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craft lager

Anchor Brewing Releases San Pancho Mexican Style Lager this Spring

April 11, 2023 by Spencer Mapes

SAN FRANCISCO, California— San Francisco’s trailblazing Anchor Brewing Co. continues its spirit of innovation with San Pancho, a craft Mexican Style Lager with Lime rolling out nationwide this spring. The super-refreshing brew is a celebration of the rich mural culture and arts tradition in the Bay Area. Bursting with zesty citrus, sweet corn, and light maltiness, San Pancho is crisp and approachable, ideal for easy drinking on sun-filled afternoons.

San Pancho takes inspiration from the Mission District, one of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, and a notable center of the city’s Chicano community, long recognized for its bold murals, street art, revered taquerias, and rich nightlife. Anchor’s brew team crafted the 4.9% lager to capture that sense of place. San Pancho is brewed with lime, pale and flaked corn malts, and Saaz hops for its well-balanced flavor profile and aroma.

“Anchor Brewing Co. has been at the forefront of craft lagers. We were drawn to the idea of a fresh and bright lager that’s distinctively San Franciscan and captures all the flavor and character you find in Mexican Style Lagers,” says brewmaster Dane Volek. “The city’s Mission District pulses with energy and we aspired to capture that verve through San Pancho, a beer that is vibrant, chill and easy-to-love. Just like San Francisco.”

That vibrancy is also highlighted in San Pancho’s bold packaging. The artwork is inspired by the aesthetic and traditions of murals and paintings found throughout the Mission, and by historic works from renowned mural artists like Diego Rivera who created multiple pieces in San Francisco. San Pancho’s bold graphic illustrations laud the historic iconography of Anchor’s hometown. With roots dating back to the Gold Rush, Anchor continues to be a San Francisco stalwart that stands the test of time.

San Pancho Mexican Style Lager with Lime joins Anchor’s year-round portfolio of beers including classics like Anchor Steam Beer, California Lager, Anchor Porter, Crisp Pilsner, Tropical Hazy IPA and last year’s West Coast IPA. With the nationwide rollout this spring, fans can find San Pancho in Anchor Best Coast variety packs, and in six-packs and on draft throughout California. San Francisco locals can also experience the new brew on tap at Anchor Public Taps in Potrero Hill.

About Anchor Brewing Company

Established in San Francisco in 1896, Anchor Brewing Company is America’s first craft brewery, a trailblazer and industry leader that has persevered through earthquakes, fires, and Prohibition. In 1965, Anchor’s new owner Fritz Maytag revived the brewery for a new era, charting a course that was foundational in the craft beer movement. During this time, Anchor reinvented its now classic Steam Beer, introduced the first American Pale Ale, and pioneered new brewing practices—such as dry-hopping—that are still used industry-wide today. As a proudly unionized brewery, Anchor’s dynamic portfolio of beers includes complex ales, refreshing IPAs, and iconic classics such as Anchor Steam®, Liberty Ale, Anchor Porter, California Lager, and Christmas Ale. As always, Anchor Brewing remains committed to innovation while hand-crafting venerable beers that stand the test of time. Locals and Bay Area visitors can experience Anchor Brewing in-person at their iconic brewery and Public Taps taproom in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood.

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Filed Under: Beer, craft lager, craftbeer Tagged With: Anchor Brewing, california beer, Mexican Style Lager, San Pancho

Midwest’s Own Garage Beer Embraces a Strong Sense of Community with the Crew

April 3, 2023 by Spencer Mapes

COLUMBUS, Ohio— Garage Beer, one of the country’s only independent light beers, born in a garage in the heart of the Midwest and today a fan favorite, is proud to announce its partnership with the Columbus Crew. Keeping fans refreshed, Garage Beer will now be sold throughout the season at Crew games. All Crew fans will have an opportunity to try the Garage Beer experience and celebrate their favorite team’s wins alongside their new favorite brew. Fans can purchase Garage Beer in the N.E. concourse at the Lower.com Field.

Widely celebrated as the beer everyone needs to have stocked in their garage fridge, Garage Beer’s appeal is driven by its small batch production and that it is light, drinkable, and well-crafted. The brand aims to be the brand that makes the garage the heartbeat of neighborhoods everywhere. Crafted as the beer that you can grab right out of the fridge and give to your neighbor, no matter their beer preferences. Its brand loyalty has continued to grow, thanks to being regarded as a simply great tasting beer.

“At the end of the day, Garage beer is the beer that brings people together. We want to build stronger communities one beer at a time” shares Andrew Sauer, President of Garage Beer Co. “Being at the Lower.com Field helps us to achieve our mission and make Garage Beer even more accessible to fans of all types. Now, whether you purchase Garage beer in the aisle of your favorite retailer or in the stands, together we’ll rekindle how important it is to be a community as we celebrate each other once again.”

About Garage Beer

Garage Beer is a satisfying product which now is marketed in partnership between Braxton Brewing and Andrew Sauer, who is well regarded as a CPG marketing expert based on his success at companies like Jim Beam and JM Smucker Company, but most recently Hilo Nutrition. Now, with a bigger idea, and a story to fuel its growth Garage Beer’s future is bright, more now than ever. In that garages have long been a place of community gathering, of families and friends – and coupled with light beer, the brand encourages people to open their garages and build stronger communities.

