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California Craft Beer

21st Amendment Brewery Unveils Brewpub Refresh

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SAN FRANCISCO, California— 21st Amendment Brewery, one of the Bay Area’s original independent craft breweries, is pulling back the curtains of their 23-year-old brewpub to unveil an exciting revitalization project.

It started with two friends who had a passion for brewing delicious beer, cooking good food and providing excellent neighborhood service. Co-Founders, Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan took a big dream and made it a reality by opening a lively brewpub just a short stroll away from the newly opened San Francisco Giants Oracle Park in 2000. This bustling location in the SoMa District and an invaluable friendship guided the 21st Amendment Brewery brand from a little pipe dream to helping shape the Bay Area craft beer scene into what it is today. Their vision of creating a Brewpub for the local community to enjoy has continued to be a pillar of the neighborhood, and with this refresh, will continue to be for many years to come.

With Brian Reccow of The Specialistas, Hospitality Solutions, and a long-time friend of Freccia and O’Sullivan at the helm of this refresh, the project involved exterior flourishes including an eye-catching mural by local artist Tobias Freccia, a revamped menu and extensive interior enhancements to really bring the building back to life.

“Refreshing and revitalizing this wonderful historic building, along with our menu and service standards, has been an exciting opportunity to reinvigorate our SoMa neighborhood”, says Nico Freccia, Co-Founder and COO of 21st Amendment Brewery. “San Francisco is still struggling to recover from the pandemic, and craft beer has had challenges recently. While our neighborhood has also been impacted, we really wanted to showcase that craft beer and the Brewpub experience is alive and well in San Francisco. With this project, we aim to fuse our rich history with a modern, inviting atmosphere that reflects our dedication to crafting exceptional beer, providing an unforgettable culinary pub experience for guests, and paying homage to our San Francisco SoMa district roots.”

21st Amendment Brewery Executive Chef, Joel Ruiz, teamed up with Reccow to revitalize the brewery’s expansive menu and create an elevated and playful culinary experience for guests. This menu evolution brings influences from classic pub fare to modern California cuisine to create a sophisticated twist on classic ballpark food. The menu will feature new dishes that pair harmoniously with the brewery’s extensive beer list, including a seared Ahi Sandwich with ginger soy slaw, a delicious new pizza pie program, and a number of mouthwatering appetizers – to name a few additions.

“Since we opened our doors, the 12 barrel system at the Brewpub has been our source of inspiration and innovation, allowing us to experiment with new hops and ingredients,” said Shaun O’Sullivan, 21st Amendment Brewery Co-Founder and Brewmaster. “It serves as our test kitchen for crafting unique beers that cater to our two locations here in San Francisco and our Taproom in San Leandro at our production brewery. We want our beer list to reflect our brand’s history of celebrating originality and make sure that every time guests arrive, there’s something new on the menu that speaks to them and takes them on a journey.”

21st Amendment Brewery delivers a revolving door of cutting edge brews, with a handful of year-round favorites, seasonal brews, and their Made in the Bay Small Batch Beers, which allows for more experimentation and the ability to brew beer that pairs perfectly with their updated menu. It also means that guests will always have a new beer to try, ranging from IPA’s to fruit beers, to Mexican-Style cream ales, sours, spiced ales, and more.

21st Amendment Brewery invites beer enthusiasts, foodies, baseball fans, and the Bay Area community as a whole to experience the refresh first hand and join in on the cutting-edge food and beer experience.

About 21st Amendment Brewery

In 2000, Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan opened the doors to the 21st Amendment Brewpub in San Francisco’s historic South Park neighborhood. Through the years, 21st Amendment Brewery has quickly become one of the Bay Area’s favorite breweries, along with their fan favorites, Hell or High Watermelon Wheat, and Brew Free! or Die Blood Orange IPA. 21st Amendment Brewery paved the way for canned craft beer, and quickly expanded beyond the Bay Area, offering delicious year-round favorites, and unique limited releases through their ‘Made in the Bay Small Batch Beers’ program. 21st Amendment Brewery is a proud California independent brewery, brewing in San Francisco and San Leandro, California.

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Anderson Valley Brewing Company Unveils Redesign for Iconic Boont Amber Ale

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BOONVILLE, California— Northern California’s Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC), a pioneer in the craft beer industry, unveiled the redesign of its flagship beer, Boont Amber Ale. The Boont redesign is a milestone in the brewery’s overall rebranding process, which has been rolled out over the past few years.

