to 1870, that describes a beer that approaches the strength of wine.”Barleywine is big in every way,” O’Sullivan said. “It features a huge volume of malt, higher alcohol content, and massive amounts of hops. It’s a style that was often reserved for special occasions and special people. You can drink Lower DeBoom with your close friends or your not-so-close friends, and this beer, with all its warming qualities and complex flavors, will make us all mates in the end.”

Co-founder Nico Freccia added, “We often win awards at beer festivals for beers we feature only in our pub, on draft. Creating the ‘Big Can Draft Series’ is our way of sharing some of these brews with our loyal, beer loving 21A friends across the country.”

21st Amendment is excited to share this local favorite, available in limited supply in half and sixth barrels starting this week at quality bars in all 17 of 21st Amendment’s current distribution territories, including CA, OR, WA, AK, ID, MN, OH, MA, NY, NJ, DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, GA and NC.

About 21st Amendment Brewery
Who the heck are these guys? Hey, we’re Nico & Shaun. We live for great beer. In 1920, there were thousands of breweries across America making unique hand-crafted beer. The passage of Prohibition wiped out this great culture. After thirteen years without beer, the states ratified the 21st Amendment, ending Prohibition in America. At the 21st Amendment Brewery, we celebrate the right to brew beer, the freedom to be innovative, and the obligation to have fun.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases

PR: 2012 Brewers Associate Style Guidelines

(Boulder,CO) — The Brewers Association (BA) recently released its 2012 Beer Style Guidelines. Updated annually, the guidelines currently describe 140 styles of beer and are used in prestigious beer competitions, including the Great American Beer Festival®  and the World Beer Cup®.

For this year, a new beer style has been added-the Indigenous Beer Category. The guidelines specify that this beer must contain “at least one regional combination of ingredients and/or techniques must be unique and differentiated from ingredients and/or techniques commonly used by brewers throughout the world…Examples of indigenous beers might include current day versions of highly regional and/or historic styles which are not represented elsewhere in these guidelines, such as Finnish-style sahti, South American chicha, African sorghum based beers, and others.” For competitions, brewers will provide 100-word descriptions of why their entry is relevant to the category, to aid judges in their evaluation.

Since 1979 the BA has provided beer style descriptions as a reference for brewers and beer competition organizers. The beer style guidelines developed by the BA use sources from the commercial brewing industry, beer analyses, and consultations with beer industry experts and knowledgeable beer enthusiasts as resources for information. Much of the early work was based on the assistance and contributions of beer journalist Michael Jackson. For 2012, revisions were aided by over 100 comments and suggestions from Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup judges, as well as other beer industry members.

“These guidelines help to illustrate the growth of craft brewers in the United States and also offer insight and a foundation for helping appreciate the hundreds of beer types brewed for the beer lover,” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association.

The 2012 Beer Style Guidelines are available for download in the Publications section of BrewersAssociation.org.

by Reid Ramsay