Press Releases

Upland Sour Reserve

Bloomington, IN) — Head Brewer Caleb Staton started Upland’s sour ale program as an experiment in 2006 with only four oak barrels for aging sours. The program has grown much since then, and along the way Caleb has blended portions Continue Reading →

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Comes Early

LONGMONT, CO — Oskar Blues’ Ten FIDY fans are cheering because the famed winter seasonal will be back on shelves a month earlier than last year. Ten FIDY continues to be primed with its latest accolade, named in the Top 51 Continue Reading →

Harpoon Oktoberfest Returns For 2011

BOSTON – As the first signs of fall settle into New England, so too does the arrival of Harpoon Octoberfest, a local favorite since 1989. Brewed with celebrations in mind, this full-bodied, seasonal beer is widely available in 6-packs, 12-packs, and Continue Reading →

Shock Top Variety Pack Debut

(St. Louis, MO) — Just in time for fall, Shock Top Belgian White will be adding to the family with the launch of Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat, the brand’s first seasonal offering, as well as a Shock Top Variety Pack, the brand’s Continue Reading →

Bruery Humulus Wet, Dubbel Newsletter

Hi Everybody!

This weekend we are welcoming two brand new beers into the Bruery Famille lineup and we can’t wait to share them with you!

For those of you Humulus lupulus-heads who have been following it’s progress on our blog, our fresh Continue Reading →

Posted in Press Releases

John I. Haas, Inc. Announces Technology Initiative “Haas Innovations”

John I. Haas, Inc. Announces Technology Initiative “Haas Innovations”

(Yakima, WA) — John I. Haas, Inc., the leading supplier of hop products and services in the US, announces a new research and technology initiative — “Haas Innovations”…

Haas Innovations will focus on new product development, customer technical services and all technical matters related to hops. “In this increasingly competitive environment, it is more important than ever that we further expand our expertise in hops. We must continue to provide our customers with both the breadth and cutting edge product portfolio they have come to expect from us,” said Alex Barth, President. The cornerstone of the new project will be a pilot brewery, which will allow Haas to showcase its new hop products and varieties.

John I. Haas, Inc. is part of the Barth-Haas Group, which is the global leader in hop products and services. Haas Innovations is just the latest in the Group’s technology initiatives. Haas Innovations will complement the work being performed by Barth Innovations, a similar research think-tank launched last year in Europe. Haas and the other Group members will also continue to offer the Barth-Haas Hops Academy, which is an educational program directed towards the customers’ — product developers, buyers, brewers and marketing people. Since its launch in late 2010, the Group Academy already has put on 10 seminars all over the world, covering virtually all topics related to hops.

Dr. Scott Garden, Technical Director of John I. Haas, Inc., stated “Today’s announcement further positions John I. Haas, Inc. and the Barth-Haas Group as a leader in the hop industry, not just today but well into the future. By providing our technical staff the freedom and resources to innovate, Haas Innovations will prove to be
the driver of new developments and allow us to unlock the full potential of hops.” Gene Probasco, the company’s VP of Agronomy added “I am excited that the pilot brewery will allow us to better test and show case the many new varieties being developed in our joint-venture breeding program, the Hop Breeding Company”.

John I. Haas, Inc. also announced that it will construct a new building in Yakima, Washington, which will house Haas Innovations, the pilot brewery and the Company’s
office personnel. The building will be designed along the principles of sustainability.

Facts about the Barth-Haas Group
The Barth-Haas Group is the world’s largest provider of hop-related products and services. It is a leader in the following fields:
– Procurement of hops and hop products from all over the world
– Hop production and hop breeding
– Hop processing
– Storage and logistics services
– Research and development
– Application technology for the brewing and other industries

The group’s companies in Germany, Australia, the US, Great Britain and China ensure a global market presence. The companies provide customers with the world’s largest
portfolio of hop products.