“Since the start of the rebranding process, we prioritized the brewery’s longtime legacy and spirit. We owed it to the brand and all the work put in by the people who came before us. The label redesign of Boont, our most iconic beer, is a landmark and something we have been putting energy towards since my family purchased the brewery in 2019,” said AVBC President and CEO Kevin McGee. “Boont Amber Ale is the beer that put AVBC on the map. It’s a foundational part of what we think of as craft beer today and literally introduced legions of beer drinkers to craft beer so redesigning the package was something that we approached very carefully.”

The new package blends the brewery’s rich heritage with a fresh, modern appeal while preserving the distinctive qualities that have made AVBC a beloved classic. Bringing the brewery’s mascot Barkley, who has been a fixture of the brewery since 1987, front-and-center on the cans is a way to call back to the heritage of AVBC while inviting a whimsical connection with consumers.

Boont Amber Ale is a cornerstone of Anderson Valley Brewing Company’s portfolio and the first beer made at the brewery 35 years ago. With the launch of Boont’s redesign, AVBC continues to invest in Amber Ale at a time when established breweries have recently vacated the category and it’s paying off: while sales in the Amber Ale category are down YOY, Boont sales have increased.

“We love Amber Ale and we love the Amber category. Contrary to the impressions gleaned by some larger breweries retreating from their Amber programs, we are continuing to see a lot of strength in the category for well-crafted Ambers and that makes sense – it’s a very drinkable and versatile style that has a lot of awareness and history with the craft consumer. Assuming your Amber actually tastes good, it’s a great category to be in.”

AVBC’s new packaging features full-wrap recyclable cardboard cartons and aluminum cans and is the most sustainable packaging available. The new Boont Amber Ale cans have been shipping from the brewery since the beginning of September and will be available on shelves nationwide.

About Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Founded in 1987, Anderson Valley Brewing Company brews hand-crafted, authentic beers with balance, complexity, and an unwavering commitment to sustainably producing world-class beer. As the World’s First Solar Powered Brewery, AVBC leads the craft beer industry as pioneers in responsible brewing and innovators in environmental sustainability practices. Anderson Valley Brewing Company beer is available in 40 states and at its taproom in Boonville, California.

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California Wild Ales Opens New Location in Point Loma

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POINT LOMA, San Diego— California Wild Ales announced the opening of its new brewery and tasting room at 3826 Sherman Street in Point Loma, California. The brewery moved to Point Loma from its original location in Sorrento Valley, operating since 2015 due to the demolition of its original location. The grand opening will occur on Sept. 15 from 12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. PST.

The brewery will offer a wide variety of classic fruited sours, clean IPAs, and lagers, as well as seltzers and a non-alcoholic beer on its 20-tap system in its two-story tasting room overlooking the oak barrels. The Point Loma tasting room will also have food options from The Last Typewriter. Patrons can order gourmet burgers and fries, fusion-style fried chicken, toasted sandwiches, and more from a wall-mounted tablet, then have their food delivered to the tasting room.

Initially, the tasting room will be open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 8:00 p.m. Adjustments will be made when concerts and sporting events occur at nearby Pechanga Arena.

“We are thrilled to have found a new home in Point Loma,” said Bill DeWitt, co-founder of California Wild Ales. “The Sherman Street location provides the perfect space to serve our unique creations and offer an unforgettable experience with the exceptional flavors and craftsmanship that define California Wild Ales while immersing ourselves in the dynamic beer culture of Point Loma.”

Formerly occupied by Green Fix Green Juice and shared with Five Star Fish Processing, the 1,200-square-foot facility will be the new home for the California Wild Ales brewery facility and tasting room.. The brewery will make significant investments in new oak-foeders and all-new wine and spirit barrels for aging a wide variety of aged sour, wild and mixed-culture beers and guaranteeing exceptional quality and integrity.

The new space will follow the brewery’s tradition of featuring fun and funky creative design that exudes warmth and character and include reclaimed wood from Sorrento Valley repurposed to provide callbacks to the original tasting room. Similar to its Ocean Beach tasting room, located at 4896 Newport Ave, San Diego, which opened in 2021, the new venue will feature Legos, including a three-dimensional Lego sculpture of the brewery’s mascots Lacto, Brett and P.D.O., created by Mortarless Bricks representing the bacteria strains that are used to craft their sour beers.

One of the standout features of the new space is an impressive 18’x10.5′ movie screen, one of the largest of its kind outside of Petco Park. This colossal screen will be a centerpiece of the brewery, showcasing live sporting events such as the San Diego Gulls games, San Diego Padres games, NFL matchups, and more.

