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Two breweries leave 13 beers on reserved tables for service members killed in Afghanistan
At least two breweries – New York’s First Line Brewing and Georgia/Virginia’s New Realm Brewing have left tables set and poured beers for the 13 U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan during a terrorist attack this week.
On Friday, First Line Brewing posted to their Facebook Page a reserved table with 13 beers for those that will never return. The brewery even re-poured the beers throughout the night to make sure they were fresh and cold, as if they were about to sit down.
“13 glasses will sit un touched at this reserved table all night for the 13 American troops who were killed in Afghanistan on August 26th. These brave courageous individuals paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” the post from First Line Brewing says. Additionally, First Line intends to make a donation or donations on behalf of the 13 service members.
Additionally. New Realm Brewing in Atlanta, their distillery in Savannah, as well as their brewery in Virginia Beach set tables for the fallen.
This table will be reserved all night for the 13 military heroes we lost at the airport in Kabul, along with a round of beer for each of them.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families. In humble gratitude, we honor the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country, New Realm said in an Instagram post. The brewery set full dinner places in their Atlanta barrel room.
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“Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families. In humble gratitude, we honor the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country,” New Realm writes, echoing First Line Brewing’s sentiment – ” God bless their families and loved ones. God bless the United States of America.”
The observance is also known as the “Missing Man Table,” a memorial that is set up during US Armed Forces official dining functions. The table is a focal remembrance of those that have fallen, or missing in action. Many restaurants across the U.S., especially by those owned by veterans, maintain such a table year-round.
After this article was published, we’ve seen even more tributes in the same manner. Readers also pointed out Rustech Brewing, Catawba Island Brewing, and even the Atlanta Braves.
The names of the 13 killed in the attack:
Maxton Soviak, 22, Navy – Berlin Heights, Ohio
Kareem Nikoui, 20, Marines – Norco, California
David Lee Espinoza, 20, Marines – Laredo, Texas
Rylee McCollum, 20, Marines – Bondurant, Wyoming
Jared Schmitz, 20, Marines – St. Charless County, Missouri
Hunter Lopez, 22, Marines – Indio, California
Daegan W. Page, 23, Marines – Omaha, Nebraska
Ryan Knauss, 23, Army – Knoxville, Tennessee
Darin Taylor Hoover Jr., 31, Marines – Midvale, Utah
Johanny Rosariopichardo, 25, Marines – Lawrence, Massachusetts
Humberto Sanchez, Marines – Logansport, Indiana
Nicole L. Gee, 23, Marines – Sacramento, California
Dylan R. Merola, 20, Marines – Rancho Cucamonga, California
Ed Note: If there are other breweries that have paid tribute in similar fashion, let us know.
Things we didn’t need. Flamin’ Hot Mountain Dew
Earlier this month PepsiCo announced they would be releasing an alcoholic version of Mountain Dew next year – Hard Mtn Dew, with the help of Boston Beer Co. Let’s just say the reactions we saw were… mixed.
If you’ve ever been worried someone is out to kill you, maybe you’re right. It’s PepsiCo. While you wait for alcoholic Mountain Dew, on August 31st you can order Flamin’ Hot Mountain Dew. Yes, like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
If we are imagining this right, you’re taking a soda that looks like a blend of antifreeze and Lemon-Lime Gatorade, and combining it with red hot Cheeto-like flavor. It could only result in something blood red. Like you colon will be after consumption.
According to a press release, the flavor is touted as “the sweet, citrus DEW with a new spicy goodness.” (Followed by a E.R. visit.)
If this isn’t enough, Moutain Dew has partnered with clothing brand Broken Promises, creating an “Flamin Hot” apparel line for the occasion, which includes sweatpants. OBVIOUSLY.
Flamin’ Hot Mtn Dew is non-alcoholic, and only available on August 31 at Mountain Dew’s virtual Dew Store.
Still. We’d try it.
Champion Brewing creates a beer to pair with Duke’s Mayo
I grew up on Duke’s Mayo, which was highly unlikely considering I lived in state that was completely devoid of Duke’s. To this day I couldn’t tell you what mayo my friends ate growing up, but I’m sure it was something with a tangy zip, or some crap like that. We would vacation to see family a few times of year, whether upstate South Carolina, or Charleston and my father would stock up on Duke’s. We’d drive back north with a trunk full of mayo, and Beanie Weenies to get through another few months.(The pimento cheese was always a short term delicacy.) Later he would have family members ship it.
Either way. My southern born and raised family however, was and still is – a Duke’s Mayonnaise family.
Charlottesville, Virginia based Champion Brewing Company has just introduced a new lager, meant to be paired with a southern sandwich favorite – A Duke’s heavy BLT.
The beer is a 5.1% ABV vienna lager perfectly named Family Recipe, brewed with Vienna malt, Magnum and Saaz hops. While I haven’t had the beer, I can tell you a BLT, with crispy bacon, lettuce as cold as the fridge, topped with Duke’s on white bread washed down with a crisp lager is a thing of beauty in the humid southern summer heat. Champion Brewing only uses Duke’s Mayonnaise in their restaurants for a reason.
When I told my father about this collaboration he literally stopped speaking mid conversation and wanted to know where to get it. The irony now is that he can get all the Duke’s he wants, but not the beer. Life can be so cruel.
Champion Family Recipe debuts this week Champion’s Tap House, Champion Grill, and Champion Ice House. The brewery will also be pouring Family Recipe at the Duke’s Mayo Classic games this year in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Doubleheader features East Carolina University versus Appalachian State University and UGA opening against Clemson.
Additionally, Family Recipe is shipping 16-ounce cans across Virginia and North Carolina for a limited time.
