Archives for February 2020

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Fibonacci Sequence is a simple equation—the next number in the series is found by adding the two numbers before it—but strangely, from the lowliest acorn to the arms of the Milky Way galaxy, the sequence reveals itself throughout all of nature’s design.

It is also the inspiration for a new series of pastry stouts from Grand Rapids’s City Built Brewing Company, the first of which will be released Feb. 22.

When City Built Brewing Company came up with an idea to test the effects of the sequence on beer, divine providence would show how the sequence applied. Adjusting the boil times from three hours to five hours, to 13 hours and finally 21 hours produced interesting results on each stout.

The first beer in The Fibonacci Sequence, 3 Hour Stout, is a 10.5% ABV imperial stout. It will be available on draft and in cans at $20 per four pack starting Feb. 22. Smooth as velvet, with notes of caramel and coffee, the base stout is perfect without adjuncts involved.

“The number three is often associated with completion or perfection,” said Ed Collazo, CEO of City Built Brewing Company. “When we see the number three, it is a reminder from the universe of our creative potential and our innately divine nature.”

As the series progresses, so does the ABV. The 5 Hour Stout with coconut and vanilla hits at 13.5% and the 21 Hour Stout at 19%. Though unannounced, Collazo hinted at coveted barrel-aged versions of these beers down the line as well.

For the art, City Built tapped Kyle DeGroff, a Grand Rapids-based artist and muralist, who helped inspire the concept for the series. His celestial, colorful and psychedelic designs look like Tool album covers come to life.

3 Hour Stout’s Feb. 22 release date coincides with City Built’s Base Camp Beer & Breakfast Buffet, a prelude to the Michigan Brewers Guild’s Winter Beer Festival. A $25 ticket covers entrance to the event, a Teku logo glass, your first drink, the buffet and first access to purchase cans. Snow on Monroe, a 6% sour wheat with blackberry and black currants, will also be available for purchase at $15 per four pack.

“I’m excited because we’ve wanted to do pastry stouts since we opened and this is our first go at it,” Collazo said. “These are beers that I like to drink and share with friends. I think our personality is really coming through in the art and beer we’re putting out.”

City Built Brewing invites Media to a 9:00 a.m. tasting and brief introduction of the 3 Hour Stout on Feb. 22. Please email edwin@citybuiltbrewing.com to RSVP. Limited seating due to space capacity for event customers.

Tag Us: @citybuiltbrewing @citybuilt

Hashtags We’re Using: #citybuiltbrewing #whereculturescollide

About City Built Brewing Company
Cities are where cultures collide. Ideas get remixed. Societal shifts start. Old traditions combine and become new trends. City Built Brewing Company strives to reflect that energy in their innovative beer recipes and methods, and in their Puerto Rican inspired food served in their downtown Grand Rapids taproom. Visit them and learn how they make the strange familiar, and the familiar fresh and bold. Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

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RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — In honor of Women’s Month and International Women’s Day in March, seven of Long Island’s East End breweries have come together for a women’s collaboration which includes women from each venue in management, sales, marketing, hospitality, or production. The collaborative group has called themselves The Lady Brewsters of the North Fork, and will include Eastern Front Brewing Co. (Mattituck), Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. (Peconic/Greenport), Jamesport Farm Brewery (Jamesport), Long Ireland Beer Co. (Riverhead), Moustache Brewing Co. (Riverhead), North Fork Brewing Co. (Riverhead), and übergeek Brewing Co. (Riverhead).

Proceeds from each pint sale of this beer at all participating breweries and their correlating events in March will benefit Family Service League of Suffolk County, a non-profit organization that operates 60+ social service programs in more than 20 locations across Long Island, primarily in Suffolk County. Donations will be designated towards their programs that support women in need on the East End, covering a variety of concerns such as homelessness and housing, addiction, trauma, mental health, continuing education, healthcare and family support.

The recipe for this brew was developed by Catie Callaghan (cellar, Greenport Harbor Brewing), Michelle Demetillo (hospitality & community manager, North Fork Brewing) and Christine McCormack (brewer, Jamesport Farm Brewery), with the guidance of Peter Barraud (co-owner and brewmaster, North Fork Brewing) and the production team at Greenport Harbor Brewing. “Lunar Ascent” is an IPA brewed with hibiscus tea and ginger, hopped with local Nugget hops from North Fork Brewing’s farm in Peconic, as well as a variety of citrus and floral hops.