Additionally, like its OB location, the brewery will live-stream concerts, host live music, and have bar-top games, including ring-toss, landslide, roller bowler, rolo, washers and more, making it a hub for entertainment. In addition, the new location will house a 4-player retro arcade cabinet with 17,000 games and the brewery plans to add three more machines in the coming months.

Bill DeWitt noted, “This screen is massive, and I think once people see it, it will become a major draw for this location. It will be a fantastic place to catch live games, enjoy a craft beer, and soak up the atmosphere.”

For example, all October, the brewery plan to run horror movies and even host a live podcast from one of our fellow industry members, Kelly Cashman. Her podcast B Movie And A Beer will be a live episode projected onto our giant screen. Mortarless Bricks will also host “Bricks and Brews” twice a month, where patrons have the chance to design, build, and race their own Lego creations.

The vision for the new location is to create a welcoming atmosphere and provide unique experiences that enrich the community and beyond,” said Zack Brager, co-founder of California Wild Ales. “Being situated near Modern Times Beer and Bay City Brewing, we aspire to create a destination for beer lovers to explore and enjoy.”

Strategically located near Interstates 8 and 5, the tasting room is poised to become a hub for locals and visitors attending nearby sports events and concerts. Additionally, with the anticipated completion of the Midway Rising project—a 16,500-seat arena, hotel, retail spaces, and thousands of homes—California Wild Ales will capture the attention of a vibrant and expanding community.

When the brewery opens, the new tasting room will offer a wide assortment of beers, including:

· Warzone West Coast IPA

· The Point West Coast IPA

· Up the Hill Hazy IPA

· Rainbow Weather Double Hazy IPA

· Pesky Parrot Pale Ale

· Bike Lane Lager

· Dragon Fruit, Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry Sour Ale

· German Chocolate Cake Dark Sour

· Oak Barrel-aged Saison (collaboration with OB Brewery)

· Mead Barrel-aged Flanders-style Red Ale (collaboration with 13 Point Brewing and Lost Cause Meadery)

· Super Cuvée Brewer’s Blend

· Buzzed Bee (collaboration with Hoppy Beer Hoppy Life and Lost Cause Meadery)

· Sour Quadrupel with Kakawa Cold-brew Coffee

· Peach & Raspberry Hard Seltzer

About California Wild Ales

In 2015, California Wild Ales originally found its niche in San Diego County’s craft beer scene by focusing exclusively on brewing barrel-aged sour beers, setting itself apart as a unique and innovative establishment. Since then, California Wild Ales has introduced several clean beers, including IPAs, lagers, seltzers, red ale, and barrel-aged Saison. The brewery’s signature sour beer is aged in American, French, and Hungarian oak barrels for at least nine months and uses fresh, seasonal produce from local San Diego farmers, resulting in a refreshing, tart flavor profile. In 2023, the brewery relocated its brewery and tasting room to Point Loma, and in 2021, had a successful expansion with a satellite tasting room in Ocean Beach.

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Belching Beaver Brewery Returns to 2023 California 300 with Official Beer

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SAN DIEGO, California – For the second consecutive year, Belching Beaver Brewery will produce the Official Beer of the California 300, event officials announced. Once again, Belching Beaver will produce a limited edition run of Buenos Tiempos Mexican-style lager that will be available to finishers of the event, which returns to Barstow on October 4-8, and for purchase at Belching Beaver venues.

“We’re thrilled to create more good times with Belching Beaver and Buenos Tiempos, the Official Beer of the California 300!” said California 300 CEO Matt Martelli. “A can of Buenos Tiempos is the perfect reward for finishers of the race, and it got rave reviews when it made its debut last year. This year, we created a limited-edition run with the California 300 artwork with last year’s Unlimited Truck winner Cayden MacCachren. From its name and packaging to its delicious and refreshing taste, there’s no more fitting beer out there to represent The Great Golden State Off-Road Race!”

The best beer in your life is the one you have after crossing the finish line at an off-road race! It’s part of off-road culture, and for the past 50+ years, it has been a tradition at most off-road races. Whether you have just finished a long race or a long workday, you’ve earned this one! Enjoy this Mexican-style lager appropriately named “Buenos Tiempos,” which means “good times”—an acknowledgment that off-road culture exists on both sides of the border.

“We love being a part of off-road racing culture. After a long hot, tough, dirty race an ice-cold beer is the perfect reward, and Buenos Tiempos is the perfect beer. Not heavy, nice and crisp, but still has the Mexican lager flavor we all love. A better version of traditional Mexican-style lagers. It tastes like a vacation!” stated Belching Beaver CEO Tom Vogel.

