Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
A must-read for any beer drinker and tree-hugger, this comes from my friend and Sierra Nevada Area Manager Larry:
Hello Sierra Nevada Partners and Distributors,
In advance of the April 1st kick-off of our Unplug program (Earth Day is Thursday April 22nd), we’ve updated the page at http://www.sierranevada.com/Unplug.html.
With this program, we are debuting a very cool new feature on our website. We now are able to show real-time figures from our solar array and fuel cells!
On the Unplug page is a widget that has three dials; one shows how much energy the solar panels are generating, one shows how much energy the fuel cells are generating, and the last shows the total percentage of our energy we are generating on-site. When the percentage dial shows over 100%, we are generating more energy than we currently need, and are selling energy back to the grid. The fact that we generate a large portion of our energy ON-SITE (over 80% last year!) is an important and unique distinction for us. Beneath the dials is a small window that shows the current weather conditions in Chico and whether or not it’s day or night here.
Also attached updated sell sheet for the program Pos and details. The New Pale Ale 6-pack carriers with the Unplug logo began shipping the week of 3/8 from Chico; so look for them to begin showing up in your market this month.
We Invite you to check out the site and share the information.
If you have any questions, let us know.
Larry Schneiberg and Andrew Davis
SNBC
(Andy)
Tags: Earthy Day, Fuel Cells, green brewing, Sierra Nevada, Solar Arrays, Unplug Program
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Thursday, June 10th, 2010
As you may know, Lakefront has released two new beers in 22 oz bomber bottles recently; Local Acre, a 100% Wisconsin beer, and Fixed Gear, their unfiltered red. They plan on increasing their 22 oz bottle selection soon with a bottle release of their Biere de Garde, Rendezvous. It was bottled today (June 10th, 2010) and is currently waiting on the labels so it’s gonna hit soon!
In the mean time, you can get this beer at the Locust Street Festival this Sunday at the Lakefront Stage between Booth and Pierce. The fest is held between Humboldt and Holton Streets from 11 A.M. until 8 P.M. and features 5 live music venues and a variety of food, artists, and vendors.
Keep your eyes peeled for Lakefront’s Rendezvous in stores soon!
-Andy
Tags: Fixed Gear, Lakefront, Lakefront Brewery, Lakefront Rendezvous, Local Acre, Locust Street, Locust Street Festival, Rendezvous
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Monday, June 7th, 2010
On a recent trip to Ray’s for a Milwaukee Beer Co. tasting I had the pleasure of meeting two fine Ray’s employees, Roy and John. I talked to them about BeerFM and what I do briefly while they listened without giving the cold shoulder. We continued to talk and they started talking about a new thing Ray’s is going to promote; monthly beer tastings and education in a remodeled room upstairs. John asked if I wanted to take a look at it. Uh, YES!
We went up through the back way to the room which was still under construction. Let me tell you, this room, probably about half way done, already looked fantastic! Warm cream color walls allowed the premium Alder wood to be accented. It had a great natural beauty and elegance that works very well with the layout and design as well as the function.
At one end of the horizontal room stood a small but well-equipped bar with room for a flat screen and speakers to be mounted on the wall behind it. The bulk of the area will be filled with seating for roughly 50 to 60 from what I remember. All of it rests nicely on a beautiful hardwood floor.
Right now the focus of the room will be on wine but the beer education looks promising! Once a month beer education events will be held to teach people about particular styles of beer and will include a tasting. The events will be at a small price-point to weed out individuals only interested in free beer, a good move I think.
Details have not been released yet; however, two beer events have been booked so far. I’m excited to see what the final outcome of the room is and how it will be utilized. To find out more, visit Ray’s on 8930 W. North Avenue in Wauwatosa, WI or on the web at http://www.rayswine.com/. Also “Like” them on facebook to receive constant news and updates from them here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Rays-Wine-and-Spirits/106623892700157?ref=ts.
-Andy
Tags: Beer Events, Ray's, Ray's beer, Ray's Liquor, Ray's tasting room, Ray's tosa, Ray's Wauwatosa, Ray's Wine, Ray's Wine & Spirits, Ray's Wine and Spirits, tasting events, Tasting room
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Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
I have the pleasure of reviewing the Outpost Natural Foods‘ Mr. Grain Jeans Organic Amber Ale that was just released late last week at all three Outpost locations in the greater Milwaukee area.
I had a 22 oz bottle that I poured in a Sierra Nevada imperial pint glass. The label showed it was bottled during May Wk3, ’10. This beer is contract-brewed with Lakefront but the recipe comes from Outpost themselves.
Appearance - This beer looks fantastic right away. A tall pour releases three fingers of dense and well-retained off-white, bone-colored head that has a tiny hue of orange in it. Superb lace coats the glass above the cloudy golden orange beer.