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Filed Under: Beer, craft lager, craftbeer Tagged With: Braxton Brewing, Columbus Crew, Garage Beer

The story of Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte Porter

March 2, 2021 by Dow Scoggins

Black Butte Porter - Deschutes Brewery Promised Great Beer and Delivered with its first beer.In 1987, we originally hired Frank Appleton, a brewing consultant from Canada to help us establish the brewing component of our planned brewpub in Bend, Oregon. In addition to designing the equipment, and having it installed, he would formulate the first three beers in our line-up. Not knowing much about it in 1988, we wanted something light, medium, and dark. Frank came up with Cascade Golden Ale, Bachelor Bitter, and Black Butte Porter. Our first brewer, John Harris, then put his hand (and considerable skill) on the formulation and Black Butte Porter was born. However, it was not until sometime later that Black Butte Porter became our “flagship” beer. After a year or so, and out of necessity to keep the brewery going, we began to explore wholesale distribution. Thinking conventionally, we began with Cascade Golden Ale and Bachelor Bitter as being most adaptable to the limited palates of 1980’s drinkers. It just seemed like lighter colored beer would make sense.

Once while meeting with our distributor in Portland, Oregon, Jim Kennedy, he posed a question. He said, “You need to decide what you want to be as a brewery. Now, you can sell these lighter colored beers and carve out your small but reasonable slice of the very large, light colored beer-pie, competing with everyone for that slice. Or, you can sell Black Butte Porter and, although the dark-colored beer-pie is much smaller, you can own the whole thing”. I guess being a contrarian at heart, that proposition appealed to me. Although we had to sacrifice quite a bit to make that happen. You see, the path of least resistance for beer salespeople was certainly not in dark beer. Particularly when we had developed some really popular lighter beers like Mirror Pond Pale Ale. But we were committed. For the next few years, we kept the brakes on Mirror Pond and limited its market exposure to ensure Black Butte could gain a foothold in the market. It didn’t hurt that it was winning awards at a pretty good clip in those days. As a result, you could say we developed our second brand first, and we actually had two flagship brands with Black Butte and Mirror Pond sharing that distinction.
Black Butte Porter has continued to evolve, although our target flavors never really changed. But with growth naturally comes change. When we built our larger production facility in 1993, we installed a 50-barrel brewery. Later, we added a German-manufactured 150 barrel brewery that was much more efficient. Getting those two breweries to brew Black Butte Porter that tasted the same was quite the chore. But, we’re pretty stubborn, so four years later, we declared success and the legacy (and flavor) of Black Butte Porter could continue.

Black Butte continues to be our flagship. Even though beers like Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Fresh Squeezed outsell it. Black Butte is the best-selling porter in America and a significant point of pride for our team. It has successfully dispelled the misconceptions of dark beer. It is particularly successful at that task with novice craft drinkers. But, if we can get them to taste it, they are usually hooked! It has also spurred spin-offs like Black Butte Anniversary that is an imperial version of Black Butte Porter brewed for our company’s anniversary, but being barrel-aged and topping out around 11% alcohol with various added adjuncts like chocolate, chilis or coffee. We have also made a Black Butte Whiskey, with local distillery, Bendistillery. We make the wash for the whiskey using a variation of the Black Butte formula for that wash. Finally, we also do Black Butte3 where we use an imperial version of Black Butte Porter and age it in barrels that were used for Black Butte Whiskey.

Business consultants like to ask a question evaluating your business. That is, “what can you do your competitors can’t?” For me, the answer is clearly Black Butte Porter. The legend will continue. What we do with it next, well, stay tuned.

Written by Gary Fish, Founder of Deschutes Brewery

 

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Filed Under: Beer, craft lager

Alaskan Brewing’s Baltic Porter Returns

December 27, 2020 by Dow Scoggins

Alaskan Baltic PorterJUNEAU, Alaska – Alaskan Baltic Porter is back as the latest brew for Alaskan Brewing’s limited Pilot Series. This rich and warming brew is a deep, dense beer with an intricate array of aromas and flavors that’s perfect for cold and dark winter nights, and for special occasions like the holidays.

“It’s always fun to brew this fan-favorite, and it also takes a lot of attention to detail,” said Alaskan Head Brewer Rob Day. “It has so many elements – with a blend of specialty malts, dark black cherries, brown sugar, gourmet vanilla beans, and finished on oak. And it is definitely a beer you can drink right away, but lots of folks like to age it to enhance the vanilla and cherry.”

First brewed in 2008 and most recently in 2017, fans have aged every vintage of Alaskan Baltic Porter, enjoying this rare beer on special occasions and in vertical tastings. Age enhances the smooth mouthfeel and malt sweetness as well as the fruit flavors.

Day’s tasting notes on Alaskan Baltic Porter emphasize deep maltiness, vanilla and cherry intensity and a warming from the 9.8% ABV. The color is jet-black from the deeply roasted malts, with hints of bourbon and toffee present from start to finish.

“Baltic Porters were originally brewed stronger and more hoppy than many other dark beers to endure the trip to remote communities along the Baltic Sea,” remarked Day. “So, it’s robust, with toasted French oak, and dried fruit notes. Here in Alaska, the warmth is also a very attractive feature especially in winter.”