Launched in 2012, Belching Beaver Brewery evolved from a desire to make great beer and have a ‘Dam Good Time’ doing it. The award-winning craft beer company is focused on two things: First, have a brand that offers quality craft beer, while also being whimsical and fun to inspire good times. Each Belching Beaver beer release carries its own individual style and personality. Second, make beer for everyone and all palates. From easy-drinking Blondes, Triple IPAs, Milk Stouts, Imperial Stouts as well as sours and barrel-aged beers, Belching Beaver Brewery has it!

Belching Beaver Brewery products are distributed to 14 states, ranging from the entire West Coast and Alaska and Hawai’i all the way to Minnesota and Wisconsin. They are available at Oceanside Brewhouse in Oceanside, CA; Belching Beaver Brewery Tavern & Grill in Vista, CA; Pub980 in Vista, CA; and North Park Tasting Room in San Diego. California residents can also order beer directly to their door via Belching Beaver’s online store.

Details regarding racer registration, sponsorship packages, exhibitor vending, spectator tickets, camping and parking passes for the California 300 are live on OffRoadRacer.com.

About The California 300

The California 300 is a world-class, off-road desert race built to showcase the best off-road racers in the world. The multi-day event will be held October 4-8, 2023 in Barstow, CA and will feature a desert cleanup, multiple days of prerunning, a public poker run, an off-road festival, and two days of spectacular off-road racing on a fast, technical, and punishing 75-mile race course. An estimated 25,000 off-road and recreational enthusiasts are expected to watch over 400 race teams in 40+ classes go door to door, while Mad Media’s live stream coverage will be beamed to over 500,000 viewers worldwide. The California 300 is brought to you by the team that has rebuilt The Mint 400 into one of the most successful desert off-road races in history.

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California Wild Ales to Host 5th Annual Star Wars Celebration

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SAN DIEGO, California – The Force will be strong with beer lovers in Ocean Beach as California Wild Ales gears up for their annual May the 4th Star Wars-themed celebration. The brewery, known for its creative and innovative craft beers, will be hosting a day-long event on May the 4th, featuring a lineup of special Star Wars-inspired brews, including Darth Citrius, Chewboocha, Jabba the Hopp, and Juicy Jedi IPA.

Located in the heart of Ocean Beach, California Wild Ales has become a staple in the San Diego craft beer scene. Co-founders Zack Brager and Bill DeWitt are known for their passion for both craft beer and Star Wars, and this event brings their two passions together in a galactic celebration.

“It’s always exciting to see our customers get into the spirit of the day, whether it’s through their costumes or their choice of beer. We’re already looking forward to planning next year’s celebration.” says co-founder Zack Brager.

The May the 4th celebration at California Wild Ales promises to be a day filled with fun, flavor, and fandom. The brewery will be decked out in Star Wars-themed decorations, and attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Star Wars characters for a chance to win prizes in the costume contest.

But the highlight of the event will undoubtedly be the special Star Wars-inspired beers that California Wild Ales will be pouring. From the zesty and refreshing Darth Citrius to the tropical Juicy Jedi Hazy IPA, beer lovers can expect unique flavors that pay homage to the beloved Star Wars saga.

“Our goal has always been to create exceptional craft beers that push the boundaries of flavor and creativity,” says co-founder Bill DeWitt. “Events like these allow us to not only showcase our love for craft beer and Star Wars but also to bring people together and create lasting memories. It’s what we love to do, and we can’t wait for the next opportunity to share our passion with our customers.”

In addition to the Star Wars-themed festivities, California Wild Ales will also be offering limited edition Star Wars-themed merch available for purchase, making it a perfect memento for fans and collectors alike.

But the excitement doesn’t stop there. California Wild Ales has even more in store for their fans, as they have announced plans to move their production facility to the neighboring community of Point Loma, with the new location set to open this spring. The move will allow the brewery to increase its ability to bring its innovative craft beers to even more people.

“We’re excited to be moving to a closer facility that will allow us to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with craft beer,” says co-founder Bill DeWitt. “We’re committed to creating exceptional beers, and this move will allow us to do that on an even larger scale.”

As the May the 4th Star Wars celebration approaches, California Wild Ales is gearing up to welcome beer lovers and Star Wars fans alike for a day of interstellar fun and flavor. Whether you’re a die-hard Star Wars fan or simply a lover of great beer, this event is not to be missed.

May the force be with you, and we hope to see you at California Wild Ales on May the 4th!

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