The following companies belong to the Barth-Haas Group:
– John I. Haas, Inc. established in 1914, is the US leader in the field of research and development of processed hop products for both the brewing industry and other industries. The company is also a major grower and the market leader in the processing and marketing of American hops and hop products. The company is owned by the Barth family and partners.
– Joh. Barth & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG in Nuremberg was founded in 1794 and is today Germany’s market leader in the marketing of hop products from all over the world.
– Botanix Ltd., in Great Britain is the center of excellence for hop oils, “hop flavors” and hop aroma products.
– Hop Products Australia operates an intensive research program with a focus on breeding new aroma and alpha varieties, which are grown on its own farms and marketed domestically and abroad. The company is owned by the Barth family and partners.
– Barth-Haas (Bejing) Trade Co. Ltd. in the People’s Republic of China trades and processes hops for the domestic market and imports hop products from the Group.
– NATECO2 GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture company based in Wolznach, is the world’s largest CO2 extractor of hops and natural products.
– Hopfenveredlung St. Johann GmbH & Co. KG in St. Johann, a joint venture company in Germany, owns and operates a research brewery, pellet processing plants and cold storage facilities.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases

Upland Sour Reserve

Bloomington, IN) — Head Brewer Caleb Staton started Upland’s sour ale program as an experiment in 2006 with only four oak barrels for aging sours. The program has grown much since then, and along the way Caleb has blended portions of his favorite batches together in a single barrel to create the live harmony of tartness, fruitiness, and layers of unique flavor that we call Sour Reserve. After years in the making, this exceptionally complex beer, possibly our finest creation yet, is finally ready for release.

At 12pm (noon) (Eastern time) on Tuesday, October 5th, online reservations for this limited release beer will open on www.uplandbeer.com. Bottles are $25 and will be available for pickup at our Bloomington Brew Pub or Indy Tasting Room from October 18th through the 31st.

But that’s not all! Alongside reservations, we’ll open online ticket sales for a Sour Reserve Reception to be held the first weekend of the pickup period, on Saturday, October 22nd. Attendees will have the chance to sample all ten styles of sour ale released by Upland, including the Sour Reserve, and meet our brew crew. Only 100 tickets are available, and they are $30 each. You do not have to reserve a bottle of Sour Reserve in order to buy a ticket (but why wouldn’t you?). The reception will take place at our Bloomington Brew Pub from 3-6pm, and will include an assortment of cheeses and fruits suggested for pairing.

About the Beer:
Our Sour Reserve is inspired by a traditional style of lambic known as Gueuze, which has been brewed in Belgium for centuries. We make our lambics with a turbid mash of unmalted wheat and aged hops, then ferment the beer with a combination of yeast and bacteria similar to what you would find in the Senne Valley of Belgium where lambics were developed, which gives the beer a strong, pleasant tartness. The lambics are then aged in oak, and we blend portions of our favorite batches together in their own barrels to develop unique flavors and aromas that can never be replicated. The final step in this patient process is bottle conditioning, which creates a fresh, zesty carbonation. To read more about Upland’s sour ales, visit www.uplandbeer.com.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases

Odell Brewing announces the return of Isolation Ale

Fall Into Isolation

Odell Brewing announces the return of Isolation Ale

Fort Collins, CO. — On October 1, 2011, Odell Brewing will celebrate the return of fall with its winter seasonal, Isolation Ale. Following the brewery’s summer release, St. Lupulin, Isolation Ale is a caramel malty ale balanced by a subtle crisp hop finish.

“A funny thing happens here around summer’s end — our eyes start searching the skies for those first fall flakes. As we welcome autumn’s first snow, we celebrate the return of Isolation Ale,” reads the label.  “Whether you ski, shred, or shoe, Isolation Ale will inspire you to make first tracks.”

Odell Brewing will host an Isolation tapping party in the brewery’s tap room on Saturday October 1st as part of a weeklong celebration for the Great American Beer Festival. Local food truck favorites, StrEats Mobile Bistro and the Cupcake Cruiser will be onsite offering tasty bites to pair with the brew.

Isolation Ale is available October through December throughout the brewery’s ten state distribution region.

Founded in 1989, Odell Brewing was started by Doug Odell, his wife Wynne, and his sister Corkie. Twenty-one 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. In 2010 the brewery completed its fourth expansion, adding a wood-aging cellar, a 750 ml bottling line, and a 76 kilowatt photovoltaic system capable of providing 25% of the brewery’s peak energy demand. 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: 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 Press Releases

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Comes Early

LONGMONT, CO — Oskar Blues’ Ten FIDY fans are cheering because the famed winter seasonal will be back on shelves a month earlier than last year. Ten FIDY continues to be primed with its latest accolade, named in the Top 51 “Best of the Best Beers” in Beer Magazine’s October issue.