The name and label of Baltic Porter links this beer to the Russian period of Alaska history, with the copula of a Russian Orthodox church featured prominently. These traditional onion-domed copulas are still present in many communities in Alaska, as well as other settlements along the Baltic Sea.

Day recommends drinking it right away, or aging for up to 10 years. “If anyone is still holding onto a 2008, I would recommend planning a special occasion to enjoy that one. I think after 10 years or so, this beer has probably peaked. An excellent way to taste this beer is to get a new bottle and compare it to the aged beer – you’re really able to pick out the changes in flavor that way.”

Alaskan Baltic Porter will be on shelves in 22-ounce bottles and on draft in select locations beginning in December and will available for approximately three months.

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Filed Under: Beer, craft lager

The 2020 Canadian Brewing Awards

September 15, 2020 by Dow Scoggins

 Canadian Brewing AwardsThe Canadian Brewing Awards is Canada’s national competition for judging the quality of Canadian manufactured beer. The Canadian Brewing Awards invites Canadian majority-owned breweries of all sizes to compete in a Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) sanctioned blind tasting determining the best beers in 55 style categories. A Canadian Brewing Award medal is a widely recognized symbol of Canadian brewing excellence.

European Style Lager (Pilsner)
GOLD: Kinabik Pilsner | Snake Lake Brewing Company | Alberta
SILVER: Bohemian Style Pilsner | Flora Hall Brewing | Ontario
BRONZE: Pixel Pils | Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks | British Columbia

European Style Amber to Dark Lager
GOLD: Fahr Munich | Brauerei Fahr | Alberta
SILVER: Fahr Copper | Brauerei Fahr | Alberta
BRONZE: Ladder Run Amber Lager | Thornbury Village Craft Brewery | Ontario

Bock – Traditional German Style
GOLD: Elevator Dopplebock | Hell’s Basement Brewery Inc. | Alberta
SILVER: BEER 101 BOCK | Niagara College Teaching Brewery | Ontario
BRONZE: Bringing Sexy Bock | Garrison Brewing Company | Nova Scotia

Kellerbier/Zwickelbier
GOLD: Rockwell Pilsner | The Collingwood Brewery | Ontario
SILVER: Hazy Blonde | Old Flame Brewing Company | Ontario
BRONZE: POTTS PILSNER | Moon Under Water Brewery | British Columbia

German Style Kolsch
GOLD: Rhine Stone Cowboy Kolsch Style Ale | Big Rock Brewery | Alberta
SILVER: Lighthorse Lagered Ale | Bogside Brewing | Prince Edward Island
BRONZE: Köl Story Bro Kölsch | Brewhall Beer Co. | British Columbia

Wheat Beer – Belgian Style (Wit)
GOLD: Jongleur | Strange Fellows Brewing | British Columbia
SILVER: Farmer’s Tan Belgian White | Brewsters Brewing Company | Alberta
BRONZE: SNOangel | SNO Microbrasserie | Québec

Wheat Beer – German Style (Weiss)
GOLD: Beautiful Aurelia | Foundry Brewing Inc | Ontario
SILVER: Wheat Kings County | Bogside Brewing | Prince Edward Island
BRONZE: Fahr Hefe | Brauerei Fahr | Alberta

Baltic Porter
GOLD: Two Rivers Baltic Porter | Tatamagouche Brewing Company | Nova Scotia
SILVER: Baltistar Galactiporter | Bent Stick Brewing Co. | Alberta
BRONZE: Vistula | Altitude Beer Inc | British Columbia

Belgian-Style Dubbel or Quadrupel
GOLD: Directissima Dubbel | Whitetooth Brewing Company Ltd. | British Columbia
SILVER: Mic Drop | Inner City Brewing | Alberta
BRONZE: Gros mollet | Microbrasserie du Lac St-Jean | Québec

Belgian-Style Tripel
GOLD: HAMMER OF THE DAWN | Indie Alehouse | Ontario
SILVER: Soap Box Preacher | Inner City Brewing | Alberta
BRONZE: Trepanation Tripel | Whitetooth Brewing Company Ltd. | British Columbia

Belgian-Style Abbey Ale / Pale Ale
GOLD: Marigold | Clifford Brewing Company | Ontario
SILVER: La Tenace Belgian Single | Whitetooth Brewing Company Ltd. | British Columbia
BRONZE: Burnabarian | Dageraad Brewing | British Columbia

Belgian-Style Strong Ale Pale / Dark / Specialty
GOLD: Cousin Eddie’s | Cassel Brewery | Ontario
SILVER: Mons d’abbaye Blonde | Belgh Brasse | Québec
BRONZE: Belgian Blond | Sooke Brewing Co. | British Columbia

French and Belgian Style Saison
GOLD: Saison du Djâbe | Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault | New Brunswick
SILVER: La petite duchesse | Little Beasts Brewing Company | Ontario
BRONZE: 18 Juillet 1853 | Siboire | Québec

Belgian-Style Brett Beer
GOLD: Name TBD | Royal City Brewing Co. | Ontario
SILVER: Square One | Tatamagouche Brewing Company | Nova Scotia
BRONZE: Funk et Furie | Avant-Garde artisans brasseurs | Québec