The brew day was hosted on Monday, February 10th, at North Fork Brewing, and the beer was infused with moonstone and black obsidian for their reported metaphysical benefits. The hibiscus tea was purchased from North Shore Tea Co., owned by former Long Islanders, and husband and wife team, Dan and Daneal O’Leary. The black obsidian lavastones were acquired from Earthly Secrets of Westhampton Beach.

“We wanted to come together and collaborate, highlighting the dynamic, creative women in this industry. It’s a male dominated field, but we are all strong women who appreciate craft beer, who want to have an impact, empower one another and support our community,” said Michelle Demetillo of North Fork Brewing Co. “And whether you believe in the healing properties of tea, plants, or crystals, we wanted to brew a beer inspired by their holistic benefits for an important cause.”

The idea behind the name Lunar Ascent was inspired by Sheila Malone of Long Ireland Beer Co. She explained that “it being lunar represents women in general and the ascent part pertains to us as a group of women taking roles and excelling in predominantly male environments like brewing.”

The Women’s Month Kick-Off Party with the release of Lunar Ascent will take place at Digger’s Ales N’ Eats of Riverhead on Wednesday, March 4th from 6-9pm. The breweries will host a myriad of charitable events throughout March, which will include yoga, meditation, speaking engagements, spa services, portrait photography, artists, self defense workshops, live music and more. To find out about their events, visit ladybrewsters.com. Follow along on social media @ladybrewsters.

For More Information: https://ladybrewsters.com/

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DETROIT — Aging beer in barrels goes back to the days of the Greeks and Romans, but in the U.S. the tradition is much more recent – about a quarter century. Detroit’s Atwater Brewery is set to tap its most successful aged beer, a limited volume 2020 barrel-aged VJ Black Imperial Stout (ABV: 11%) on Thursday, February 20, at 5:00 p.m. at its Detroit, Grosse Point and Grand Rapids Taphouse and Biergarden locations.

Historically all beers were barrel aged because that’s how they were stored and served. Besides the convenience, barrel aging gives the beers a warm, mellow or toasted taste, plus the distinct flavors of the wood barrels themselves and the bourbon that may have been stored in them.

VJ Black Imperial Stout is a derivative of Atwater’s popular Vanilla Java Porter aged for a full year in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels to create the desired, full-bodied flavor that warms you from the inside. The brew’s complex flavors include vanilla and coffee with more prominent bourbon and oak edges. The liquid was produced, aged and packaged in Atwater’s Detroit brewery, making it one of the only barrel aged beers produced entirely in Detroit.

“This Imperial Stout is very, very special,” says Atwater owner Mark Rieth. “Our brewers spent a lot of time getting it just right and they’ve come up with a unique taste you won’t get anywhere else. Our initial production run in 2018 was met with great enthusiasm. I only wish we could produce more of it.”

VJ Black Imperial Stout will be tapped exclusively at Atwater’s tap rooms – in Rivertown at 237 Joseph Campau in Detroit, Atwater in the Park in Grosse Point Park, and Atwater Grand Rapids. It will also be available in four pack bottles at the Atwater locations and at select Atwater retailers throughout Michigan.

Like all Atwater brews, the VJ Black will feature unique labels by well-known Detroit artist Tony Roko who says he creates labels “as if I were casting characters for a silent film. I try to capture the personality of the beer through color and expression.”

Based on initial customer reaction and robust presales, VJ Black Imperial Stout won’t be around for long. Join the February 20 event for your best chance to taste the beer and perhaps bring a four pack back to your own fridge.

Learn more at Atwaterbeer.com.

About Atwater Brewery
Atwater Brewery. Born in Detroit. Raised Everywhere. Atwater offers 40 styles of beer led by its popular Purple Gang Pilsner, Better Life Choices IPA, Vanilla Java Porter, Dirty Blonde and its “World Beer Cup” award winning Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale. Atwater distributes its beer to 21 states plus select international markets and offers a proprietary line of craft spirits. Atwater operates three full-service tap house and biergarten locations in Detroit, Grosse Pointe and Grand Rapids, MI. Find us on Facebook or visit www.Atwaterbeer.com

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CHICAGO — This March, Half Acre Beer Company will add a new beer to their year-round, full distribution foot print: TOME Hazy Pale Ale.

Low ABV, float beers have always been a big part of the Half Acre landscape. IPA and DIPA are of course always appreciated but over the stretch we reach for Pale Ale.