The genre bending canned beer that has bulldozed beer connoisseurs began canning Ten FIDY on Monday! It will be available earlier than expected on October 1, 2011. This titanic, immensely viscous stout is 10% ABV, loaded with inimitable flavors of chocolate-covered caramel and coffee that hide a hefty 98 IBUs underneath the smooth blanket of malt. Get your orders in for first dibs.

Oskar Blues head brewer Dave Chichura lets it be known “Ten FIDY is no walk in the park to create; it’s a labor intensive beer.” Ten FIDY’s gargantuan grain bill is just short of 50 percent specialty malts that are packaged in 55 pound bags and loaded into the mill by hand.  The many bags of oats are poured directly into the mash tun. Oats and rice hulls are lugged up the 20-odd stairs to the top of the brew-deck to be placed near the mash tun. “We aren’t mashing it with a computer from a comfy control room. It takes hands-on craft brewing to make a big ‘ole can of eat-it-with-a-fork stout,” said Chichura.

In addition to this year’s Beer Magazine Top 51 list, Ten FIDY has been tagged with accolades that nearly stand up to the viscosity of the behemoth in a can:

  • #30 “Top Beers On Planet Earth!” by Beer Advocate
  • “The biggest, baddest, boldest beer in a can” — Celebrator Beer News
  • “2008 Beer of the Year” — The Denver Post
  • “100 Rating” — Ratebeer.com
  • “A-Rating” — Beeradvocate.com
  • “Top 25 Best New Beers In America” — MAXIM Magazine February 2010

Ten FIDY is conveniently packaged in 12-ounce cans and sold in 4-pack carriers. 15.1 gallon and five gallon kegs are also available. The suggested retail price of this limited release is $14.49 per 4-pack. Oskar Blues Brewery’s Imperial Stout accompanies an impressive line-up of boundary busting canned beer available in 25 states. For more information about where to purchase Oskar Blues beer visithttp://www.oskarblues.com/locations/.

Set in the heart of Colorado craft beer country, Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons began canning its beers in November of 2002 with a hand-canning line in the 60- year-old barn next door to their funky little brewpub.  Although it’s now a full- throttle canning operation that is quickly expanding its cult-like following across the nation, Oskar Blues remains true to its original mission of simply blowing minds with what can come out of a can of beer.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases

Harpoon Oktoberfest Returns For 2011

BOSTON – As the first signs of fall settle into New England, so too does the arrival of Harpoon Octoberfest, a local favorite since 1989. Brewed with celebrations in mind, this full-bodied, seasonal beer is widely available in 6-packs, 12-packs, and on draft beginning late August. It is also the featured beer at the brewery’s annual Octoberfest celebrations held at their breweries in Boston, MA and Windsor, VT.

Harpoon Octoberfest yields a smooth, malty taste and a mild bitterness. Its garnet-red color reflects a unique blend of malts, and pours with a thick head due to a small amount of wheat malt.

“Over the years we have kept our award-winning Octoberfest style constant. I am always experimenting with different malts to create a more robust color,” says Al Marzi, Harpoon’s Chief Brewing Officer.

Harpoon Octoberfest is a Marzen lager, Marzen meaning “March” in German. Before modern refrigeration in Germany, March was the last month that beer could be brewed due to the lack of cold storage during the warmer summer months. Therefore, beer brewed in the spring had to be hearty enough to hold through the summer.

In 2008 Harpoon Octoberfest won two gold medals at renowned beer competitions. Harpoon Octoberfest brought home a Gold Medal from the European Beer Star competition in the Oktoberfest category, which is a style that originated in Germany. Held annually in Nuremburg, Germany, the European Beer Star Award is considered one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the industry. Harpoon Octoberfest also won a gold medal in the Oktoberfest category at the Great International Beer Competition in Providence, RI.