German-Style Sour Ale Berliner-Style Weisse or Gose
GOLD: Cool As | Cabin Brewing Company | Alberta
SILVER: Limoilou Beach | Microbrasserie La Souche | Québec
BRONZE: Saltwater Cowboy Gose | Tatamagouche Brewing Company | Nova Scotia

Belgian-Style Sour Ale – Flanders Red Ale , Oud Bruin , Lambic / Gueuze , Fruit Lambic
GOLD: Pic-Barrique (2020) | Microbrasserie Le Prospecteur | Québec
SILVER: Mueuze | Meuse Brewing Company Inc. | Ontario
BRONZE: Profondo Rosso | Parallel 49 Brewing Company | British Columbia

Porter
GOLD: Brick and Mortar Porter | Medicine Hat Brewing Company | Alberta
SILVER: Old Man Winter Porter | Ribstone Creek Brewery | Alberta
BRONZE: STEADFAST | Tooth and Nail Brewing Company | Ontario

Brown Ale
GOLD: Coppersmith Brown Ale | Common Crown Brewing Co. | Alberta
SILVER: Brown ale de seigle | Microbrasserie Pit Caribou | Québec
BRONZE: Woodnutt Brown Ale | Coast Mountain Brewing | British Columbia

Scotch Ale
GOLD: Andys Wee Heavy | Common Crown Brewing Co. | Alberta
SILVER: Hellroaring Scottish ale | Fisher Peak Brewing Company | British Columbia
BRONZE: Rob Roy Scotch Ale | Walkerville Brewery | Ontario

English Style Pale Ale
GOLD: Steam Whistle Pale Ale | Steam Whistle Brewing | Ontario
SILVER: Honey Hop Pale Ale | Longwood Brewery | British Columbia
BRONZE: Free Range Country Ale | Farm Country Brewing | British Columbia

English Bitters – Ordinary or Special Bitters / Best Bitter or ESB
GOLD: Best | Henderson Brewing Co. | Ontario
SILVER: Gros Pin | Microbrasserie La Souche | Québec
BRONZE: Iconic Bitter | Warehouse Brewing Company | Saskatchewan

Sweet Stout or Cream Stout
GOLD: Stout Milkshake | Vox Populi | Québec
SILVER: Easy Stout | Walkerville Brewery | Ontario
BRONZE: Chocolate Milk Stout | Wellington Brewery | Ontario

Oatmeal Stout
GOLD: Gentlemen’s Stout | Medicine Hat Brewing Company | Alberta
SILVER: Blackmail | Strange Fellows Brewing | British Columbia
BRONZE: Collectively Smashed | Inner City Brewing | Alberta

Dry Stout
GOLD: Angus Stout | 9 Mile Legacy Brewing Co. | Saskatchewan
SILVER: Davy Jones Nitro | Corsaire Microbrasserie | Québec
BRONZE: Woodhouse Stout beer | Woodhouse Brewing | Ontario

Imperial Stout
GOLD: Liquid Lullaby Imperial Stout | Town Square Brewing | Alberta
SILVER: Imperial Oatmeal Stout | Barnside Brewing Co. | British Columbia
BRONZE: Tempest | Amsterdam Brewing Company | Ontario

English Style India Pale Ale
GOLD: Englishish IPA | District Brewing Co | Saskatchewan
SILVER: Geronimo IPA | Walkerville Brewery | Ontario
BRONZE: La Bittt à Tibi IPA | Belgh Brasse | Québec

North American Style Lager
GOLD: Crispy Buoy | Tapworks Brewing Company | British Columbia
SILVER: Twin City | Medicine Hat Brewing Company | Alberta
BRONZE: Red Racer Lager | Red Racer | British Columbia

North American Style Premium Lager
GOLD: Blonde | Old Flame Brewing Company | Ontario
SILVER: Beach Chair Lager | PEI Brewing Company | Prince Edward Island
BRONZE: Craft Lager – Canadian Style Lager | Big Rock Brewery | Alberta

North American Style Amber Lager
GOLD: The Wobbly Code | Electric Bicycle Brewing | British Columbia
SILVER: SNOfox | SNO Microbrasserie | Québec
BRONZE: Pond Surfer California Common | Town Square Brewing | Alberta

Light (Calorie-Reduced) Lager
GOLD: Death Wave Lager | Sea Change Brewing Co. | Alberta
SILVER: Light Eh! Lager | Kingsville Brewing Company | Ontario
BRONZE: Cracked Canoe | Moosehead Breweries | New Brunswick

Cream Ale
GOLD: The Specialist | Tire Shack Brewing Co. | New Brunswick
SILVER: Cream Ale | Anderson Craft Ales | Ontario
BRONZE: Roger That | Overflow Brewing Company | Ontario

North American Style – Amber / Red Ale
GOLD: Varsity Hall Red Ale | Snake Lake Brewing Company | Alberta
SILVER: Rodeo Red Ale | Big Ridge Brewing | British Columbia
BRONZE: Round Trip Amber Ale | Red Truck Beer Company | British Columbia