Smell – Predominantly malty, Mr. Grain Jeans is all over the place. Anything specific about the malts is hard to pin down but I get notes of light toasted amber and caramel sweetness with just a pinch of a Pils malt aroma to it. A tiny but of the wheat and rye come through in a soft scent and unique spice respectively. Hops are there and add to the nose but not in any sort of outpouring way. Light citrusy and floral notes balance it out well but the aroma is malt-heavy.
Taste - Mr. Grain Jeans, do to all it’s ingredients, is pretty elusive. It also took me by surprise. The flavor differs from the aroma nicely. Amber and pale malts have this grainy taste with a light rye kick on the finish. Again, it’s a malt-heavy beer but not thick at all. The hops play a nice role of adding a slight kiss of floral citrus to the mix. Very nice tasting
Mouthfeel - I really like the mouthfeel when compaired to the whole beer. It’s medium-light bodied with a smooth entrance that rides nicely through to a lightly but well-balanced carbonation addition and a soft, dry finish.
Drinkability - Outpost comes through with a well-blended organic amber ale that combines a good nose and tasty flavor with a smooth mouthfeel for a very nice drinking beer. This lighter amber should be a good step outside the box to a world of better beer for the “light” beer drinkers while it’ll certainly become a welcomed pint for the seasoned craft beer lover.
It’s a good beer I’d reccomend to anyone. You can pick up a bottle at any of the three Outpost Locations now!
-Andy
Tags: Amber, Amber Ale, Mr. Grain Jeans, Mr. Grain Jeans Amber, Organic Amber, Organic Beer, Outpost, Outpost Foods, Outpost Natural Foods
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Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
Just a heads up for all you “Sour” fans out there. Lakefront’s Rosie is now in stores! Support your local brewery and go get a couple bottles. I just did!
-Beerwolf
Tags: Lakefront, Lakefront Brewery, Lakefront Rosie, Lakefront Rosie Kriek, Rosie, Rosie Kriek
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Monday, May 17th, 2010
In late May Outpost Natural Foods of Wisconsin will be releasing an anniversary ale aptly called Mr. Grain Jeans. I was able to communicate via email with Jim Surwillo, Outpost’s Beer/Wine Coordinator, who was very open with me about it. “[Mr. Grain Jeans] is an Organic Amber Ale, made with oats, wheat, and rye (all organic of course),” Jim says. “The grain bill is mostly malted barley, with about 4-5% of the rest being the grains from Outpost.” He describes the beer to me as, “a lighter colored amber ale, with a slightly lower hop character (about 18-20 IBU) and an ABV around 5.5%. It is brewed (100% organic) to commemorate Outpost’s founding on the original Earth Day, April 22, 1970.”
Unfortunately Mr. Grain Jeans wasn’t ready in time for a birthday release due to a hold-up during the label approval process with the government, but it’s release draws ever closer. This beer is contract-brewed through Lakefront Brewery and is “medium bodied amber, with mild floral notes and a malty nuttiness which finishes cleanly”, as Jim describes it, will be available for purchase by Memorial Day in 22 oz. bottles sold exclusively at three Outpost locations.
-Andy
Tags: Amber beer, contract brewing, Lakefront, Lakefront Brewery, Lakefront contract-brew, Mr. Grain Jeans, organic ale, organic amber ale, Organic amber beer, Organic Beer, Outpost, Outpost Beer, Outpost Foods, Outpost Natural Foods
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Sunday, May 16th, 2010
May 17th through the 23rd is American Craft Beer Week.
What are you doing to celebrate? I’ve got some suggestions for you:
Drink good beer.
Ok, maybe I should expand on that. You could start by advocating the consumption of craft beer to non-craft-drinking friends by nudging them into the world of good beer with something new to them but along the same lines. Some are stuck in the way of macro “beer” and have a hard time getting out so, for example, if they frequently drink Bud Light or Budweiser, maybe you can suggest Budweiser American Ale. It’ll start getting their toes wet in a world of better beer. From there you can move to beer like Leinenkugel’s or Samuel Adams and eventually open their eyes to a world of endless possibilities.
That’s just one idea. Beyond that, helping support local craft beer is never a bad thing. Visit local breweries and go on a tour, try new beers, or stop in to a brewpub! Share some good beer with a friend or have a small get-together to enjoy a tasting with multiple friends. All of these things will advocate craft beer and help the community.
Local events are being held constantly throughout the week too. Check American Craft Beer Week’s website and enter your state to see what’s going on around you!
We’ve got a few things going on here in Wisconsin you may want to look at.
What am I’m doing? I’ll be in California (for the first time!) on vacation with my girlfriend hitting as many spots for good beer as I can. Anchor tour reservations have been made far in advance and stops at Bootleggers, The Bruery, and Russian River are in order as well as plenty of other options. It should be a good time and I hope that everyone else enjoys American Craft Beer Week all over the country as much as I will be. Celebrate craft beer!