Style: Vienna Lager
Hops: Saaz, Magnum
Malts: Vienna
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release
Debut: 8/20/21
5.1% ABV
Southern Tier Pumking is now a King & Cola cocktail in a can
Southern Tier Distilling, the spirits arm of Southern Tier Brewing, has launched three new RTD (Ready To Drink) cocktails offerings as summer winds down. One of them is a cocktail inspired the brewery’s popular pumpkin beer Pumking, dubbed King & Cola.
The story starts with Pumking, one of the most well-known pumpkin beers in the U.S, first released in 2007. Last fall, the distillery released Pumking Whiskey, a flavored whiskey based on the seasonal release. As RTD popularity rises, and very much inline with Southern Tier’s progression of their successful pumpkin lineup, King & Cola is making its initial debut.
The distillery calls this cocktail “crushable,” with a balance of pumpkin pie spices, and peppery cola (while the term “coke” has become colloquial, it’s trademarked by the big red Atlanta-based sugar giant.) We tried Pumking Whiskey last year, and was beyond surprised at the result. The whiskey really is fall in a shot glass. It’s dangerously easy to drink, and one you don’t want to over do.
RELATED: WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU SOUTHERN TIER WHISKEY, YOU MAKE PUMPKIN BOMBS
Arriving alongside King & Cola is Vodka Pink Lemonade, and Lime Agave Margarita.
Lime Margarita uses lime juice, orange flavors and Blanco Agave Spirits, which doesn’t appear on their distillery website. Pink Lemonade is your basic vodka and soda, with a touch of lemon thyme flavor, and fruit juice for color.
Each of the new Southern Tier cocktails are 8% alcohol by volume, available in 12-ounce can/4-packs in the greater New York Area.
Hard Mtn Dew is coming in 2022
Coming in 2022 – Hard Mtn Dew. You 100% read that right.
PepsiCo and Boston Beer Co. are currently working on the new alcoholic beverage, slated to be released in multiple flavors next year.
This release is hot on the heels of Coca-Cola’s Topo Chico Hard Seltzer that hit the market earlier this year, leveraging Topo Chico fame to grab some of the hard seltzer market. Energy drink maker Bang, as well as Four Loko have made hard seltzers, with Rock Star Hard Seltzer coming to market in the near future.
At least three flavors of Hard Mtn Dew are planned, including Black Cherry, Watermelon, and regular Mountain Dew, each 5% alcohol by volume and boasting zero sugar.
The announcement of Hard Mtn Dew comes just weeks after Boston Beer announced that hard seltzer darling Truly are down 26% – most likely due to an increasingly crowded seltzer market.
Shake Shake founder mandates employee & guest Covid-19 vaccinations for Hospitality Group
Danny Meyer, founder of Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group, is taking a hard line approach towards guests eating and drinking in their establishments. In-house guests will have to show proof of vaccination to get inside.
Meyer made the announcement on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Thursday afternoon. According to the interview, the mandate will apply to their full service restaurants in New York and Washington D.C.
“We’re following the lead of city, state, and federal government, and we’re going to do this ourselves…. Our full service restaurants in New York City and Washington D.C. to require that all staff members be vaccinated, and also to require guests that want to dine indoors show proof they have been vaccinated.”
When pressed on whether there would be potential legal backlash from employees that don’t want to be forced to get vaccinated, or whether it will motivate employees to leave work, Meyer stated “If that’s the case, that would be sad. We really tried to lead with a carrot for many many months now. It’s been about 150 days that we’ve been truly encouraging people. A vast majority of the Union Square Hospitality Group have been vaccinated.
The Group has given employees 8 hours of paid time off to go receive the vaccination, as well has holding open vaccinations in the restaurants.
However, Meyer alluded to an unemployment ultimatum for the employees not vaccinated within the next 45 days – “We are going to give our employee 45 days. Hopefully this is the incentive [the dual vaccination requirement] to say, “Now I’m going to do it.”
Meyer also went on to say that a Covid-19 vaccination is inline with other hygienic restaurant precautions like gloves and hand washing.
Shake Shack has not made a similar sweeping employee and customer vaccine mandate. Union Square Hospitality Group does not have control of the burger franchise.
“The is the most logical thing I can think of,” Meyer added.
This mandate comes as Covid-19 Delta variants infections are on the rise, seemingly for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
Union Square operates Anchovy Social, Blue Smoke, Caffe Marchio, Cedric’s At The Shed, Ci Saimo, Daily Provisions, Gramery Tavern, Intersect by Lexus, Loball, Mailino, Manhattan, Marta The Modern, and Porchlight, Tacocina, Union Square Cafe, and Vini E Fritti restaurants.
The vaccination mandate goes into effect starting September 7th, 2021.
Per Union Square Hospitality website
Atlanta’s SweetWater acquires Red Truck Brewing, announces west coast brewery
Atlanta based SweetWater Brewing Company has announced a new production facility, taproom, and restaurant in Fort Collins, Colorado.
This week, SweetWater acquired Red Truck Brewing, a Canadian brewery that bought the brewery from Fort Collins Brewing back in 2017. Red Truck closed its doors in March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic, and never reopened. The amount of the purchase has not been disclosed.
The 32,450 square foot space will see brewing and packaging equipment upgrades, as well as a taproom and restaurant overhaul.
Late last year, SweetWater was acquired Canadian based cannabis company, Aphria Inc., a sale highly motivated by the success of the brewery’s 420 Strain Series of beers.
Additionally, the Denver Airport will soon be home to a SweetWater airport bar location, joining Last Call Bar and Grill in Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport.
SweetWater ranks 11th in overall production volume amongst craft brewers in U.S. for calendar year 2020 according to the Brewers Association, currently distributing to 34 states.
The brewery opened in 1997.