North American Style – Blonde or Golden Ale
GOLD: Belmont Village | Red Circle Brewing Co. | Ontario
SILVER: La Libertine | La Voie Maltée | Québec
BRONZE: Nokomis Golden Ale | Nokomis Craft Ales | Saskatchewan

American Style Black Ale
GOLD: Black Rock | Stack Brewing | Ontario
SILVER: Cascadian Dark Ale | Blindman Brewing | Alberta
BRONZE: Snake Island Cascadian Dark Ale | White Sails Brewing Ltd. | British Columbia

North American Style Pale Ale
GOLD: Sickbird Northwest Pale Ale | Whitetooth Brewing Company Ltd. | British Columbia
SILVER: Uncle Leo’s Sunburst | Uncle Leo’s Brewery | Nova Scotia
BRONZE: Method West Coast Pale Ale | Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers | British Columbia

Wheat Beer – North American Style
GOLD: Ploughman Wheat Ale | Common Crown Brewing Co. | Alberta
SILVER: Grasshopper Wheat Ale | Big Rock Brewery | Alberta
BRONZE: Smooth Sail Summer Ale | Walkerville Brewery | Ontario

American Style India Pale Ale
GOLD: Filthy Dirty | Parallel 49 Brewing Company | British Columbia
SILVER: Jet Fuel IPA | Ace Brewing Company | British Columbia
BRONZE: La Racoleuse | La Voie Maltée | Québec

New England Style India Pale Ale
GOLD: Presta | Siboire | Québec
SILVER: Creature Feature | Good Robot Brewing | Nova Scotia
BRONZE: Ring Pop | Eighty-Eight Brewing Company | Alberta

Session India Pale Ale
GOLD: Glitter Bomb Hazy Pale Ale | Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. | British Columbia
SILVER: Beep Beep | Steel & Oak Brewing Co. | British Columbia
BRONZE: White IPA | Pile O’ Bones Brewing | Saskatchewan

American Style Imperial India Pale Ale
GOLD: Deep Thoughts | Triple IPA | Another Beer Company | British Columbia
SILVER: Parkman Ave | Copper Bottom Brewing | Prince Edward Island
BRONZE: Faces Double IPA | Wellington Brewery | Ontario

American Belgo-Style Ale
GOLD: Icefields Belgian-Inspired Pale Ale | Whitetooth Brewing Company Ltd. | British Columbia
SILVER: Bootsy | House of Funk Brewing | British Columbia
BRONZE: Jordan Harbour Belgian Pale Ale | Bench Brewing Company | Ontario

American Style Brett Beer
GOLD: Hedgerow | Strange Fellows Brewing | British Columbia
SILVER: Tropicale IPA | Brasserie Dunham | Québec
BRONZE: Mr Natural | brassneck | British Columbia

American Style Sour Ale
GOLD: Super Fusion | The Establishment Brewing Company | Alberta
SILVER: Goses and Goblins | Analog Brewing Company | Alberta
BRONZE: Hawk Tail Lemon Kveik Sour | Hawk Tail Brewery | Alberta

Special Honey / Maple Lager or Ale
GOLD: Rousse à l’érable | Ferme Brasserie Schoune | Québec
SILVER: Honey Brown – Amber Lager | Big Rock Brewery | Alberta
BRONZE: Bear Paw Honey Lager | Whistler Brewing Company | British Columbia

Fruit / Fruit Wheat / Field / Pumpkin Beer
GOLD: La Classic Rosé | Brasseux d’la Cote | New Brunswick
SILVER: Creamsicle Ale | Medicine Hat Brewing Company | Alberta
BRONZE: Dwarf Sour Cherry Saison | Blindman Brewing | Alberta

Gluten Free Beer
GOLD: Glutenberg Red | Glutenberg | Québec
SILVER: Forager Gluten Free Lager | Whistler Brewing Company | British Columbia
BRONZE: Glutenberg Gose | Glutenberg | Québec

Session Ale
GOLD: Abbey Lane English Mild | Ribstone Creek Brewery | Alberta
SILVER: Azacca Session IPA | Propeller Brewing Company | Nova Scotia
BRONZE: Setting Day | PEI Brewing Company | Prince Edward Island

Experimental Beer
GOLD: Moosehead Shaker Tropical Pina Colada | Moosehead Breweries | New Brunswick
SILVER: Red Racer Street Legal IPA | Red Racer | British Columbia
BRONZE: Lawyers Guns & Honey | Bent Stick Brewing Co. | Alberta

Herb and Spice Beer
GOLD: Aki No Seishin | Ippon | Québec
SILVER: Nightwatch Coffee Lager | Lighthouse Brewing Company | British Columbia
BRONZE: Fireside | Salt Spring Island Ales Brewery | British Columbia

Smoked Beer
GOLD: Prairie Fire Rauchbier | Town Square Brewing | Alberta
SILVER: Moosehead Small Batch Rauchbier | Moosehead Breweries | New Brunswick
BRONZE: Das Winter Projekt | Frampton Brasse | Québec

Barley Wine-Style Ale – English Style / American Style
GOLD: Barrel Aged Ape Index Barley Wine | The OT Brewing Company | Alberta
SILVER: Perepllut Barley Wine | Blindman Brewing | Alberta
BRONZE: BarleyWine édition 2019 | Ferme Brasserie Schoune | Québec

Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer – Pale to Amber / Dark
GOLD: Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout | Russell Brewing Company | British Columbia
SILVER: Entropy Series No. 12 – Old Bretts | Dageraad Brewing | British Columbia
BRONZE: Four Barrels | Red Circle Brewing Co. | Ontario

Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
GOLD: Tempestarii Sour Cherry Saison | Low Life Barrelhouse | Manitoba
SILVER: BBA Triple Stout | Longwood Brewery | British Columbia
BRONZE: Aki No Seishin- Imperial | Ippon | Québec

Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
GOLD: Abricotine | Microbrasserie La Souche | Québec
SILVER: Uncertainty Principle No. 6 | Nickel Brook Brewing Company | Ontario
BRONZE: FOUR Barrel-Aged Golden Sour w/ Plum & Lingonberry | Foamers’ Folly Brewing | British Columbia

Flavoured Stout / Porter
GOLD: UVB-76 Maksim | Wellington Brewery | Ontario
SILVER: Birds of a Feather | Little Beasts Brewing Company | Ontario
BRONZE: Hazelnut Coffee Stout | Publican House Brewery | Ontario

BEER OF THE YEAR
Glutenberg Red | Glutenberg | Québec

BREWERY OF THE YEAR
Common Crown Brewing Co | Alberta

 

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Filed Under: Beer, craft lager

History of Pumpkin Beers and Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale

September 13, 2020 by Dow Scoggins

Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin AleTake a stroll through just about any grocery store in America between late August and early November and the pervasiveness of pumpkin-flavored everything becomes apparent. There’s pumpkin spice coffee and tea, bagels, muffins and chips, air fresheners and candles—and that’s only a slice of the pumpkin pie-flavored market. Do a 360-degree spin in a beer store and the shelves and displays of pumpkin pie-inspired beer, imperial pumpkin ales, pumpkin stouts and porters and even shandies and ciders, all point to one thing: America loves pumpkin.

Of course, the question of whether we the people love pumpkin has never really been a question at all.

“The pumpkin thing is as American as apple pie. Pumpkin pie? Come on, that’s as American as you can possibly get,” says Bill Owens, founder of Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in Hayward, CA, and brewer of the first commercial pumpkin beer in the country. “When you have something that’s so culturally deep, everybody loves it.” Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale was first brewed in 1985.

And in terms of beloved pumpkin spice-flavored foods, pumpkin beer is right up there with the Pumpkin Spice Latte. In the last 25 years or so, pumpkin beer has gone from an experimental specialty beer made by a handful of brewers to a seasonal phenomenon and a major force in the craft beer market. Its reign as seasonal beer king grows more extensive every year as pumpkin beer seeps into summer and arrives on shelves in the middle of July into August, to the ire of summer drinkers and the delight of eager pumpkin beer fans.

Pumpkin’s roots do run culturally deep, but the pumpkin itself was not always so glorified. Rather, it was respected as a utilitarian food source, explains Cindy Ott, author of the book Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon.

“Pumpkin ale was not something that was treasured in any way, shape or form,” she says. “In the early Colonial era, pumpkin was cheap and prolific and grew like a weed. When there was no wheat for bread or sugar for cake or barley for beer, they could substitute the prolific pumpkin.”

Thus, pumpkins became known as a “last-resort” food and a crop that was associated with hard times—which is what helped fuel its climb to American icon. As Americans moved into cities in the early 19th century and the distance from their agrarian roots grew greater, their nostalgia for simpler times was projected onto the pumpkin, Ott argues. Other better-tasting squashes had greater market value and were incorporated into daily meals much like they are today, while the poorer-tasting pumpkin was left behind in the fields and often used as livestock fodder. The pumpkin became intertwined with ideas and associations greater than itself, of an old-fashioned way of life on the small family farm, nostalgia and tradition.

“Those ideas, about last resort and hard times and, ‘Throw the pumpkin in and take care of yourself and your family on your small plot of land,’ became symbols and stories of American survival,” says Ott. “It’s these kind of associations that people are buying, and the associations are really positive and affirming.”

We might not be consciously aching for our agrarian roots today, but the ideas surrounding the pumpkin are still overwhelmingly pleasing—images of rustic pumpkin patches with red barns and hay rides, toothy, glowing jack-o’-lanterns perched on stoops and a slice of pumpkin pie with a scoop of ice cream on top after a hearty Thanksgiving meal.

Seasonal Spice
While our associations with pumpkins may have changed, the pumpkin itself and its earthy, squashy, borderline bland flavor has not.

Enter the aromatic flavorings of pumpkin pie spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. This spice dream team has retained the positive associations of pumpkin, the harvest and changing seasons, while casting off the pumpkin itself. Take, for example, Starbucks’ enormously popular Pumpkin Spice Latte, which has become the poster child for the pumpkin craze of late and is not made with any real pumpkin.

It is the same conundrum that “Buffalo Bill” Owens ran into when he brewed the first pumpkin beer in 1985. Owens was inspired after reading about how George Washington brewed pumpkin beer, so he grew his own pumpkin, brought it down to the brewery, chopped it up, baked it in the pizza oven and added it to the mash tun, where the malt is mixed with hot water to convert complex starches into fermentable simple sugars.