-Andy
Tags: American Ale, American Craft Beer, American Craft Beer Week, Anchor, Anchor Brewery, Beer Week, Bootlegger's, Bud American Ale, Budweiser, Craft Beer, Craft Beer Week, Leinenkugel's, Russian River, Samuel Adams, The Bruery
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Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Every so often I get a little greedy or stingy with my beer. It’s generally warranted when I’m planning on cellaring beer for a few years but, occasionally it happens when I’ve got larger bottles I plan on reviewing. Every now and again when this happens I’m put in check.
I realize what true beer advocacy is when I hang out and share beers with Todd (aka Beerwolf). He is one hell-of-a generous guy who gives and gives without thinking of anything but the enjoyment of sharing his massive stash of beer with other beer lovers. I was very luck to meet him (and countless others) through Beeradvocate and I’m really pleased he has joined the BeerFM crew!
I am equally blessed with meeting Larry Schneiberg, the area manager of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. He constantly hooks me up with Sierra Nevada goodies in the name of spreading the word of good beer. If you see any signs on liquor stores advertising a Sierra Nevada tasting in the greater Milwaukee area make sure you go and meet this kind and generous man and share some samples while listening to his wisdom.
This one’s for you Todd and Larry! Thanks for keeping the brotherhood of beer fellowship an awesome community to be in!
-Andy
Tags: Beer Advocacy, beer comminuty, beer fellowship, BeerAdvocate, BeerFM, Beerwolf, Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
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Monday, May 10th, 2010
Craft beer stores that offer growler fills have always been on my short list of things I would love to see in South East WI. Who would’nt want a great big glass jug of some of their favorite craft beers? It’s an often cheaper route to what basically amounts to a little less than a six pack. I know stores in other states have this policy and it seems to work rather well. I’ve even heard rumors of stores on the west side of the state doing Surly growler fills. Mmmm Surly. I understand liquor laws and red tape can prevent this sort of thing from happening so I don’t raise too much fuss.
However a man can dream right?
Well as they say “dreams can come true” Enter:Timers Beverage Center in Racine. I grew up in Racine and actually bought my first “legal” beer from this place. So I’ve kept tabs on them and visit from time to time. Well to my utter jaw dropping surprise, they now offer 3 rotating taps from which you can get growler fills. SCORE! Now I know you’re thinking “Racine” I’m not driving down there. Well first off its a mere 10 minutes off the interstate and you never actually go into Racine to get there. Secondly it’s one of, if not THE cleanest liquor store I’ve ever been to. Great craft selection and customer service is top notch. They will carry your beer to your car for you. WTF! How awesome is that? Right now their website states they have Bell’s Oberon, Capital Imperial Doppelbock and Oskar Blues Gordon. Now not the sexiest beers but it’s a damn fine start in my book. I hope all the other craft beer stores are taking notes. It looks like my parents will be getting a lot more visits from their son. (I just gotta hit Timers first)
Timers Beverage Center
3800 Northwestern Ave
Racine, Wisconsin, 53405
United States
phone: (262) 637-2704
-Beerwolf
Tags: Beer stores, beer-to-go, Beerwolf, Beverage, beverage center, Center, growler fills, Growlers, Racine, Stores, Take Home, Tap beer, Tap beer for sale, Timers, Timers Racine, Wisconsin
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Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
So everyone who knows the Beerwolf knows I like me some Tyranena. My number-one rated beer of all time was their draft only release of Chocolate Imperial Porter. Well, Rob Larson posted news recently that they will be releasing 3 new Brewers Gone Wild beers. Doubly Down ‘n Even Dirtier 
, a Double Stout brewed with Cocoa nibs and aged in bourbon barrels with cocoa nibs and vanilla beans, Shaggin’ in the Wood
, a blend of 70% Scotch Ale aged in Bourbon barrels and 30% Scotch Ale, and, La Femme Amère
, a Wisconsin Belgique-Style India Pale Ale. All three beers sound spectacular. I’m especially excited about the double stout. That one’s right in my wheel house. It looks like we will have to wait until Thanksgiving to give a try though, so now I’m going to wish for a quick summer.
-Beerwolf
I must also thank beernews for the label images.
Tags: Beer Releases, Brewers Gone Wild, Chocolate Imperial Porter, Doubly Down, Doubly Down 'N Even Dirtier, La Femme Amère, New Beer, New Beer Releases, Rob Larson, Rob Larson news, Shaggin' In The Wood, Tyranena, Tyranena Brewers Gone Wild, Tyranena La Femme, Tyranena La Femme Amère, Tyranena News, Tyranena Releases, Tyranena Shaggin' In The Wood
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