Releasing a full-time hazy beer suits our ultimate desire to work with hops in every form we can in order to add as many bands to the rainbow of hop proud beers you can readily get from Half Acre.

You can expect a soft, rounded mouthfeel with expressive tropical fruits and faint pine, coming in at 5.5% ABV.

Please reach out with any questions.

KEY DATES:

Brewery release: 3/06/2020

Market release: 3/09/2020

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About Half Acre Beer Company.
Half Acre Beer Co. is invested in each end of the brewing spectrum: time-honored classics and experimental, sensory-expanding releases. Founded in 2007 by Gabriel Magliaro, the company has evolved from a 15-barrel brewhouse on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood into two breweries producing over 45,000 barrels annually; two taprooms serving comfortably elevated, delicious food; a workshop for custom tap handles; and a direct-to-consumer store that brings the communal Half Acre experience full circle. Its diverse portfolio ranges from the decade-old flagship Daisy Cutter Pale Ale, to taproom-only wyld beers. In 2019, the company ranked 10th in Craft Beer & Brewing’s survey of best medium-sized breweries in the U.S. Half Acre as a company is made up of humans that respect one another, consider integrity a benchmark for success and appreciate your interest in what they make. Half Acre is at 4257 N. Lincoln Ave. and 2050 W. Balmoral Ave. For more, go to halfacrebeer.com.

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PORTLAND, Ore. — Ecliptic Brewing is excited to announce the launch of its Vega IPA Series in 16-ounce cans. This is a brand-new format for the Portland, Oregon based brewery. Vega IPA began in the spring of 2019 as a draft only option, but the company sees room for growth with the brand.

“I’ve always wanted to see an Ecliptic beer in a 16-ounce can but wanted to make sure we launched it with the right beer,” says Ecliptic Brewing’s Sales Manager, Erin Grey Kemplin. “The success of Vega IPA as draft only convinced me that this was the beer to make it happen with.”

As part of Ecliptic’s Limited Release Series, Vega IPA is always evolving with the newest, rarest and most unique hops. Each batch of Vega IPA – whether hazy or West Coast Style- is a creative hop playground for Ecliptic’s brewers. When Vega IPA changes, so will the batch number on the bottom of the can, and customers will be able to learn more about each batch of the beer on the company’s website.

Vega IPA has had five iterations throughout the last year. Says Ecliptic’s Owner and Brewmaster, John Harris, “Customers are excited when they come into our restaurant and see that there’s a new batch of Vega IPA to try, and we’re excited to play with such new and experimental hops that we haven’t worked with before”.

Vega IPA #6 will be the first launch of the brand in 16-ounce cans, expected to ship in early March. Vega IPA will be available throughout Ecliptic Brewing’s distribution network in both draft and 16-ounce cans.

About Vega IPA #6

Vega IPA is an experimental hop playground for our curious and creative brewers to continuously source new and unique hops. Exploring the boundaries of the IPA style, the result is a fresh and distinctly different IPA with each new release. Vega IPA #6 features Vic Secret, Strata, Galaxy, Mosaic, and Amarillo hops.

ABV 6.5%

IBU 45

About Ecliptic Brewing
Ecliptic Brewing is a venture from John Harris, an Oregon beer icon whose background is steeped in the state’s rich craft brewing history. The name Ecliptic unites Harris’ two passions: brewing and astronomy. As such, the brewery celebrates the Earth’s yearly journey around the sun through both its beer and restaurant menus. Harris’ signature beers include Starburst IPA, Phaser Hazy IPA, Carina Peach Sour Ale and Capella Porter. For more information, visit: eclipticbrewing.com. Ecliptic beers are available at the brewery (825 North Cook St), in bottle and on-tap throughout the area, and distributed by: Maletis Beverage (Portland, Salem, Vancouver WA), Bigfoot Beverage (Eugene, Bend, Coast), Fort George Distributing (Northern Oregon Coast, Southern Washington Coast), Hodgen Distributing (Eastern Oregon), Summit Distribution (Southern Oregon), NW Beverages (Seattle, Tacoma), Odom (Eastern Washington, Northern ID), Dickerson Distributing (Bellingham), Crooked Stave Artisans (Colorado), Freedom Distributors (North Carolina), Beer Thirst (Canada) and Tread Water (Japan).

For More Information: eclipticbrewing.com

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PORTLAND, Maine — Sea Dog Brewing Co. will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at its new location on Broadway in South Portland. City officials, Chamber representatives, and business leaders will be on hand to join Barney the Sea Dog cut the ribbon on Tuesday, February 18, 2020.