There was just one issue with the beer, Owens says: “The only problem I had was at the very end was there was no pumpkin flavor whatsoever because you’re taking a starch, the gourd, converting it to sugar, fermenting the sugar, adding hops and then fermenting, so any flavor from the pumpkin is stripped away.”

To solve the problem, Owens walked over to his local market, bought a can of pumpkin pie spices, percolated it so he had a quart of pumpkin-flavored water, which he added that to the beer and then carbonated and bottled it.

“I was very proud of my secret ingredient, which came out of a can from the supermarket,” says Owens.

And voilà—the Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale was born.

Taken from an article written by By Heather Vandenengel for All About Beer Magazine – Complete Article

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Filed Under: craft lager, craftbeer

2020 NC Brewers Cup Competition – Medal Winners

September 4, 2020 by Dow Scoggins

2020 NC Brewers Cup Competition
The 2020 North Carolina Brewers Cup is the largest craft beer competition of North Carolina. ALL North Carolina commercial brewers are invited to participate in this BJCP sanctioned beer competition, sponsored by Pro Refrigeration, Inc. and ABS Commercial, and administered by the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild.

Best in Show
Gold – Copperline Amber Ale – Carolina Brewery
Silver – Ponder Lager – Thirsty Monk Brewery
Bronze – Foothills Brewing – Dead & Berried Blackberry Imperial Stout
Fourth – No.10 American Light Lager – Brown Truck Brewery

Session IPA
Gold – Driveway Sesh – Cabarrus Brewing Company
Silver – HopJob Session IPA – Foothills Brewing
Bronze – Casual Sesh – Little Brother Brewing

American Lager
Gold – No.10 American Light Lager – Brown Truck Brewery
Silver – Pre Game – The Unknown Brewing Company
Bronze – Baller Beer – Cabarrus Brewing Company

Light American Hybrid
Gold – Euchre Golden Ale – Lost Worlds Brewing
Silver – Over The Moon – Vecino Brewing Company
Bronze – Emmer American Wheat – Lost Worlds Brewing

Alternative Fermentation
Gold – Sky Blue Kolsch – Carolina Brewery
Silver – Kolsch Ale – Oaklyn Springs Brewery
Bronze – Kommunity – Devil’s Logic Brewing
Fourth – Fly Kid Kolsch – Middle James Brewing

International Lager
Gold – Ponder Lager – Thirsty Monk Brewery
Silver – Penguin Pils – Legion Brewing

International Pilsner
Gold – Oaklyn Springs Brewery Pils – Oaklyn Springs Brewery
Silver – Ledermolesen – Mad Mole Brewing
Bronze – Czech Pilsner – Carolina Brewery

Malty European Lager
Gold – Stinnes Helles Lager – Lost Worlds Brewing
Silver – Bock to the Future – Clouds Brewing
Bronze – Slow Chill Munich Helles – Oskar Blues Brewery
Fourth – Depot Maypole Maibock – Craftboro Brewing

European Amber Lager
Gold – Holographic Dreamscape – Town Brewing Company
Silver – Bobby Beer – Oklawaha Brewing Company
Bronze – #DADGAMESTRONG – Cabarrus Brewing Company

Dark European Lager
Gold – Cold Weather Gear – Cavendish Brewing Company
Silver – ‘Goat’ Bullock Bock – Bull City Burger and Brewery
Bronze – Merganser – Bill’s Brewing Co.
Fourth – Doppelbock – Oaklyn Springs Brewery

European Wheat Beer
Gold – Civil Rest – Little Brother Brewing
Silver – Hedrick’s – Four Saints Brewing Company
Bronze – Weizenbahn – Sidetracked Brewery
Fourth – Bock To Work – Bombshell Beer Company

Pale British Beer & Bitter
Gold – Copperline Amber Ale – Carolina Brewery
Silver – English IPA – Makai Brewing Company
Bronze – Emotional Support Badger – Town Brewing Company

Porter & British Brown
Gold – Bryant’s Brown Ale – Tarboro Brewing Company
Silver – Boar Brown – Pig Pounder Brewery
Bronze – Roundhouse Robust Porter – New Sarum Brewing Company
Fourth – Ninja Porter – Asheville Brewing

Scottish & Irish Beer
Gold – Scottish Ale – Ponysaurus Brewing
Silver – Lady In Red – Bombshell Beer Company
Bronze – Nac Mac Feegle – Triskelion Brewing Company

Stout
Gold – Absolute Block – Sidetracked Brewery
Silver – Mongo – Ecusta Brewing Company
Bronze – Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout – Foothills Brewing

Strong Ale
Gold – The Voyager – Archetype Brewing
Silver – Baby Leif – The Glass Jug Beer Lab
Bronze – Belgian Dubbel – Pilot Brewing Company

American Amber & Brown Ale
Gold – Potter’s Clay – Four Saints Brewing
Silver – Lazy Bird Brown Ale – Birdsong Brewing Company
Bronze – Mole Dancer – Mad Mole Brewing Mole
Fourth – Oaklyn Springs Brewery Amber Ale – Oaklyn Springs Brewery