Harpoon Octoberfest Specifications:
Style: Marzen
OG: 14.5 P
Color: Garnet Red 45 EBC
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 30

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases, Shock Top

Shock Top Variety Pack Debut

(St. Louis, MO) — Just in time for fall, Shock Top Belgian White will be adding to the family with the launch of Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat, the brand’s first seasonal offering, as well as a Shock Top Variety Pack, the brand’s first sampler pack that will also highlight Shock Top Raspberry Wheat, which launched earlier in the year.

Available Aug. 29 through January 2012, Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat is a traditional Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with ripe pumpkins and a variety of autumnal spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, for a refreshingly smooth beer with a deep amber color that captures the flavors of fall. With a 5.2% ABV, Pumpkin Wheat will be sold nationwide in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles and on draught.

Shortly after the release of Pumpkin Wheat, look for Shock Top’s first variety pack, which features four bottles each of Shock Top Belgian White, Shock Top Raspberry Wheat and Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat. Sold nationwide, the 12-pack samplers will be available beginning Sept. 19 through the end of the year.

“The Shock Top family’s popularity just continues to grow — up nearly 77% in the first half of the year, and we want to keep bringing new offerings,” said Paul Byrne, brand manager for Shock Top. “We’ve already expanded the family this year to include new styles and packages, and we’re excited about new opportunities for the brand in 2012.”

Earlier this year, Shock Top Belgian White rolled out its first extension with Shock Top Raspberry Wheat, available nationwide on draught and in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles. Shock Top Belgian White also introduced 12-ounce aluminum cans and 22-ounce bottles to its packaging line-up, to provide even more options for Shock Top fans to enjoy their favorite Belgian-style wheat ale, whatever the occasion.

Shock Top Belgian White is an award-winning Belgian-style unfiltered wheat ale, with a naturally cloudy and light golden color. Shock Top is brewed with orange, lemon and lime peels and coriander, giving it a refreshing, smooth taste and a citrusy aroma.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases, The Bruery

Bruery Humulus Wet, Dubbel Newsletter

Hi Everybody!

This weekend we are welcoming two brand new beers into the Bruery Famille lineup and we can’t wait to share them with you!

For those of you Humulus lupulus-heads who have been following it’s progress on our blog, our fresh hopped beer, Humulus Wet, is finally ready for consumption. We are going to be releasing this deliciously hoppy ale brewed with 60 lbs of Chinook and 60 lbs of Citra wet hops this Friday night. The combination makes for a blast of piney, floral and citrus-y goodness that is sure to be a hit. Hoppy beers are best consumed as fresh as possible so come in as soon as possible for a pint of Wet. Do you want to read more about Humulus Wet? Check out our blog.

The fun doesn’t stop on Friday night; Saturday we are going to be releasing Rub-A-Dub-Dubbel, our 7.4% ABV Dubbel-style ale. Rub A Dub Dubbel is a delightful Belgian-style brown ale with plenty of bready yeast esthers balanced with a nutty, coffelike malt back bone and a dry roasty finish. A new classic.

Sunday we are bringing back a classic Bruery tradition – the Hottenroth mimosa. Hottenroth, our deliciously tart 3.1% ABV Berliner Weisse, pairs perfectly with some fresh orange or grapefruit juice on a laid-back Sunday afternoon. Come in and grab one of those tasty concoctions before these warm Sunday afternoons slip into the cooler Autumn months. Speaking of Autumn, this Friday we will also have bottles of our 100% Barrel Aged Autumn maple on sale, so come in and grab a bottle before they are gone. Those bottles are limited so get in early if you plan on getting your share!

Some delicious food trucks will be by this weekend to satiate the hungry masses! Friday night Home Skillet will be dishing up some of their signature grub, Saturday night we are going to be having the OC Tasting Spoon truck by to serve up some tasty treats and Sunday we will be having Slapfish by with their signature Bruery burger and more seafood fare.

See you all this weekend!

This weekend at the Tasting Room we’re pouring:

Saison Rue
Mischief*
Loakal Red*
Autumn Maple
Saison De Lente
BeRazzled
Humulus Wet*
Rub-A-Dub-Dubbel* (Saturday)
Acer Quercus
Oude Tart
Run B.M.C*
714*
Hottenroth*
Black Orchard*
Snicklefritz*
* = Growler fill available

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
The folks at The Bruery

by Reid Ramsay