Guests are expected to arrive at 9:00 a.m. with the ribbon cutting taking place at 9:30 a.m. Please note the official opening to the public for bowling and dining is later that day at 4 p.m.

The new restaurant retains many of the features of the former Easy Day Bowling Center including 10-lane bowling, family fun, space for private parties and league play, all with expansive views of the Fore River. A full brew pub was added with a tailored menu for both small bites and large appetites, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free alternatives.

Sea Dog Brewing Company Broadway manager Ryan Blouin, Operations Manager Dale Carrier, and Shipyard Brewing Co. Founder, Fred Forsley, will be on location. We invite you to join us for a preview of this great family restaurant and fun center; and, to learn all things Dining, Bowling and Brews.

What: Sea Dog Brewing Broadway location Ribbon Cutting Ceremony & Preview

When: February 18, 2020 9:00 a.m. [NOTE: Brewpub & Bowling opens to the public at 4 p.m.]

Where: 725 Broadway, South Portland, Maine

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LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — Laguna Beach Beer Company (LBBC) has once again proven to be at the forefront of the most discerning beer lover’s radars with its highly esteemed new Head Brewer and latest launches. This Orange County institution has been brewing local favorites since 2014 and boasts two locations: the Rancho Santa Margarita brewery and the namesake Laguna Beach tasting room. On Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at the RSM brewery, all are welcome to come and taste six new brews to cure the wintertime blues, all created by the Chris Linn, Laguna Beach Beer Company’s newly named Head Brewer.

Hailing from Long Beach’s Beachwood Brewing, Chris Linn, a longtime Laguna resident, hopes to give LBBC’s fans and consumers an even more balanced and diverse list of beers. “The biggest thing I hope to bring to LBBC is a more modern West Coast IPA. Coming from Beachwood, they are famous for having some of the best IPAs on the market, so I am striving to put LBBC on the map with some amazing IPAs,” says Chris. “I am honored to be appointed the new Head Brewer of Laguna Beach Beer Company. I feel as if a beer is never perfect and you always need to be on top of current research and trends in order to put out the best beer you can.”

The tasting party will begin at 6 p.m. at LBBC’s Rancho Santa Margarita brewery location (29851 Aventura, Ste C-E, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688) and is open to the public. All who join in the festivities will have the opportunity to sample and purchase all six freshly brewed beers from Laguna Beach Beer Company’s new Head Brewer, Chris Linn (while supplies last): Wilderness Park Porter (Coffee Porter feat. Portola Coffee), Luge Hoppy Lager, Old Emerald Double IPA, Greeter’s Pale Ale, Thousand Steps West Coast IPA, and Greeno Hoppy Pale Ale. All are invited to meet Chris, learn more about his vision, and experience a tour of the brewery. Pints will be available to purchase for $6.

About Laguna Beach Beer Company
Laguna Beach Beer Company was founded in 2014 out of a passion for craft beer by two Laguna Beach natives and childhood buddies, who sought to bring the laid-back and local vibes of their home town to the beers they drink.

For More Information: facebook.com/events/2306775032953550/

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GREELEY, Colo. — It wasn’t that long ago when a handshake deal between two friends at the 2014 Big Beers Homebrew Competition in Breckenridge, Colorado led to a business plan that would morph into an award-winning brewery comprised of a passionate, collective of individuals. For Neil Fisher and Colin Jones, co-owners of WeldWerks Brewing Co., the five-year mile marker is one of those ‘pinch me’ moments.

“Thinking back to early 2015, just before we opened WeldWerks, I honestly hadn’t given much thought to where we would be in five years. I was just hoping we would be open and still in business five years later. Now, I realize that I set my expectations far too low because we aren’t just ‘still in business’ coming into our 5th year; we are growing, thriving, and evolving into something greater than I ever could have imagined,” says Neil Fisher, Co-Owner and Head Brewer at WeldWerks Brewing Co.

For WeldWerks, it has been a busy five years. From launching one of the nation’s most highly-regarded beer festivals, the WeldWerks Invitational, to releasing an average of 120 fully branded and packaged beers in 2018 and 2019 and setting their sights on opening a second location in Colorado Springs, WeldWerks continues their quest to produce quality and innovative beer and offer a world-class beer experience.