American Pale Ale
Gold – Humidity – Fullsteam Brewery
Silver – Palm Tree Island – Wilmington Brewing Company
Bronze – Spaceman Pale Ale – Innovation Brewing

American IPA
Gold – Reflection IPA – Radar Brewing Company
Silver – Funny Like I’m A Clown – Southern Range Brewing
Bronze – Wave Break – Bill’s Brewing Co.
Fourth – Modern Transparency – The Glass Jug Beer Lab

Speciality IPA
Gold – Black IPA – French Broad River Brewery
Silver – Soulvation IPA – Innovation Brewing
Bronze – THE VAPORS – New Anthem Beer Project

New England / Hazy IPA
Gold – Party In The Back – Bill’s Brewing Co.
Silver – Label Fiasco – Wilmington Brewing Company
Bronze – Reptar Juice – Twenty-Six Acres Brewing Co.

Double IPA
Gold – CLAPBACK – New Anthem Beer Project
Silver – Concern Hubris – Lynnwood Brewing
Bronze – Haziversary – Oklawaha Brewing Company

Belgian & French Ale
Gold – Abby Blonde – Thirsty Monk Brewery
Silver – Marilyn MonMole – Mad Mole Brewing
Bronze – Walk The Earth, No. 5 – Archetype Brewing

European Sour Ale
Gold – Trier Berliner Weisse – Lost Worlds Brewing
Silver – Elara – Legion Brewing Co

Historical Beer
Gold – Divine Barrel Brewing – The Big Lubelski
Silver – Key Lime Gose – Makai Brewing Company

Brett, Mixed, & Wild Ale
Gold – The Era is Now – DSSOLVR
Silver – SHE JUST DANCED AWAY – New Anthem Beer Project
Bronze – Whistleblower – Sidetracked Brewery
Fourth – Woodshed Blend #2 – Thirsty Monk Brewery

Fruit Beer
Gold – Ocean Potion – Pitt Street Brewing
Silver – Tainted Valkyrie – Triskelion Brewing Company
Bronze – The Limest Thing We Have – Divine Barrel Brewing
Fourth – Javaberry Cream Stout – Haw River Farmhouse Ales

Specialty Fruit and Fruit & Spice
Gold – Company Tart Pop – Trophy Brewing
Silver – Peach – Divine Barrel Brewing
Bronze – Habanero Lime Wheat Pig – Pig Pounder Brewery

Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer
Gold – Southern Basil – Fullsteam Brewery
Silver – Dulce Muerte w/Coconut – Incendiary Brewing Company
Bronze – Jalapeno Pale Ale – Birdsong Brewing Company

Wood-Aged Beer
Gold – Dead & Berried Blackberry Imperial Stout – Foothills Brewing
Silver – Maple Bourbon – Twenty-Six Acres Brewing
Bronze – Torn Paper Leaves: Brazilian Oak – Haw River Farmhouse Ales

Smoked Beer
Gold – Temporal Justice – Vecino Brewing Company
Silver – Paloma Pig – Pig Pounder Brewery
Bronze – The Big Slow – Little Brother Brewing

Specialty Beer
Gold – Dark Side of the Tart: Raspberry – Dry Falls Brewing
Silver – Ready To Rye’d Lager – Gypsy Road Brewing
Bronze – Whitewall Wheat – Crank Arm Brewing
Fourth – Ocracoke Jam Box – 1718 Brewing

NC Home-Grown Beer
Gold – Brown Paper Bag – Legion Brewing Co
Silver – OK Lunch – Southern Strain Brewing
Bronze – Quest for the Mole Grail – Little Brother Brewing

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Filed Under: craft lager, craftbeer

The Top 10 Oldest Beers in America – Yuengling #1

April 7, 2018 by Dow Scoggins

The Top 10 Oldest Beers in America - Yuengling #1

1. Yuengling Lager
Year introduced: 1829
State of origin: Pennsylvania
Parent company: D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc.

2. Old Milwaukee
Year introduced: 1849
State of origin: Wisconsin
Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

3. Schlitz
Year introduced: 1849
State of origin: Wisconsin
Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

4. Stroh’s
Year introduced: 1850
State of origin: Michigan
Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

5. Hamm’s
Year introduced: 1865
State of origin: Minnesota
Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

6. Leinenkugel’s Original
Year introduced: 1867
State of origin: Wisconsin
Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

7. Coors Banquet
Year introduced: 1873
State of origin: Colorado
Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

8. Budweiser
Year introduced: 1876
State of origin: Missouri
Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

9. Genesee
Year introduced: 1878
State of origin: New York
Parent company: Genesee Brewing Company

10. Ballantine IPA
Year introduced: 1878
State of origin: New Jersey
Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

11. Lone Star
Year introduced: 1884
State of origin: Texas
Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

12. National Bohemian
Year introduced: 1885
State of origin: Maryland
Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

13. Narragansett
Year introduced: 1890
State of origin: Rhode Island
Parent company: Narragansett Brewing Company

14. Michelob Original Lager
Year introduced: 1896
State of origin: Missouri
Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

15. Anchor Steam Beer
Year introduced: 1896
State of origin: California
Parent company: Anchor Brewing Company

 

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Filed Under: Beer, craft lager, craftbeer

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