“Each individual on our team recognizes the value of creation and innovation. We like to remember that pushing boundaries is fun, and nuance and balance also have a place at the table,” says Colin Jones, Co-Owner and CEO at WeldWerks Brewing Co. “To stand out in such an amazing craft beer state such as Colorado is not only an amazing feat for our team, but I am so proud of what we have accomplished and will continue to accomplish in the future.”

To celebrate the wild ride, WeldWerks is hosting a 5-Year Anniversary Party on March 20 and 21. This extended bash comes fully equipped with four different barrel-aged stout releases (two per day) including bottles of Barrel-Aged Mexican Achromatic, Starry Noche, Medianoche Premier vol. 2 and Medianoche Brewer’s Select, plus limited-edition full-color wrap anniversary glassware, as well as the release of seven new canned beers. To support the bevy of bottle offerings, WeldWerks will also be holding a lottery that will give 200 lucky fans the ability to skip the lines and purchase the entire 4-bottle set, complete with custom packaging. A massive 4,000 square-foot heated tent will be brought in to provide extra room for the festivities regardless of weather and an outdoors draft trailer will be used to help accommodate the extra traffic.

“Our community, both in Greeley and beyond, has provided such incredible and awe-inspiring support. In doing so, we are able to give back to our community,” says Jones. “We have always had a heart for our town, and we are humbled each and every time this community shows up, with us, to work to better the lives of those who live here. We’re proud to be a force for good and to support our community that makes us proud every single day.”

For more information about WeldWerks Brewing’s 5-Year Anniversary Party, contact Chea Franz at chea@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT WELDWERKS BREWING CO.
Established in 2015, WeldWerks Brewing Co. is an award-winning craft brewery located in Greeley, Colorado recognized for brewing an array of beer styles including Juicy Bits, one of the most highly regarded hazy IPAs in the country. WeldWerks brings innovative and quality craft beer to the community it serves, garnering numerous medals and acclaim in their first three years of operation including multiple medals at both the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, as well as being named USA Today’s Best New Brewery in a 2016 10 Best Reader’s Poll. WeldWerks is passionately committed to giving back to the community it serves, establishing The WeldWerks Community Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting local nonprofits through events like The WeldWerks Invitational. At WeldWerks, “Fine Tuned Beer” is a way of life, turning up all the dials to ensure outstanding excellence in craft beer, service and beyond. For more information about WeldWerks Brewing Co, visit www.weldwerksbrewing.com.

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ATLANTA — Available now, Atlanta’s Second Self Beer Company announces Dad Made Breakfast (9% ABV), the first release in a three-part pastry stout series. This high gravity, non-adjunct breakfast stout is a vegan product, containing zero lactose, artificial ingredients or sweeteners. Brewed with oats, coffee and roasted malts, the rich body and robust aroma of the beer pairs well with roasted spare ribs, bacon, cheddar cheese, broccoli rabe and vanilla ice cream.

“At Second Self, it’s a constant goal of ours to release new offerings that appeal to a wider audience. For that reason, we’re excited to be releasing a vegan stout with Dad Made Breakfast.” says Second Self Co-Founder and Beer Architect, Jason Santamaria. “For the two beers following in the series, we’ll be experimenting with new flavor introductions and brewing techniques.”

Keith Rein, design specialist at Salt and Paper House in Athens, Georgia, created the artwork in addition to a number of other labels he has made for Second Self. The labels will evolve with each release.

Later this year, Second Self will launch Stepdad Made Breakfast, featuring maple syrup and blueberries, followed by Grandad Made Breakfast, a bourbon barrel-aged version of Stepdad Made Breakfast. Each beer will be available for purchase in 16oz. cans at Second Self’s Westside tasting room (1317 Logan Circle NW) and in shops, bars and restaurants throughout Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

ABOUT SECOND SELF BEER COMPANY
Second Self’s co-founders Jason Santamaria and Chris Doyle released their highly acclaimed beers to the public in fall 2014, and since then the brewery has expanded twice, with increases in production capabilities and growth into markets across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. Second Self’s beers are brewed with fresh ingredients like blue ginger, lemongrass, lime and fresh guava (never dried ingredients or extracts), and their team has been inspired by a variety of beer styles, yielding their popular Thai Wheat, ATaLe, Havana Night, viKings of the South and more. Their Westside brewery, located at 1317 Logan Circle NW, Atlanta, GA, is open to the public for tastings on Thursday to Sunday, and event info can be found here. Second Self has been nationally recognized by The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, DRAFT Magazine, Beer Advocate, Fortune, Paste Magazine and many more.

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